Don Quixote was published in two parts in 1605 and 1615. The book took the world by storm and has now been translated into more than 145 languages. But, before it was the best-selling novel of all time, it was just a book by a man named Cervantes. As an artifact, it reveals the world in which it was published: a world where the printing press was under 200 years old, where money dictated what was written, and where copyright laws and who owned written works were...dubious at best. But, looking at a first edition of Don Quixote on archive.org was like looking into a beautiful piece of the past. The book itself tells such a compelling story.
Information & Identification: The front matter of Don Quixote gives the full title of the book (El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de La Mancha), the author information, as well as publication year and the names of the publishing house and publishing bodies behind the edition. There is a beautifl seal from the publisher, as well as notation that this edition was published in Madrid.
Contents: Don Quixote is truly an epic book. Early editions contain not just the story of Don Quixote himself, but a note from the publisher, a forward from the author, a compilation of the sonnets that Quixote composes throughout the book, and even an appendix with additional information.
Ornamentation: There are not many illustrations, but ornate opening letters of chapters and sections draw the reader's eye and help break up the text. This ornamentation is also seen at the beginning and end of the book.
Typography: One surprising part of Don Quixote is the use of different fonts, weights and styles to tell the story. Especially impressive is the cursive-like font used in the sonnets (photo 5 below).
Information & Identification: The front matter of Don Quixote gives the full title of the book (El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quixote de La Mancha), the author information, as well as publication year and the names of the publishing house and publishing bodies behind the edition. There is a beautifl seal from the publisher, as well as notation that this edition was published in Madrid.
Contents: Don Quixote is truly an epic book. Early editions contain not just the story of Don Quixote himself, but a note from the publisher, a forward from the author, a compilation of the sonnets that Quixote composes throughout the book, and even an appendix with additional information.
Ornamentation: There are not many illustrations, but ornate opening letters of chapters and sections draw the reader's eye and help break up the text. This ornamentation is also seen at the beginning and end of the book.
Typography: One surprising part of Don Quixote is the use of different fonts, weights and styles to tell the story. Especially impressive is the cursive-like font used in the sonnets (photo 5 below).