Early Typography

Skeen, William, 1822？-1872Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.2

Word count: 460K words
Chapters: 46

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Early Typography by William SkeenAuthor: Skeen, William, 1822?-1872,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Jul 8, 2018

Editor's review

This early work by the nineteenth-century British author William Skeen is a dedicated survey of the origins and early development of typography, an old-school contribution to bibliography and book history. Its value lies not in offering the latest archaeological conclusions but in showing how a Victorian scholar understood the birth of printing, the evolution of type, and the material features of early printed books; readers can see the historical layers in the methods of printing-history research. Its discussions of technical details and early printed works remain a period-marked reference for those working in textual bibliography, the history of book collecting, or design history. Because the book was written early, some of its claims have been corrected by later scholarship, and it should be read with a critical eye. It is suitable as supplementary material for specialized study or for casual browsing by readers interested in the material culture of books, but not as an introductory general history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Specialist readers in book history, bibliography, and textual scholarship
Print-design practitioners interested in the evolution of typographic technology
Chinese readers who collect early printed books and follow Western book history

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking the latest conclusions in printing-history research
General readers looking only for light, story-driven reading

Reading tips

Read the introduction and chapter headings first to grasp the book's scope before tackling details
Read alongside modern works on printing history and note claims that have since been corrected
Take notes on the specific printed books and typographic terms discussed for easier verification

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable as an introduction to printing history?

Not really. It was written in the nineteenth century, and both its prose and its framing bear the mark of that era; many of its conclusions have since been updated by later research. Beginners should first read a modern general history to build a framework, then use this book as supplementary material to observe how early scholars discussed the origins of printing.

What does the book focus on?

Judging by the title and the author's background, the book centers on early typography, covering topics such as the origins of movable-type printing, early printed books, and typefaces. It belongs to the bibliography genre, with its emphasis on printing technology and early printed works rather than a broad narrative of social and cultural history.

What if I have trouble reading the original English edition?

Use a dictionary to handle printing and bibliographical terms, and consult Chinese works on book history for comparison. If you are interested in only one chapter, read its concluding paragraphs first and then go back through the argument, which reduces the burden of archaic English expression.

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About the author

Skeen, William, 1822？-1872 Author

Skeen, William (1822?–1872) is the author of Early Typography. Public information about his life, including his exact dates and nationality, is limited, and only one of his works is currently held in the collection. Judging from the title and subject, he focused on the early history of printing, covering the origins of movable type, typefaces, and printing techniques—a specialized topic within bibliography and book history. The book is mainly based on documentary review and historical verification, with a style that emphasizes the material itself rather than rhetorical flourish. Although direct information about Skeen's life is scarce, making it difficult to reconstruct his education, career, or the circumstances of his writing, Early Typography remains his representative surviving work. It offers Chinese readers a useful primary reference for studying the origins of Western printing and secures him a place in the documentary record of book and printing history.