From an Object to a Relic: How Names can Enhance a Book

Author: Adina Steiner

Field of Study: Arts and Humanities

Program Affiliation: Source Project Research Program

Faculty Mentors: Bridget Whearty, Jeremy Dibbell

Easel: 32

Timeslot: Midday

Abstract: The first few pages of an 1820s copy of The Taming of the Shrew are bursting with names: the writer (William Shakespeare) and the playbook’s rewriter, publisher, and editor, the artist and engraver, and the actor that this book belonged to. But what can really be seen from the names of a book? By tracing each of these names across a range of sources, from their other publications to nasty theater reviews, this project illuminates how people can turn a book from an object to a relic. It demonstrates how some of the people involved can add background to a book and its history: how they could be so famous or popular in their time despite their names being washed out, or how these people have worked together on so many previous works. This project shows how an old playbook preserves the life stories of forgotten people.