|
The
Caxton Project
 For
years now I have been working on what I call the Caxton Project.
I have been trying to identify individual compositors according
to their spelling practices. This has been very time consuming,
only recently have I acquired enough evidence to show the spelling
practices of one individual and been able to follow their work through
several publications printed in 1485.
William
Caxton
William
Caxton was a mercer, a cloth trader, who learned printing while
working for the Merchant Adventurers in the Low Countries. He returned
to England in 1477 and for the next 15 years published a large number
of books. He is important as being the first English printer and
also the first printer to print books in English. He had an active
program of translating works from French, Dutch and Latin and publishing
them along with printing major English authors such as Chaucer and
Malory for the first time.
Early
Printing
Printing
was developed as a craft about 1450 by Gutenberg. The craft quickly
spread through Europe and many technological improvements took place
during the next 50 years. There was already an active book trade
and a large demand for contemporary and ancient works in Latin,
Greek and vernacular languages before printing was developed. The
book trade exploded with the new technologies and helped create
changes affecting society in religion, education and law.
St.
Winifred
Amongst the works that Caxton translated was the life of St.
Winifred from Latin. I have links here to my transcription of
the text.
Women
in the Middle Ages
I have several pages in this section
of the site with information about women in the Middle Ages.
I include a selection from Caxton’s translaton of The Knight
of the Tower.
The
Project
As time allows I hope to add more information here about early printing
and materials from my study of Caxton’s compositors.
William
Caxton Online
Caxton online in Middle English
Malory,
Morte D’Arthur -- This is the first printed edition published
in 1485 by Caxton. There is also a nearly contemporary manuscript
in the British Library that has ties with Caxton’s shop.
Blanchardin
and Eglantine, a prose romance translated from the French by
Caxton and published about 1489.
Charles
the Grete, a prose romance about Charlemagne translated from
the French by Caxton and published in 1485.
Aesop’s
Fables was printed in 1484 with woodcut illustrations. A link
is provided for each story in that edition.
Sites
with illustrations of pages from illuminated manuscripts and early
printed books
 There
are pages from early
illuminated and printed books here.
A page from Caxton’s second edition of The
Game and Play of Chess which was printed in 1482.
A page from Caxton’s first edition of Chaucer’s Canterbury
Tales printed in 1478 is shown here.
Translations
A modernized rendition of Caxton’s translation of a French
version of the Golden
Legend printed in 1483 is available at this site. The Golden
Legend was a collection of saints’ lives that was very popular
in the later middle ages.
Contact
me to let me know how you like this portion of the Sootypaws
web site.
|
