Udział szarego obywatela w tworzeniu uniwersum słowa drukowanego: akcydensy prywatne

Abstract

While professionals - scientists, literary men, journalists, editors, publishers, printers and bookbinders participated in creating printing works of a bigger volume (books, the press), creating printing jobs was an opportunity for an average citizen to encounter the world of print as the per petrator, the initiator and, at times, to some extent, as the author of the text or the graphic form. It is worth mentioning the types ofthese private prints (e.g. visiting cards, invitations, notices, greet ing cards, menu cards, stationary), their functions and frequency of usage as well as the question to what degree the people ordering them influenced the final effect, and to what extent they adju sted to the conventions, fashions or technical limitations of the printing company at that time. It was an opportunity to directly participate in the printing process, observe machines and printing processes, which resulted in an increase of knowledge about the essence of print and the book. It is worth having a look at the participation of artists in designing private prints (utilitarian graphics) and graphic-printing techniques used in creating printing jobs. The article concerns the period in which these prints were often used, i.e. from the half of the 19th century until the half of the 20th century and presents the content and ornaments of the printing jobs collected by the Museum of Printing in Warsaw.