Summerfield C65: Among the Public and Private

Summerfield C65: Among the Public and Private

A reader or viewer opening Summerfield C65 would notice three specific characteristics: it is a printed book, it has been well used, and it was transformed into a hybrid object blending print and manuscript culture. But, what does its appearance say about this printed Book of Hours, and the spectator's approach to it? As Roger Wieck observed, the Book of Hours tells us something about the history of its time. However, it also offers insight into the history of its public circulation and its private use through time. Consideration of its original form and additions and changes made to Summerfield C65 reveal how printed Books of Hours, despite their mass production, were precious objects just like their manuscript counterparts.

Summerfield C65

Spencer Research Library Special Collections, University of Kansas

c. 1505

Book of Hours

Spencer Research Library Special Collections, Summerfield C65, fols. a_iv–a_iir

Ink on vellum, printed Book of Hours