Introduction

This Introduction situates Mathematical Book Histories and its various chapters in the broader context of current work on the history of the book. It considers how a library collection such as that of the Russell Library came to be formed, what the collection can tell us about mathematical teaching practices, and the kind of information on reader engagement that can be gleaned from annotations, marginal working, hand-drawn diagrams, and the like. It also provides useful insights into various aspects of early modern mathematical book production, ranging from initial proposals and subscriptions to the collaborations of booksellers, printers, engravers, correctors, and others. Above all, it shows that as material objects mathematical books can often reveal on close reading more than initially meets the eye.