David Pearson

Leading expert on the history of books David Pearson says the value of books lies not just in their contents but also in what they can tell us about how they have been used, read and regarded.

In Speaking Volumes Pearson looks at books from the Middles Ages to the present day and explains what their individual stories tell us about readers and their time. There are books damaged by bullets or graffiti, books recovered from fire or water, and some disguised as completely different texts for protection. Doodles from the 16th century give us a sense of the reader and marks of ownership, such as the signature of Frances Wolfreston in the 17th century, give clues to social history and literacy.

Pearson has spent a lifetime working with books, owning them, and writing about them. He is author of Provenance Research in Book History and Book Ownership in Stuart England.

Presented by the Bodleian Libraries.