{"id":5238,"date":"2015-08-02T05:38:01","date_gmt":"2015-08-02T05:38:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/?p=5238"},"modified":"2019-08-13T20:31:05","modified_gmt":"2019-08-13T20:31:05","slug":"manuscript-groupies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manuscriptevidence.org\/wpme\/manuscript-groupies\/","title":{"rendered":"Manuscript Groupies"},"content":{"rendered":"

Preview:<\/h2>\n

An Illustrated Handlist<\/em> of a Group of
\nMedieval and Early Modern
\nManuscripts, Documents, and Printed Materials<\/h3>\n

Conservation, Photography, Research, and Descriptions<\/h4>\n

by Mildred Budny<\/a><\/h4>\n
\"Detail<\/a>

Bookish<\/p><\/div>\n

As we unveil more of the research results for an extended study of a group of medieval and early modern manuscripts, documents, and printed materials, its Illustrated Handlist <\/em>deserves an Introduction.\u00a0 Here, instead, is a Preview or Trailer.<\/p>\n

[Update:\u00a0 And here is the Illustrated Handlist<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

Jest for Fun<\/h3>\n

Details of the materials in the Handlist<\/em>, their conservation, and cumulative research results are reported, in stages, on other parts of this website (for example here<\/a>), as well as in an illustrated Album, now in preparation for print.\u00a0 Here is a light-hearted Preview, in the form of:<\/p>\n

A Brief Introduction,
\nPartly Playful but Also Earnest,
\nIllustrations Included<\/h4>\n

Photography by Mildred Budny<\/em><\/p>\n

The Best Side<\/h3>\n

To set the scene, a pair of informal Group Portraits shows the Best Sides of some hand-written leaves in the Handlist<\/em>.
\n(P.S. Each Side counts as a Best Side in our book . . . )<\/p>\n

These specimens\u00a0\u2014 AKA ‘Models’ for the Portraits\u00a0\u2014 come from several different parts of the Handlist.<\/em>\u00a0 Our Models here belong among Parts I and II of the Handlist<\/em>, along with the other ‘Single Leaves’ and ‘Documents’ \u2014 in these cases all on vellum or parchment and mostly in Latin.<\/p>\n

Some of them have richer decoration than others, depending upon their own resources, their talents, their training, their agents, their stylists, their make-up, the set-designers, the Director (in this context, that would be me), and the parts they have been assigned, or have decided, to play.\u00a0 Play is the operative word today.<\/p>\n

Take Two<\/h3>\n

And so here we have Group Portraits I & II (with Lady), unretouched.\u00a0 Don’t we love seeing the Stars when they don’t have extra makeup, bodyguards, etc., and can show their real, natural selves?<\/p>\n

For my part, I like both these Portraits.\u00a0 For one thing, they show different Sides.\u00a0 For another, they both look fabulous, just the way they are.\u00a0 That’s my view(s), anyway.<\/p>\n

Which would you prefer?<\/p>\n

\"Six<\/a>

Group Portrait, Take 1<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Six<\/a>

Group Portrait, Take 2<\/p><\/div>\n

Seeing the Bright<\/h3>\n
\"Lower<\/a>

All That Glitters Might Be Gold<\/p><\/div>\n

As for asking for their autographs, well, these Models already show their signature handwriting.\u00a0 Some elements are even in gold.\u00a0 Real gold, at that.<\/p>\n

By the way, as a photographer (See Here Too<\/a>), I observe that the gold leaf worn, for real, by three of our Models gleams especially effectively in these informal Portraits. Did you know that gold is diabolically difficult to photograph well on manuscripts?\u00a0 No kidding.\u00a0 No matter if you didn’t know that already, now you do.<\/p>\n

Happily, the gold shows brightly in these snapshots, better even than in some more formal settings.\u00a0 Didn’t plan it.\u00a0 It just happened.\u00a0 A bonus!\u00a0 Remember what I said about their Good Sides?\u00a0 Er, no, I mean, their Best Sides?<\/p>\n

When it comes to photographing touchy, sensitive, demanding Subjects (As If! Who’s the Subject, as in Servant, here?), the Golden Oldies can be extremely demanding. It feels special when, without elaborate Special Effects, they can be allowed to reveal their unique inner light.\u00a0 Now that takes Talent Scouting.<\/p>\n

Roll Credits<\/h3>\n

To give credit where credit is due, I will readily name names.\u00a0 In each version of the Group Portrait, here are, from left to right, in Rows 1 and 2 (upper and lower):<\/p>\n