The reed pale

This year marks the 550th anniversary of the start of printing from movable types in Britain. William Caxton established his printing press in Westminster, Britain’s first print shop in 1476. In celebration of the anniversary The Bibliographical Society is hosting a series of videos dealing with different pieces printed by Caxton. Here is one of two surviving examples of the earliest known printed book advertisement. It was printed by William Caxton to promote The Salisbury Pye and suggests the reader come and collect two or three copies of the book at the sign of the reed pale where “he shall have them good chepe”. The reed pale in Westminster was Caxton’s print shop — its sign being a shield with a red stripe (a red pale) down the middle. The first of the Society’s videos introduces this early advert, and is presented by John Gandy of the John Rylands Research Library in Manchester, where this copy of the advert resides. If you don’t see a video here, please click on the title of…