Interactive materiality: Learning from Curators and Conservators about a 17th century turn-up book

Abstract

In this illustrated essay I discuss my ongoing engagement with curators and conservators at different rare books repositories in Canada, Britain and the United States, especially at The Pennsylvania State University, about a mid-17th century turn-up sheet. Called The Beginning, Progress and End of Man an edition is held in the university’s special collections department. The bibliographic identification is incomplete with no date, place of publication, printer or publisher given. I share a narrative from my perspective as a researcher of interactive books about what I am learning about the materiality of the early modern paper and how this enables the interactivity of the object.