In 1494, Aldus Manutius founded the Aldine Press in Venice. The idea for the press came about through Manutius's love of the classics, with the press printing the works of Plato, Aristotle, Sophocles and Homer.
To ensure all of those who read the Aldine Press Greek and Latin classics understood and enjoyed them, Manutius also printed dictionaries and grammar books to accompany the texts.
Aldine Press books were the first ever books to be printed in small octavo, making them small and portable, paving way for today's paperback.
The Aldine Press is one of the most important works of text in history, as Manutius introduced the use of italics.
Two of the most near complete and substantial collections of Aldine Press books include the the Althorp library of the 2nd Earl Spencer, which is in the John Rylands Library in Manchester and the Harold B. Lee library at Brigham Young University, Utah.
Philobiblon's sale will take place on 22nd June, 2016. Check out the full catalogue here.
