EXHIBITS
Thomas Cogan and The Haven of Health: Printing and Creation
Printing and Creation
Thomas Orwin printed this edition of The Haven of Health in 1588. Although he had his own printing devices, the device used on the title page is not one he commonly used. [1] Printing devices were woodblock designs that distinguished publishers and booksellers from their competitors. [2] The barrel with the letters "nor" and the letter "W" underneath indicate this device belonged to the bookseller William Norton.
The book appears to be printed on paper as opposed to parchment or vellum.
Orwin began his printing career in London as an apprentice to Thomas Purfoot. When his predecessor George Robinson passed away in the 1580s, Orwin married Robinson's widow and took over his business. [3]
Each page in the book has a red colored edge. This technique of coloring the edges was used to prevent the pages from becoming dirty or damaged. [4] The pages are still in excellent condition for being over 400 years old, and the colored edges have helped maintain their integrity. Although preservation was the primary purpose for edge coloring, this technique was also used as a means of decoration. The process of edge coloring is done by mixing oil and a material such as Armenian Bole (a red clay) and carefully applying the mixture in order to protect and color the edges. [5]
It is more than likely that this book was not bound by Thomas Orwin, but instead by the original owner of the book. During the Renaissance period, it was common practice to have the book bound after it was purchased by someone entirely different than the book publisher or the book seller. The cover is probably made out of pasteboard. [6]
The name Arthur S. Donkin M.D. is displayed on the inside front cover. This name appears exactly as it does on the label in a medical journal from the 1800s [7], providing evidence that he owned the book over 200 years after its printing.
[1] "Printing in England from William Caxton to Christopher Barker," Special Collections, Accessed April 2, 2015, http://special.lib.gla.ac.uk/exhibns/printing.
[2] Richard W. Clement, "Medieval and Renaissance Book Production - Printed Books," Part 2, Medieval and Renaissance Book Production - Printed Books. Accessed April 7, 2015, http://www.the-orb.net/encyclop/culture/books/medbook2.html.
[3]"Printing in England."
[4] Paul N. Hasluck, "- About Bookbinding -," Coloring Book Edges : Bookbinding by Paul Hasluck, Accessed April 2, 2015, http://www.aboutbookbinding.com/bookbinding/Coloring-Book-Edges.html.
[5] Ibid.
[6] Clement, "Medieval and Renaissance Book Production," Part 2.
[7] "On The Relation Between Diabetes And Food, And Its Application To The Treatment Of The Disease by Arthur Donkin," The British Medical Journal 2, no. 770 (1875): 429-30.