Prayer, print and material culture

An experimental data visualisation · Stefan Matter

Prayer Books in Motion is an experimental visualisation project developed by Stefan Matter in the context of PRAYTICIPATE — Participation through Prayer in the Late Medieval and Early Modern World (COST Action CA23143). It connects with Working Group 1’s interest in the material dimensions of prayer: printed prayer books are physical objects whose ownership, use and movement form part of the history of devotional culture.

The project asks what can be discovered by bringing together existing catalogue data and exploring them on a map. It is intended for researchers and other interested users as a starting point for further investigation, rather than a reconstruction of complete journeys or a comprehensive account of the circulation of prayer books. Suggestions and feedback from members of the Action have helped shape the prototype.