Τα "δειγματολόγια" των ελληνικών τυπογραφείων της Βενετίας (1800, 1812) : συμβολή στην ιστορία των ελληνικών τυπογραφικών στοιχείων
Part of : Τεκμήριον : επιστημονική επετηρίδα του Τμήματος Αρχειονομίας και Βιβλιοθηκονομίας ; Vol.8, No.1, 2008, pages 9-68
Issue:
Pages:
9-68
Parallel Title:
The type specimens of the Greek printing offices in Venice (1800, 1812) : a contribution to the history of Greek printing types
Author:
Abstract:
This study constitutes the first scientific “reading” and interpretation of two type specimens printed during the early 19th century in two major printing offices of Greek ownership located in Venice; the printing office of Glykys and the printing office of Theodosiou. The history of printing type specimens, i.e. the special broadsides, pamphlets and books - issued to facilitate communication and orders, either between authors/ publishers and printers, or between printers and type founders - begins in 1486, when the famous German printer Erhard Ratdolt printed the oldest known broadside of this kind that has survived until today. A historical introduction aims to facilitate the understanding of the role of printing type specimens in general, followed by the tracking down in German-speaking territories of two precursory Greek printing type specimens aiming at Greek authors or publishers; next, the content of the oldest type specimens produced in printing offices of Greek ownership, i.e. the type specimens of Glykys and Theodosiou as mentioned above, is presented and interpreted. In addition, a picture is drawn -as complete as possible- of the design, size and origin of the printing types used in these two printing offices throughout their existence. Furthermore, the differences in the way these two enterprises have tackled the issue of renewing the printing types in the late 18th and early 19th century are identified, discussed and interpreted, an issue of concern for all major European printers from the mid 18th century onwards, an era during which the Enlightenment and the aesthetic influences of the time had also an impact on the appearance of the printed book. It is proven that Panos Theodosiou attempted a limited in extent and duration renewal of printing types, with the assistance of a Greek printer who in 1798 relocated from Vienna to Venice, persecuted by the Austrian authorities for cooperating with Rigas Velestinlis. On the contrary, Michail Glykys, heir to a well established enterprise founded in 1670, remained in the early 19th century adherent of the traditional Greek printing types created by French type designers and type cutters during the mid 16th century.
Subject:
Subject (LC):
Keywords:
printing
