<i>Early Music</i> and materiality—1

Many of Early Music’s readers will remember their first encounter with the journal. Mine took place in 1977 among stacks open shelves Cambridge University Library, not quite at start but nevertheless its early years publication. The volume I down from (with all four issues a year bound together) was surprisingly heavy, and an intriguingly different size—no other journal on shared dimensions. At time, had no idea, course, that weight paper page size would come to form important part my working life, they were noticeable characteristics even then ignorance such matters. This distinction tomes journals section became clearer opening issue: eye captivated by illustrations advertising copy almost every page. layout complex, elegant: type, column widths sizing bore witness serious design element. It object beauty, both immediately attractive intriguing, compelling reader be drawn into intricacies making gut strings or interpreting arcane ornament signs. Yes, dear reader, it love sight.