In this episode of the ReConEx podcast Niall Allsopp and David Parry pick up from our earlier conversation in podcast 4 with our project advisor Ian Maxted on the history of the book and the book trade in Exeter and the southwest. This episode picks up the story from the mid-seventeenth century to the mid-eighteenth century. Our discussion covers the intersection of the political and religious crises of the Civil Wars and Glorious Revolution with printing in Exeter, and considers the role of book history in helping to uncover the cultural significance of publishing genres including sermons, newspapers, maps and engraved portraits. We also discuss Ian’s prolific and pioneering work on the Devon Bibliography Project and his personal motivations for engaging in this labour of love.
As with our previous conversation, Ian has kindly put together an extensive set of tables and data to accompany our discussion – these are available on Ian’s website at this link.
Ian has had a long career in library services, including 28 years as the Devon Local Studies Librarian. He has written and published extensively on book history and the print trade, particularly in relation to Exeter and Devon but also much more widely. Among Ian’s numerous publications in the field is his 2021 book The Story of the Book in Exeter and Devon. We recommend browsing Ian’s website Exeter Working Papers in Book History more fully for a wealth of information and data on book history and the book in Devon and further afield.