Parchment or Paper? Choosing the Writing Medium in the Era before Printing

Sponsoring Organization(s)

Research Group on Manuscript Evidence

Organizer Name

Mildred Budny

Organizer Affiliation

Research Group on Manuscript Evidence

Presider Name

David Porreca

Presider Affiliation

Univ. of Waterloo

Paper Title 1

Double Act: Manuscripts Combining Paper and Parchment

Presenter 1 Name

Mildred Budny

Paper Title 2

Four Cartulary Fragments in Parchment and Paper

Presenter 2 Name

David W. Sorenson

Presenter 2 Affiliation

Allen G. Berman, Numismatist

Paper Title 3

The Rise of Merchant Use of Paper

Presenter 3 Name

Eleanor A. Congdon

Presenter 3 Affiliation

Youngstown State Univ.

Paper Title 4

Parchment: The Worst Writing Medium except for All Others

Presenter 4 Name

Jesse Meyer

Presenter 4 Affiliation

Pergamena

Start Date

13-5-2016 10:00 AM

Session Location

Schneider 1360

Description

This session explores the diverse materials chosen for textual and documentary purposes in the late Middle Ages, at the dawn of the Printing Era. With the rise of paper in Western Europe, the choices of writing surfaces became more varied. Our case studies examine the use of paper, parchment, or both, in selected manuscripts, cartularies, and merchants' records, and consider the characteristics of parchment as a writing surface. In some cases, the volumes opted not for one or the other material, but for a combination of paper and parchment.

Mildred Budny