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Aldus & His Dream Book
A tribute to the life and work of the pioneering scholar-publisher, Aldus Manutius (1449/50-1515). Helen Barolini's text discusses Aldus, his education, his publishing vision, his typographic innovations, and his famous Venetian press. At the same time, this book reproduces all the illustrations, and many of the full pages, from the Aldine press edition of Francesco Colonna's "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili."
244 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 1991
About the author
Helen Barolini
26 books14 followersHelen Barolini was born and raised in Syracuse, NY and attended local schools. She attended Wells College,graduated magna cum laude from Syracuse University and received a Master's degree from Columbia University. She was an exchange student at the University of London where she studied contemporary English literature, and then traveled in Europe writing "Letters from Abroad" for the Syracuse Herald Journal. Following studies in Italy, she married the late Italian author and journalist Antonio Barolini.
In their married life of several moves between Italy and the United States, Helen Barolini became the English translator of Antonio's writings that were published in The New Yorker, Reporter and other American publications.
Given the intercultural themes of her work linking her American birth and education with her ancestral Italy, Helen Barolini has participated in international conferences and her work has been the subject of many student theses both here and abroad.
She has been honored by MELUS, the Hudson Valley Writers Center and other organizations for her literary work.
In their married life of several moves between Italy and the United States, Helen Barolini became the English translator of Antonio's writings that were published in The New Yorker, Reporter and other American publications.
Given the intercultural themes of her work linking her American birth and education with her ancestral Italy, Helen Barolini has participated in international conferences and her work has been the subject of many student theses both here and abroad.
She has been honored by MELUS, the Hudson Valley Writers Center and other organizations for her literary work.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 26, 2012
Rating: 4.25* of five
The Book Report: Aldus Manutius, Venetian printer and type designer, is one of the most important people book lovers have never heard of. His Aldine Press created italics, for example. His contributions to the world of books are staggering. This story, told in Dr. Barolini's clear and unpretentious style, is a combination of important, interesting, and depressingly familiar, as it treats a subject we are each deeply involved in as often as we log in to this site: The role of new communications technology, the government's attempts to control it, and the perceived costs the new impose on the old means of communication.
Plus ça change....
My Review: After reading The Gutenberg Revolution by John Man, I was moved to fish this book out of the piles ready to be packed for my disastrous move to New York (all 3,000 of my books were lost). I found and fell in love with this book at the Small Press Book Fair in 1989. I had never encountered anything beyond references to "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili" before, descriptions of the illustrations and typography that made me drool to see it. I was not disappointed when I got the full monty in this book! Gorgeous it was, the "Hypnerotomachia", and thanks to the author's concise prose I was able to appreciate the revolution the book represented. Lovers of books about books...find this one and enjoy.
The Book Report: Aldus Manutius, Venetian printer and type designer, is one of the most important people book lovers have never heard of. His Aldine Press created italics, for example. His contributions to the world of books are staggering. This story, told in Dr. Barolini's clear and unpretentious style, is a combination of important, interesting, and depressingly familiar, as it treats a subject we are each deeply involved in as often as we log in to this site: The role of new communications technology, the government's attempts to control it, and the perceived costs the new impose on the old means of communication.
Plus ça change....
My Review: After reading The Gutenberg Revolution by John Man, I was moved to fish this book out of the piles ready to be packed for my disastrous move to New York (all 3,000 of my books were lost). I found and fell in love with this book at the Small Press Book Fair in 1989. I had never encountered anything beyond references to "Hypnerotomachia Poliphili" before, descriptions of the illustrations and typography that made me drool to see it. I was not disappointed when I got the full monty in this book! Gorgeous it was, the "Hypnerotomachia", and thanks to the author's concise prose I was able to appreciate the revolution the book represented. Lovers of books about books...find this one and enjoy.
August 12, 2021
What is not often recognized is that Aldus is one of the people who inspired Steve Jobs. Five hundred years apart- they shared a dream of portable knowledge for the people. In knife-edge times Aldus helped Western Civilization get a grip on its past. It's a tale that needs more telling.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews