Exhibitions of old periodicals in libraries
Newspapers and magazines are shown in display cases, sometimes together with printing tools. It's a handy way to compare formats, typefaces and paper from different periods.
Events
Events
Old periodicals are worth seeing off the screen, too. At a library exhibition you can compare issues from different years laid side by side; at an open day you can peek into the stacks where bound volumes are kept; at a talk you can learn how newspaper illustrations were printed; at a workshop you can mend a torn page with your own hands the way conservators do. We describe these formats in general terms and suggest how to check a listing before you set out.
A bound volume on an exhibition table reads differently than on a screen: you can see the paper, the format and the marks of time.
How this section works: we describe the kinds of events where you can encounter old periodicals, and we don't publish listings, programs or schedules. Always confirm the date, venue and admission details with the organizers.
Types of events
Four formats where old periodicals meet their readers.
Open days at library collections
Staff show how storage areas and periodical catalogs are organized and explain how to request an issue in the reading room. A good chance to ask questions about searching.
Old issues (in Russian)
Talks on book and newspaper graphics
A talk on engraving, lithography and photography on the newspaper page will help you recognize printing methods in your own bound volume later.
Paper conservation workshops
Conservators show how to clean dust off pages, flatten creases and mend tears with suitable materials instead of tape.
How to check a listing
- Find out who the organizer is: a library, museum, archive, local history society or conservation studio.
- Confirm the date, time and address on the organizer's own website, not in a summary on some other site.
- See whether you need to sign up in advance: reading rooms and storage areas often admit visitors in small groups.
- Check what year the listing is from: old announcements tend to linger in search results.
- Don't follow sign-up links from unexpected emails or messages; register through the official page.
- Ask whether photography is allowed: old paper is protected from flash, and some collections can't be photographed at all.
- Look at the event page once more the day before: hours and venue can change.
Related reading
- People
Editor, proofreader, typesetter, makeup editor, illustrator and circulation department: who got an issue ready for print.
- History
The Russian spelling reform and how the look of the magazine page gradually changed.
- Analysis
What makes up an old newspaper page, and how to tell from the print itself how an illustration was made.
- Collections
Three reading paths: for first-timers, for family historians and for keepers of a bound volume at home.
- Archive
The magazine's table of contents and what happened to this domain's old addresses.
Sources
- Library guidelines on storing paper documents
- Retropressa editorial materials
Facts about the Russian spelling reform come from reference materials; everything else is described in general terms, without reference to specific publications. Check reading room, exhibition and lecture hours with the organizers.