Renaissance Printers' Marks
printer's mark is a device used for visual identification of the printer, his business and, many times, his family. It could be considered as the first form of copyright to protect the intellectual contents and to guarantee the quality of the book. In the beginning of the mid-15th century, these devices were very simple designs. However, by the mid-16th century, they had evolved into a serious art form with ornate and complex patterns. There are fine examples of these marks in the dome of the Main Reading Room above the College Library Reference Desk.
This guide will help to locate and identify briefly the printer, variations in the printer's name (often altered to be linguistically consistent with the country in which he worked), his working period and the first known date of the device, if available.
For further information about the general architecture of the building, please ask at the Reference Desk for the guide The Powell Library Building.
