in robert darnton’s the business of the enlightenment there is a … · 2016-10-06 · in robert...

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In Robert Darnton’s The Business of the Enlightenment there is a moment in chapter five where we come upon the actual fingerprint of one of the printers who made the book. Here is the scene: And it continues:

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Page 1: In Robert Darnton’s The Business of the Enlightenment there is a … · 2016-10-06 · In Robert Darnton’s The Business of the Enlightenment there is a moment in chapter five

InRobertDarnton’sTheBusinessoftheEnlightenmentthereisamomentinchapterfivewherewecomeupontheactualfingerprintofoneoftheprinterswhomadethebook.Hereisthescene:

Anditcontinues:

Page 2: In Robert Darnton’s The Business of the Enlightenment there is a … · 2016-10-06 · In Robert Darnton’s The Business of the Enlightenment there is a moment in chapter five

Thepassage,forallitspower,retains,asIthinkyoucansee/feelaprettymuchperfectly“Socratic”positiononthisunexpectedmomentofarchivalintimacy.(Thirdpersonismaintained–someoneaskedthis,andIwasnotsure,butgoingbacktoit,Iseetheanswer…).Attheendofthebook,Darntonreturnstothefingerprint,inthecontextofanaffectingandinsightfulinvocationofthecyclesbywhichtheoldragsoftheclothesofaristocratsbecamethefibersonwhichthebookthatwouldspelltheirdemisewasprinted:

Butisitme,ordoesthiswholebusinessleaveareallystrongsenseofamissedhistoricalopportunity?