Talk on medieval girdle books

Ligatus Public Lecture

"The Girdle Book of the Saint, the Monk, the Nun, the Traveler, the
    Pilgrim, the Wealthy Citizen"
The Billiard Room
Chelsea College of Arts
16 John Islip Street
London SW1P 4JU
Thursday 21 April
6pm

Professor Margit Smith

Ligatus is delighted to announce a public lecture on the history and
conservation of medieval girdle books by Professor Margit Smith.

For hundreds of years before the invention of pockets, various small
objects such as scissors, keys, pomanders, folded almanacs and
miniature metal-covered books were worn suspended from the belt.
The girdle book was also carried this way, bound with an extension
of the leather covering from the lower edges of its boards, which
allowed it to be hung from the belt, or girdle.  By being carried at
the belt, or by hand, grasping the extension of the cover, the book
was meant always to be readily available to its owner, and by being
hung upside down from its lower edge, it would be the right way up
to read when raised from the belt.  It makes its appearance in the
later medieval period, mostly as a rather utilitarian object, but
occasionally a highly decorative one.  Although only a small number
survive, it was frequently depicted in art.

Prof. Smith worked as an academic librarian in various libraries,
including the British Library of Political and Economic Science at
the London School of Economics.  She retired six years ago after
nearly 20 years as Head of Cataloging and Preservation at the Copley
Library at the University of San Diego.  She works in her studio on
commissions to repair or rebind damaged books and documents and
occasionally teaches classes of "Basic Bookbinding for the General
Collection".

Prof Smith's manuscript The medieval girdle book has been accepted
for publication by Oak Knoll Press in Delaware.  It will provide a
source of comprehensive documentation of increasing importance to
scholars of codicology and the history of books.

The talk is open to all and will be followed by drinks and
refreshments.

Tickets:
    Standard: UKP5
    Students: UKP3

Book your place now at

    <URL:http://estore.arts.ac.uk/browse/extra_info.asp?compid=1&modid=2&deptid=178&catid=89&prodid=241>


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                  Conservation DistList Instance 29:43
                  Distributed: Tuesday, March 29, 2016
                       Message Id: cdl-29-43-012
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