Early Modern How-to Books
@howtobooks.bsky.social
DFG- & AHRC-funded project researching early modern how-to books and the histories of knowledge, science and the book 📖
Based at Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel and Glasgow University 🇩🇪🤝🏴 Check out our website: howtobook.eu/
Based at Herzog August Bibliothek Wolfenbüttel and Glasgow University 🇩🇪🤝🏴 Check out our website: howtobook.eu/
Pinned
Tracts of Action
"Tracts of Action" published on 21 May 2024 by Brill.
brill.com
How does one learn practical skills from a book? Why were how-to books so popular in the early modern period, who used them and how, and can they even be considered a clearly defined genre? Find out the answer to these and other questions in our edited volume: brill.com/display/titl...
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
🎆Happy #GuyFawkesDay!
Before and after the 1605 gunpowder plot, fireworks were an important part of celebrations. But what were they made of?
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the fascinating book that taught the art of making fire
scilicet.org.uk/before-and-a... #Skystorians
Before and after the 1605 gunpowder plot, fireworks were an important part of celebrations. But what were they made of?
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the fascinating book that taught the art of making fire
scilicet.org.uk/before-and-a... #Skystorians
November 5, 2025 at 4:33 PM
🎆Happy #GuyFawkesDay!
Before and after the 1605 gunpowder plot, fireworks were an important part of celebrations. But what were they made of?
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the fascinating book that taught the art of making fire
scilicet.org.uk/before-and-a... #Skystorians
Before and after the 1605 gunpowder plot, fireworks were an important part of celebrations. But what were they made of?
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the fascinating book that taught the art of making fire
scilicet.org.uk/before-and-a... #Skystorians
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Today on the blog: a magnificent find by @franceswolfreston.bsky.social of a book that the poet Katherine Philips gave to Mary Jeffreys; a discussion with important scholarly implications for the study of Philips earlymodernfemalebookownership.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/h... #EarlyModern #HerBook
October 27, 2025 at 6:41 PM
Today on the blog: a magnificent find by @franceswolfreston.bsky.social of a book that the poet Katherine Philips gave to Mary Jeffreys; a discussion with important scholarly implications for the study of Philips earlymodernfemalebookownership.wordpress.com/2025/10/27/h... #EarlyModern #HerBook
👀 Want to find out more about our project?
Team members Alina Lange and Stefan Laube recently appeared on the Herzog August Library podcast to discuss the fascinating world of early modern how-to books.
👉 Listen along (in German) here: www.hab.de/podcast-22-v...
#bookhistory #libraries #podcast
Team members Alina Lange and Stefan Laube recently appeared on the Herzog August Library podcast to discuss the fascinating world of early modern how-to books.
👉 Listen along (in German) here: www.hab.de/podcast-22-v...
#bookhistory #libraries #podcast
October 27, 2025 at 2:34 PM
👀 Want to find out more about our project?
Team members Alina Lange and Stefan Laube recently appeared on the Herzog August Library podcast to discuss the fascinating world of early modern how-to books.
👉 Listen along (in German) here: www.hab.de/podcast-22-v...
#bookhistory #libraries #podcast
Team members Alina Lange and Stefan Laube recently appeared on the Herzog August Library podcast to discuss the fascinating world of early modern how-to books.
👉 Listen along (in German) here: www.hab.de/podcast-22-v...
#bookhistory #libraries #podcast
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
This week we have a special article in which we share our thoughts about the History of Knowledge and what it means to us.
It was great fun to write and we hope you will find it thought provoking!
#skystorians #historyofknowledge
scilicet.org.uk/what-is-the-...
It was great fun to write and we hope you will find it thought provoking!
#skystorians #historyofknowledge
scilicet.org.uk/what-is-the-...
What is the history of knowledge? | Scilicet
Scilicet is a blog dedicated to the history of knowledge. In the broadest terms, we’re interested in what people in the past knew, what it meant to know things, and what we as historians can learn abo...
scilicet.org.uk
October 15, 2025 at 1:43 PM
This week we have a special article in which we share our thoughts about the History of Knowledge and what it means to us.
It was great fun to write and we hope you will find it thought provoking!
#skystorians #historyofknowledge
scilicet.org.uk/what-is-the-...
It was great fun to write and we hope you will find it thought provoking!
#skystorians #historyofknowledge
scilicet.org.uk/what-is-the-...
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
The #cfp deadline for our 2026 conference on 'Print and Education is now just under 2 months away!!
If anyone would like to discuss a proposal with me, feel free to get in touch.
#bookhistory #Education #conference
If anyone would like to discuss a proposal with me, feel free to get in touch.
#bookhistory #Education #conference
🚨Call for Papers: The 18th St Andrews/USTC Book History Conference on 'Print and Education' will take place 18–20 June 2026.
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
October 13, 2025 at 12:49 PM
The #cfp deadline for our 2026 conference on 'Print and Education is now just under 2 months away!!
If anyone would like to discuss a proposal with me, feel free to get in touch.
#bookhistory #Education #conference
If anyone would like to discuss a proposal with me, feel free to get in touch.
#bookhistory #Education #conference
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Tell me about your woman-owned books! Submit them via the survey below.
✔️ printed before 1900
✔️ contains evidence of female ownership (a signature e.g.)
#bookhistory
#crowdsourcing
#womenshistory
✔️ printed before 1900
✔️ contains evidence of female ownership (a signature e.g.)
#bookhistory
#crowdsourcing
#womenshistory
Get involved!
If you are interested in contributing to the project by sharing your books, please feel free to email the editor, Charlotte Epple, at cepple[at]sdu.dk. You can contribute by filling in the Crowdsource...
csherbook.hypotheses.org
May 20, 2025 at 5:27 PM
Tell me about your woman-owned books! Submit them via the survey below.
✔️ printed before 1900
✔️ contains evidence of female ownership (a signature e.g.)
#bookhistory
#crowdsourcing
#womenshistory
✔️ printed before 1900
✔️ contains evidence of female ownership (a signature e.g.)
#bookhistory
#crowdsourcing
#womenshistory
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social charts the meteoric rise and eventual decline of #18thcentury mathematician 🧮 Thomas Simpson.
👉 Read more here: scilicet.org.uk/becoming-a-m...
#history #mathematics #skystorians
👉 Read more here: scilicet.org.uk/becoming-a-m...
#history #mathematics #skystorians
October 8, 2025 at 2:05 PM
In our latest article, @jamesafox.bsky.social charts the meteoric rise and eventual decline of #18thcentury mathematician 🧮 Thomas Simpson.
👉 Read more here: scilicet.org.uk/becoming-a-m...
#history #mathematics #skystorians
👉 Read more here: scilicet.org.uk/becoming-a-m...
#history #mathematics #skystorians
In our latest blog post, intern Sandrine Hoppe explores the earliest known recipe book authored by a woman in vernacular German, Anna Wecker's Ein köstlich new kochbuck (1598)
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4596
#bookhistory #cookbook #blog
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4596
#bookhistory #cookbook #blog
October 7, 2025 at 12:59 PM
In our latest blog post, intern Sandrine Hoppe explores the earliest known recipe book authored by a woman in vernacular German, Anna Wecker's Ein köstlich new kochbuck (1598)
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4596
#bookhistory #cookbook #blog
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4596
#bookhistory #cookbook #blog
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
🤔 Is it better to learn from the wisdom of the ancients or from your experience gained over time?
📚 In our latest blog post, @guyfassler.bsky.social explores a 15th-century Tuscan dialogue debating that very question...
scilicet.org.uk/whats-the-po...
#bookhistory #medieval #knowledge
📚 In our latest blog post, @guyfassler.bsky.social explores a 15th-century Tuscan dialogue debating that very question...
scilicet.org.uk/whats-the-po...
#bookhistory #medieval #knowledge
October 1, 2025 at 3:11 PM
🤔 Is it better to learn from the wisdom of the ancients or from your experience gained over time?
📚 In our latest blog post, @guyfassler.bsky.social explores a 15th-century Tuscan dialogue debating that very question...
scilicet.org.uk/whats-the-po...
#bookhistory #medieval #knowledge
📚 In our latest blog post, @guyfassler.bsky.social explores a 15th-century Tuscan dialogue debating that very question...
scilicet.org.uk/whats-the-po...
#bookhistory #medieval #knowledge
🐝 Beekeeping was a staple of early modern how-to books. A new blog post by @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the changing tone of English apicultural books...
#beekeeping #bookhistory
#beekeeping #bookhistory
What do beekeeping books tell us about changes in early modern science and society? @jamesafox.bsky.social has some suggestions, especially in relation to #17thCentury England scilicet.org.uk/the-hive-tur...
#Skystorians #EarlyModern #Bees #AnimalHistory
#Skystorians #EarlyModern #Bees #AnimalHistory
September 24, 2025 at 3:20 PM
🐝 Beekeeping was a staple of early modern how-to books. A new blog post by @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the changing tone of English apicultural books...
#beekeeping #bookhistory
#beekeeping #bookhistory
The latest issue of Scottish Archives has now been published, featuring work from @mchapelproject.bsky.social @nicolemaceira.bsky.social @ksmcgregor.bsky.social and myself, among others. If anyone would like a PDF of my article, just send me a message!
#bookhistory #scottishhistory #Archives
#bookhistory #scottishhistory #Archives
September 17, 2025 at 2:55 PM
In our latest #blog post, Stefan Laube explores the role of #how-to knowledge in the long span of human history
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4498
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4498
September 10, 2025 at 3:21 PM
In our latest #blog post, Stefan Laube explores the role of #how-to knowledge in the long span of human history
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4498
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4498
Earlier this summer, project members Billy Grove and @luisgomes.bsky.social introduced our project at the 13th Society for Emblem Studies conference in Vienna. Read more here:
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4453
#howto #emblems #conference
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4453
#howto #emblems #conference
Emblematically How-to in Vienna
Every three years, in the height of summer, scholars from around the world come together to exchange ideas and explore new directions in emblem studies. This year’s conference, organized as always by ...
howtobook.hypotheses.org
September 3, 2025 at 11:22 AM
Earlier this summer, project members Billy Grove and @luisgomes.bsky.social introduced our project at the 13th Society for Emblem Studies conference in Vienna. Read more here:
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4453
#howto #emblems #conference
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4453
#howto #emblems #conference
New on our #blog: @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the unique #marginalia in a one-of-a-kind 16th-century French arithmetic book from the Herzog August Bibliothek 📖🇩🇪🧮
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4415
#bookhistory #rarebooks #knowledge #mathematics
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4415
#bookhistory #rarebooks #knowledge #mathematics
September 1, 2025 at 2:07 PM
New on our #blog: @jamesafox.bsky.social explores the unique #marginalia in a one-of-a-kind 16th-century French arithmetic book from the Herzog August Bibliothek 📖🇩🇪🧮
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4415
#bookhistory #rarebooks #knowledge #mathematics
Read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/4415
#bookhistory #rarebooks #knowledge #mathematics
In our latest blog post @jamesafox.bsky.social examines the only surviving copy of the first Paracelsian medical text printed in English, 1575 - an important milestone in the history of Anglophone how-to books.
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4371
#bookhistory #rarebooks #medicalhistory
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4371
#bookhistory #rarebooks #medicalhistory
August 11, 2025 at 3:27 PM
In our latest blog post @jamesafox.bsky.social examines the only surviving copy of the first Paracelsian medical text printed in English, 1575 - an important milestone in the history of Anglophone how-to books.
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4371
#bookhistory #rarebooks #medicalhistory
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4371
#bookhistory #rarebooks #medicalhistory
In our latest blog post, Stefan Laube reflects on growing up in the 'true How-to Land' of Hagen in West Westphalia.
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4187
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4187
Where the How-to Land Is – A Sort of Milk and Honey
The longer I work on our How-to project, the clearer it becomes: I grew up in a true How-to region – right in the heart of a city built on metalworking. A place where things weren’t made to be beautif...
howtobook.hypotheses.org
August 5, 2025 at 6:38 AM
In our latest blog post, Stefan Laube reflects on growing up in the 'true How-to Land' of Hagen in West Westphalia.
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4187
howtobook.hypotheses.org/4187
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
🚨Call for Papers: The 18th St Andrews/USTC Book History Conference on 'Print and Education' will take place 18–20 June 2026.
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
July 1, 2025 at 12:08 PM
🚨Call for Papers: The 18th St Andrews/USTC Book History Conference on 'Print and Education' will take place 18–20 June 2026.
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
👉 Further details here: www.ustc.ac.uk/conference
📅 Application deadline: 12 December 2025
📖 We look forward to receiving your proposals!
#CfP #bookhistory #skystorians
Elmswell Hall in Yorkshire, where 17th-century landowner Henry Best handwrote a farming #how-to book for his son.
In our latest blog, @jamesafox.bsky.social compares Best's advice on beekeeping with a printed equivalent. 📚🐝
👉 howtobook.hypotheses.org/4150
#bookhistory #bees #nationalwritingday
In our latest blog, @jamesafox.bsky.social compares Best's advice on beekeeping with a printed equivalent. 📚🐝
👉 howtobook.hypotheses.org/4150
#bookhistory #bees #nationalwritingday
June 25, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Elmswell Hall in Yorkshire, where 17th-century landowner Henry Best handwrote a farming #how-to book for his son.
In our latest blog, @jamesafox.bsky.social compares Best's advice on beekeeping with a printed equivalent. 📚🐝
👉 howtobook.hypotheses.org/4150
#bookhistory #bees #nationalwritingday
In our latest blog, @jamesafox.bsky.social compares Best's advice on beekeeping with a printed equivalent. 📚🐝
👉 howtobook.hypotheses.org/4150
#bookhistory #bees #nationalwritingday
New on our blog: Stefan Laube on the #howto of thrift, sustainability and making do...
📚 read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/3935
#blog #skystorians #thrift #sustainability
📚 read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/3935
#blog #skystorians #thrift #sustainability
Those Who Patch Know. On How-Toes that Flourish
A flat bicycle tire is never welcome. It usually happens at the worst possible moment: on the way to my seminar or at the start to an excursion to the idyllic lakes in Brandenburg. Strangely, it almos...
howtobook.hypotheses.org
June 23, 2025 at 4:51 PM
New on our blog: Stefan Laube on the #howto of thrift, sustainability and making do...
📚 read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/3935
#blog #skystorians #thrift #sustainability
📚 read more here: howtobook.hypotheses.org/3935
#blog #skystorians #thrift #sustainability
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
I am looking very much forward to reading the publication!
June 20, 2025 at 2:22 PM
I am looking very much forward to reading the publication!
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Registration for the Tudor England and the Antwerp Book Trade conference (8-11 July 2025) is now open!
Join us in person in wonderful Antwerp and sign up: tinyurl.com/TudorAntwerp! #EarlyModern #BookHistory #RareBooks
Spread the woooooord!
Join us in person in wonderful Antwerp and sign up: tinyurl.com/TudorAntwerp! #EarlyModern #BookHistory #RareBooks
Spread the woooooord!
April 17, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Registration for the Tudor England and the Antwerp Book Trade conference (8-11 July 2025) is now open!
Join us in person in wonderful Antwerp and sign up: tinyurl.com/TudorAntwerp! #EarlyModern #BookHistory #RareBooks
Spread the woooooord!
Join us in person in wonderful Antwerp and sign up: tinyurl.com/TudorAntwerp! #EarlyModern #BookHistory #RareBooks
Spread the woooooord!
Last month the Scottish 🏴 and German 🇩🇪 sides of our project met in Glasgow. In our latest blog post, Alina Lange reports on a successful trip 👇
howtobook.hypotheses.org/3851
howtobook.hypotheses.org/3851
June 9, 2025 at 12:39 PM
Last month the Scottish 🏴 and German 🇩🇪 sides of our project met in Glasgow. In our latest blog post, Alina Lange reports on a successful trip 👇
howtobook.hypotheses.org/3851
howtobook.hypotheses.org/3851
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Between Marginal and Mainstream: Negotiating Experimental Practices and Medical Knowledge, 1600–1900, with Paola Bertucci, Lauren Kassell, and Markku Hokkanen as keynotes #earlymodern #histmed elbowresearch.com/call-for-pap...
Call for Papers
Between Marginal and Mainstream: Negotiating Experimental Practices and Medical Knowledge, 1600–1900 We are delighted to invite papers for our international conference Between Marginal and Mainstre…
elbowresearch.com
June 7, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Between Marginal and Mainstream: Negotiating Experimental Practices and Medical Knowledge, 1600–1900, with Paola Bertucci, Lauren Kassell, and Markku Hokkanen as keynotes #earlymodern #histmed elbowresearch.com/call-for-pap...
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Happy #NumeracyDay! ✖️➕➗🔢 We're celebrating by revisiting some excellent numeracy-related blog posts by @jamesafox.bsky.social First, we have the curious case of Cocker's Arithmetick being the butt of a joke scilicet.org.uk/no-laughing-... #SkyStorians #BookHistory #Numeracy
No laughing matter? The curious case of Cocker’s Arithmetick | Scilicet
Why was Cocker’s Arithmetick, the most successful arithmetic textbook of its day, the butt of a joke?
scilicet.org.uk
May 21, 2025 at 6:51 AM
Happy #NumeracyDay! ✖️➕➗🔢 We're celebrating by revisiting some excellent numeracy-related blog posts by @jamesafox.bsky.social First, we have the curious case of Cocker's Arithmetick being the butt of a joke scilicet.org.uk/no-laughing-... #SkyStorians #BookHistory #Numeracy
Reposted by Early Modern How-to Books
Really enjoyed working on this collaborative piece with @jamesafox.bsky.social and @guyfassler.bsky.social Hopefully the first of many more! #skystorians
We all need to eat, but the way we cook and share food says a lot about class, culture and identity. In our latest post, @guyfassler.bsky.social, @jamesafox.bsky.social and @nataliesmith.bsky.social dig in to some historical recipes from across Europe 🍽️
scilicet.org.uk/food-for-tho... #Skystorians
scilicet.org.uk/food-for-tho... #Skystorians
Food for thought: Recipe books through history | Scilicet
We all need to eat, but the way we do says much about our place in society. Looking at a range of recipe books through history shows this has long been the case.
scilicet.org.uk
May 19, 2025 at 8:25 AM
Really enjoyed working on this collaborative piece with @jamesafox.bsky.social and @guyfassler.bsky.social Hopefully the first of many more! #skystorians