Janneke Janssen

INDEX PASSPORT Important developments and typographic-index innovations throughout history and an overview of homogeneous/heterogeneous index text-images are collected in an index catalog. The extended index passport, which contains an overview of 128 selected index designs throughout history (500-1950) with specific index design parameters, is made to see innovative turning points and developments in typography. As a result, a matrix was made to compare all index design parameters per category to make the developments better visible. The design and indexes of the catalog themselves are based on the results of the index design, which features an overview of case studies. The most interesting and defining time periods contain: - the first indexes that appeared (1230, in print around 1450) - the indexes that developed in the 'typographic golden age' with the first innovations in print (±1470–1540) - the reflections in indexes of changes that occurred in information retrieval in the Age of Enlightenment (±1700–1800) Through the research strategy of using a multiple-case study design, it became possible to gain an in-depth understanding of specific (proto-)typography and index features that were innovative throughout history. Multiple cases were already compared and contrasted in categories to identify patterns and commonalities in the index passport catalog. It is also a longitudinal case design; multiple cases are studied over an extended period to understand how factors develop over time.

Imagery: 1499 Terrence's Comoediae (Digital Library of Wrocław), 1450-1459 Biblica – Petri de Rosenheym (University Library Gent), 1472 De civitate Dei-Epigrammata in S. Maximinum – Jacobus de Stephelt (University Library Gent), ±1473 Astrologische tractaten in het Latijn – commissioned by Raphael de Mercatellis (University Library Gent), End 15th century Epistolae-Tabula – Bernardus van Clairvaux (University Library Gent), 1578 Historia siue descriptio plantarum omnium, tam domesticarum quam exoticarum_Leonhard zum Thurn – Michael Hentzske (Allard Pierson Amsterdam), 1644 Tristani Chalci Mediolanensis historiographi – Joannis Petri (Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience Antwerp), 1746-1748 Dictionnaire universel de médecine, de chirurgie, de chymie, de botanique, d'anatomie, de pharmacie, d'histoire naturelle, Volume 1 – Diderot (University Library Utrecht)

TIMELINE Running from 3000 BCE to 2024, a timeline is gathered and designed to track the main historical developments of the book, with a specific focus on the evolving usability of index design, including index-typography and other (proto-)typographic access structures, until index standardization and convention settled around 1900. This timeline is intricately linked with the "index passport" — a curated catalog featuring noteworthy indexes from various periods, showcasing their innovativeness in facilitating effective search reading. These indexes exemplify unique systems, novel typographic design elements, alternative approaches to presenting book content, shifts in reading requirements, and changes in reader expectations.

The catalog is an ongoing project which is part of the PhD research. It will go in print around January 2024, a digital version will be published around February 2024.

The PhD project is made possible by Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Vlaanderen – FWO 1146822N With special thanks to Allard Pierson Amsterdam (Special Collections), University Library Gent (Special Collections), Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience Antwerp (Special Collections), University Library Utrecht (Special Collections), National Library of The Hague (Special Collections).