Tuesday, August 24, 2010

My old arch-nemesis

So, remember how I loathe old-timey German typeface?*  I've mostly managed to avoid having to read it, because by 1929 most Berlin printers had switched to the same fonts as we use.  I was very thankful when I discovered that I only had to deal with old-timey German in the occasional Frankfurt newspaper article.  I'm cool with that.

And then last week a book arrived via Inter-Library Loans, which I'd ordered two months ago.  It's the single most important book for this current chapter, and I was excited that there was a copy available from a North American library (Harvard is the only library that has a copy I can order), because then I don't need to find it in a German archive.

I picked up the book, and it turns out that, even though it was published in Berlin in 1932, it almost exclusively uses Fraktur (aka Old-Timey German font).  I'm getting better at reading it (although I have no idea what the handwriting on the front page says), but the only thing that's keeping me from periodically throwing the book across the room is the fact that it's a rare (and antique) book.

You might find, within this post, the cause for procrastination that drove me to spend an hour making pudding on Sunday.

In conclusion: please send magnifying glasses and Advil.


* I am so precise with my terminology.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm really sad about the title of this post. It made me think it was going to be about your REAL old archnemesis, the guy with the constipated voice that you used to take classes with.

Anonymous said...

I totally understand! However, depending on the handwritten script, I might be able to help you decipher it if you still have the source when I return in a week. Might. It would be the sort of writing that is in the front cover of all my family heirloom bibles and hymnals. And ____scheinen.

Queen of West Procrastination said...

Ky: I just got mad all over again (and amused, remembering his ramblings on sugar beets).

eventhere: I'm going to take you up on that offer. I'll scan the page, in case I don't get a chance to show you before I have to return the book.

Teacher Lady said...

Ky, I thought the same thing.