Welcome to the website of the
UK Writing Equipment Society.
If you are interested in the collection, conservation, study or use of writing equipment – old or new – then you should be interested in our website.
Please read on.
Michael Woods, Chairman - Writing Equipment Society
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Newsletter No.19 March 2009
We are pleased to use the medium of our Newsletter to advertise a course being offered through the Museum of Writing
The Museum of Writing.
‘The Book in the Ancient World’
Following the very successful MA course on the History of Writing, the Museum of Writing is privileged to have been invited to participate in an adapted course under the title ‘The Book in the Ancient World’ within the prestigious London Rare Book School (LRBS). The LRBS is run by the Institute of English Studies, University of London and consists of a series of four-day, intensive courses on a variety of book-related subjects, including the history of the book, manuscripts and writing. It will be held during the week 20th to 24th July 2009.
Open to any interested person, the aim of the ‘Ancient Book’ course explains and explores some of the important historical features of writing and its tools, the invention and development of which, initially on clay tablets and papyrus scrolls - the precursors of ‘the book,’ are of particular relevance to the early history of the book.
The course is likely to appeal not simply to those already attracted to History of the Book but also to those interested in ancient and classical civilizations, to those interested in archaeology, and to those involved or interested in calligraphy who wish to understand more about the historical context of their subject. Furthermore, the course will also explain the social and geographic influences on writing materials and equipment from proto and early writing through to 1500 CE, and examples of these objects and the writing systems relevant to each session will be available for students to view and handle.
The unique aspect of the course is that there will be practical sessions within most of the seminars during which students will make and use writing instruments, such as reed pens and quills. This will help to make clear the sometimes arduous preparation necessary before scribes put ink to papyrus or quill to parchment. They will also have the opportunity to use original artefacts and materials from Roman styli on wax through medieval pens to Chinese brushes, an eighteenth century fountain pen and the first modern fountain pen. These artefacts will come principally from the collections of the Museum of Writing. Experts from the British Library, the British Museum and departments of the University of London are among the broad mix of teachers.
For further information, please visit http://ies.sas.ac.uk/cmps/events/courses/LRBS/LRBS_courses.htm .
Alan Cole, Chair - Museum of Writing
Tutor, Institute of English Studies, University of London.
enquiries@museumofwriting.co.uk
Trade Talk Newsletter No 2
If you would like to see more, please go to http://tradetalk.wesonline.org.uk/.
For full details of the Pen Repair Course, download the flyer here.