Unseen Hands

This didn't come from inside a book, but it's about the inside of books. And the outside, too. Princeton University has a wonderful online exhibit, which I found while searching for some information on a book. An enjoyable bit of serendipity this morning. The exhibit is titled: Unseen Hands: Women Printers Binders and Book Designers. For book lovers, this is an interesting historical look into women's roles in the printing business. It's interesting to note that women were much more involved in the business from the 14th through 18th centuries, but by the 19th century male-only unions relegated women to low-level duties such as folding printed sheets and sewing bindings. Some women, however excelled in spite of such restrictions and created lasting works of art and craftsmanship in the book trade. Their work is featured in this exhibit as well, one of several exhibits sponsored by the Department of Rare Books and Special Collections in the Princeton University Library