Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Study Structure

So it's about time that I start tacking that third study. Here's a tentative outline (you have to start somewhere).

- Introduce the books.
- Introduce the hard part i.e., finding the reader.
- Adopt Darnton's model.
- Provide some explanation of reader studies.
- Discuss the difficulties with current model i.e., focus on classics (Grafton, Montaigne, etc.)
- Introduce notion of books that get used. Use the example of the AGS and Steel Bible.
- Introduce what little we do know e.g., who owned these things; how much Hooke paid; some discussion of Pepys and Micrographia (and his subsequent lack of interest in Ramelli).
- Introduce process of marginalia reading and key goals.
- Introduce the book.
- Introduce Arundell.
- Discuss what he wrote.
- Conclusion.

Hmmm... there's some big gaps near the gap but I'll deal with what I can.

Google Books and Personal Libraries

I've long struggled to answer one question: "Who owned the theatrum machinarum?" I've come across a few different sources but Google books provides a valuable hedge:

subject:"Private libraries" machinarum

Incidentally, check out pg. 25 of Bibliotecha Krunitziana for a rare appearance of Captain Jelly Finger.

And some more Captain Jelly Finger: http://books.google.com/books?id=aDwDAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA286&dq=history+of+strength+of+materials&as_brr=1#PPA279,M1