Larry P. Alford, Chief Librarian, University of Toronto Libraries and Loryl MacDonald, Director, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library cordially invite you to the 22nd annual John Seltzer and Mark Seltzer Memorial Lecture:
Dr Margaret E. Schotte, “For Merchants and Mariners: The Business of Nautical Manuals”
Thursday 5 November 2020 • 6:00 pm
Abstract. The 16th and 17th centuries saw an explosion of printed manuals dedicated to the science of navigation—but it took some time before there was a sizeable audience for such a technical subject. In this talk, Dr Schotte will explore the diverse marketing strategies used by Dutch, English, and Spanish publishers to attract readers. In certain regions, sailors were viewed as too illiterate to buy books, but in others, they were the expert authors. As this lecture will demonstrate, booksellers, publishers and authors alike worked to develop robust markets across maritime Europe, ultimately profiting from the spread of new nautical knowledge.
Bio. Dr Margaret E. Schotte, who worked for a number of years in the antiquarian book trade, is currently an associate professor of history at York University. She teaches courses on early modern history, science, and the history of the book.
RSVP and Zoom information. Please email annamaria.romano@utoronto.ca by Thursday 28 September to let us know that you are planning to join us. We will send you the Zoom link and other details after we have heard from you.
This lecture has been captioned.
