Re: Collation of 1723 Fertel manual

[Anthony Bliss <abliss@library.berkeley.edu>]

To Ted Duggan & interested Ex Librans...

Fertel has long been a favorite of mine; subject of my Library School 
thesis. The Bancroft Library copy of it collates the same as the Texas 
copy reported by John Thomas. I have a record of another copy I collated 
at Dawson's Book Shop 20 years ago, also identical. There is however one 
difference: there should be 7 plates. Apparently lacking from the Texas 
copy is a large engraved folding plate of the Greek type case meant to 
face p. 13. I don't think the Gravelot frontis was issued with the book.

Fertel's was the first French printer's manual and one of the only 
manuals to give consideration to typographic design as well as the 
how-tos. One piece of practical advice he gave to shop foreman was to 
prohibit the eating of bread by compositors. The crumbs fill up the 
interstices of the O's and e's.

A word to the wise.

		Tony Bliss