Andrea here, What with the holidays upon us, and this week likely being a frenzy of last-minute running around, I’ve decided to keep my scribbling short. Very short! So I'm doing something a little different.
Now, scribbling is the operative word. Many of us here enjoy historical books—both ones written by contemporary authors set in the past, and ones actually penned in the past. (I adore seeing displays of historical manuscripts. I literally got goosebumps seeing Charlotte Bronte’s Jane Eyre at the British Library!)
I recently saw a delightful blog that made me have a fun “ah-ha!” moment regarding on how we read books. (more on that in a moment.) I would like to posit that there are two fundamental types of readers: Those who revere the printed page and abhor the idea of adding any markings to it. And those who don’t hesitate for a moment about adding their own personal doodles.
So, showcased below is a selection from the rare book collection of the Yale Law School library on doodles. (All images are courtesy of their website, which has an amazing array of wonderful visuals for those who love books. I’ve been lucky enough to meet the head librarian, who is a real treasure.) What makes me laugh is the types of doodles done in the Renaissance is so much like what we do today—ie, the silly faces, the little animals . . .
So have a look and smile! And as with all our Wench posts, I’ll end with a question for our readers! Are a margin scribbler? Or do you feel it’s sacrilege to doodle in a book?Don't you love the black eye!
Silliness knows no century
Giving the finger has apparently been done for ages
Picasso would be jealous!
The fantasies of bored schoolboys never seem to change
Bellicose doodles have always been popular
As have castles in the air
And we all know that feeling when one's concentration is going to the dogs!
FINIS!