VWB Lectures 2010: Belgium’s First Printers (24 February) - Color on 15th-century Title Pages (28 April)

Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience at Antwerp –formerly Stadsbibliotheek - I am constantly using EHC now to refer to this heritage library, and I invite my readership to do the same – has the biggest collection of rare books and documents in the Dutch speaking part of this country (not counting our Royal Library at Brussels). And this library has the added advantage of being located in proximity of the Museum Plantin-Moretus.

EHC fittingly took it upon itself to embrace the VWB lectures series, VWB as in Vlaamse Werkgroep Boekgeschiedenis, society of book historians in the Dutch speaking part of Belgium. These lectures on current themes in book history have become part and parcel of EHC’s calendar.

Venue 4 times a year is Wednesday at 5 pm in EHC’s Nottebohmzaal, a 19^th-century hall filled with books which for every tourist in Antwerp is a must see.

Too much related to paper heritage in this country is still a best kept secret, and these pages are vibrantly trying to get much out of that category. We have in this country a paper heritage so fine, that I think foreign visitors should travel to us to become acquainted. Just like one should travel for Old Masters - Old Masters shouldn’t travel for us.

Now on to the first VWB lectures in 2010. On Wednesday 24 February, Renaud Adam, from the Rare Books Department at Belgium’s Royal Library (Brussels), is holding a lecture in French on Belgium’s first 15^th-century printers, entitled “Alost, le berceau de l'imprimerie en Belgique? Retour sur l'atelier de Jean de Westphalie et Thierry Martens (1473-1474).”

We have previously mentioned the new census on Dirk Martens that Renaud Adam and Alexandre Vanautgaerden have published (ISBN 978-2-503-53112-0 ; jointly with Passeurs de textes: 978-2-503-53118-2). Next to well-known bibliographies for incunabula and Van Iseghem for Martens, Adam & Vanautgaerden should become a new staple in reference libraries.

On Wednesday 28 April, Rémi Mathis (Bibliothèque de l'Université Paris Descartes/CNRS) will hold a talk in English entitled “Red in a black and white world. Coloured title-pages in early printed books.” He will no doubt summarize the most important findings about the use of colored ink on title pages in the earliest days of hand-printed books.

Venue: EHC – Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience - Hendrik Conscienceplein 4, 2000 Antwerp – Wednesdays, 5.00-6.30 pm. Entrance is free.