Newberry Library

Foreedge paintings will never eeevvveeerrr get old. . Naples is a fitting subject for the foreedge illustration of this 1830 copy of Samuel Rogers's long poem "Italy." Largely forgotten now, Rogers was among the preeminent English poets of the Romantic era, and "Italy" one of his better known poems. . [Italy: a poem. Samuel Rogers. London. 1830. Case PR5234 .I8 1830] #foreedgefriday #foreedges #paintings #illustrations #romanticism #poetry #italy #naples #napoli

They don’t make valentines like they used to. 🚢💘 Part Hallmark/part Rube Goldberg, this vintage valentine isn’t so much a card as a beautifully elaborate, sculptural contraption. . . [Late 19th/early 20th century valentine from the Andrew McNally III collection. Case Wing oversize NC1866.V3 M6] #valentines #valentinesday #vintage #archives

You have to take our word for it: this was Charles Dickens’s inkwell and ink stand. Happy birthday, CD. . . In 1967, the Newberry received a collection of Dickens memorabilia as a gift. In addition to the aforementioned inkwell, the collection contains an eclectic array of the writer’s personal effects, including a change purse, a flask, and a pickle fork. . . #charlesdickens #archives #hbd #otd #writing #literature #artifacts #speccolls

🌟😎✌️ . This glittering initial appears in an early printed postil, or Biblical commentary, by Hugh of St. Cher. At the center of the page is a Latin translation of the Bible; surrounding it is Hugh's commentary. Like many incunables (books printed in the 15th century), this work's pages are meant to look like manuscript leaves—hence the addition of the initial in gold leaf. . [Biblia latina cm postillis Hugonis de Sancto Charo]. Basel. Johann Amerbach for Anton Koberger. 1498. Folio Inc. 7613] #bible #incunables #illuminations #initials #medieval

How to use a medieval bookmark: 1.) Read. 2.) Spin the volvelle to mark where on the page you stopped reading (I-IV correspond to different sections of the page). 3.)Close book. 4.) Repeat as necessary . . [Orationarium in vita domini nostri Jhesu Christi, ca. 1400. Case MS 37.5] #bookmark #bookmarks #reading #manuscript #medieval

This clasp is not messing around. . . [Bible printed in Amsterdam, 1660. Case oversize C 23 .253] #bible #books #bookhistory #histreligion #bookbinding #speccolls #rarebooks

The Family Hair Book

If your aunt asked for a lock of your hair, you might be a little perturbed. In 1845, you wouldn't have flinched. Before photography spread far and wide, people collected relatives' locks, tied them into sometimes-very-elaborate shapes, and kept them in family hair albums. In this #NLDocumentCam video, Manuscripts and Archives Librarian Catherine Grandgeorge combs through an example of one such album from our collection.

Watermarks: the invisible ink of book history. . Watermarks--like the image visible when this page is held to the light--were basically the logos of paper makers operating in the days before mass-produced paper. This watermark displays the text "Pro Patria" ("for the fatherland") and an image of a spear-carrying figure and a lion rampant surrounded by a palisade--a mark often associated with paper makers working in 18th-century Amsterdam. . Before the 19th century, paper was usually produced by boiling down old rags, beating them to a pulp, adding water, and then pouring the mixture into a wooden frame crisscrossed by wires. The pulp was then pressed, squeezing out excess water through the wires, and the resulting sheet hung out to dry. Watermarks were created by weaving designs into the wires of the frame. They were visible, along with lines left by the wires (known as "chain lines"), once the sheet was dry. . Nowadays, watermarks and chain lines are used by bibliographers and others to reconstruct the histories of printing houses, book production, and distribution patterns. . [Watermarked leaf included in Codicum manuscriptorum diversii argumenti. VAULT folio Case MS 1.5] #watermarks #paper #printhistory

Fit for a Freiherr

With this fancy 1663 document, Austrian nobleman Hector Seyfridt Kornfaill earned the title “freiherr” (somewhere between a knight and a duke) from the Holy Roman Empire. Suzanne Karr Schmidt, Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts, describes the various components of this patent of nobility.

On the Chain

This 15th-century manuscript still has its original chained bookbinding! The binding is a vestige of a time when books would be chained to desks or shelves to foil erudite thieves who might otherwise wander off with them. Chris Fletcher, from the Newberry's Center for Renaissance Studies, tells us all about this manuscript and how medieval readers engaged with it. [Epitome of the Summa Theologica, by Thomas Aquinas. Early 15th century. Case MS 65]

Thinking Outside & Inside the Box

Created in France in the 1490s, this 3-in-1 messenger box/backpack/portable altar was like a Swiss Army knife for pious individuals on the move. Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts Suzanne Karr Schmidt puts it under the Newberry Document Cam.

If you need us, we'll just be staring at this calligraphy book for a little while. . . Handwriting was by no means superseded by the rise of printing in the West. If anything, print galvanized calligraphers to show what the pen could do that the printing press couldn’t—as Ulrich Hofmann did in this copy book from 1660. . . [Wing MS ZW 647 .H672] #calligraphy #handwriting #writing #penmanship #art #calligrapher

The Midwest Time Machine is fired up and ready for travelers. Pick a character and go back in time through 1st-hand accounts of the Chicago Fire, Lewis & Clark expedition, 1893 World's Fair, more. publications.newberry.org/time-machine

Keep your eyes peeled. . Designed for pedagogical purposes, this 19th-century anatomical depiction of the eye was created from superimposed layers of paper that students could peel back to reveal different optical structures. The work was one of a series of anatomical atlases published between 1874 and 1888. . [Anatomie iconoclastique: atlas complémentaire de tous les ouvrages traitant de l'anatomie et de la physiologie humaines. G. J. Witkowski. Paris. 1876. Case folio QM511 .W58 1876] #medicine #eyes #anatomy #textbooks #france

How many Newberrians does it take to assemble an 1854 puzzle of the U.S.? Answer: Three. . . Known as "dissected maps," these kinds of puzzles gamified geography in order to teach the subject to students. This one--"Mitchell's Dissected Map of the United States"--did so while helping to normalize the country's westward expansion and obscure the violence that made it possible. . . [Map4C .G3701.A9 1854 .M5] #maps #puzzles #geography #games #ushistory #history

Wicoie wowapi wowapi pehanpi kin. . Designed for Dakotah-speaking elementary school students, this 24-page wall scroll uses images as well as letters, words, and phrases in the Dakotah language to teach reading and math. Produced by the missionary and educator Alfred L. Riggs in the 1880s, the scroll is an example of the type of pedagogical material used in the training schools established by the federal government during the 19th-century to forcibly assimilate Indigenous students. . [Wicoie wowapi wowapi pehanpi kin (The word book wall roll). A.L. Riggs. Published for the Dakota mission by the American Tract Society. New York. 1880s. Ayer oversize PM1023 .R53 1880z] #Indigenous #IndigenousLanguages #NativeAmerican #AmericanIndian #Dakotah

A Book of Magical Charms

We're not responsible for any spirits that may be summoned as a result of this video. Featuring handwritten incantations for speaking with the dead and instructions for curing stomach aches, a 17th-century "Book of Magical Charms" from our collection illustrates the close connection between the physical and spiritual worlds in early modern England. Chris Fletcher, Program Manager for the Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies, discusses the book and recites its spells and recipes. [Case MS 5017]

Sono Osato

Sono Osato was a Japanese-American ballerina from Chicago who achieved early success before government policies targeting people of Japanese ancestry during World War II interrupted her career and broke apart her family. . Grace Dummelle, Genealogy and Local History Library Assistant at the Newberry, discusses Sono's life and her experience during World War II. . #japaneseamerican #ballet #dance #ballerina #chicago

When pulling back the curtain is literally illuminating. . The red silk curtains shown here were meant to protect the illuminations in this late-18th-century heraldic manuscript. Created in Madrid, the manuscript records the heraldic histories of a number of Spanish families, documenting biographical details and providing beautiful illuminations of their various coats of arms. . [Certification delos linages y armas de Eguja, Arancivia, Galdona, Perez, del Puerto, Proenca, Espinosa y Yssasi. Juan de Mendoza. Madrid. 1781. Case MS F 0740 .158] #heraldry #spain #vellum #illuminations #manuscripts

If you actually fly over "flyover country," it looks a lot like this. The checkerboard pattern was conceived in the 1780s as a system for organizing land and facilitating the westward expansion of the United States. By the 1850s, when this map was produced, you can see the grid spreading west. And while the map notes the presence of Indigenous peoples (marginally), it ultimately served to write over earlier geographies of Indigenous land. Jim Akerman, the Newberry's curator of maps and co-curator of our "What Is the Midwest?" exhibit, analyzes this map.

The strangest item in an NL archival collection? This item—by a hair—according to Manuscripts and Archives Librarian Catherine Grandgeorge. #AskAnArchivist . . This “family album,” compiled by one Lucina Skiff Utley around 1845, includes a lock of hair for each member of Lucina’s family. . . [Skiff family hair book. Midwest MS Jannotta: Box 8, Folder 245] #archives #hair #heirloom #hairloom #family #memory #archival

Mightier Than the Sword

In this 17th-century copy book, James Oldham Jr. flexed his mastery of different styles of handwriting. He also flaunted his ability to draw centaurs and cherubs. The writing master had two audiences in mind: students learning to write and potential clients in need of a scribe. . . Jill Gage, the Newberry's Curator of Printing History, leafs through the copy book and assess Oldham's skills as a calligrapher. . . ["The young man’s delight and his accomplishment: A copy booke, containing sundry examples of all sorts of hands..." ca. 1677. Wing MS folio ZW 645 .0643] #NLDocumentCam #calligraphy #handwriting #scribe #cherubs #centaurs #drawing #art #penmanship

Learning to spell used to look like this. #backtoschool . . So-called “hornbooks” persisted into the early 19th century in some parts of England as a tool for teaching students to read and write. This one, made of brass, dates back to 1729. . . [Collection of hornbooks, Case oversize Z1033 .H8] #education #students #earlymodern #pedagogy #learning #reading #spelling #classroom

It's no iPhone, but this "finger calendar" boasted some serious multi-purpose functionality in its day. . Enclosed within a tiny case, this miniature calendar gathered together everything a late-18th-century woman about town could need, from a calendar and mail coach schedules to a cosmetics mirror. In addition to practical information, the book also includes twelve miniature illustrations depicting the trajectory of a romance, beginning with courtship and marriage and ending with widowhood and remarriage. Though this calendar was likely a luxury item meant for a wealthier purchaser (as evidenced by its enamel binding), miniature calendars were generally available to buyers of all classes by the end of the 18th century. . [Pressburger Finger-kalenderl auf das Jahr 1799. Pressburg, Bratislava. Franz Patzko. 1799. Wing min. ZP 958 .P2] #calendars #miniatures #miniaturebooks

This is PAPER 📜🐚🤯 . . Amy Richard’s sculptural artist book “The Mollusk” references “Atrina rigida, an elusive species of pen shell found in Florida’s shallow coastal waters.” According to Richard, the piece is “intended to be held and read as a celebration of nature and a humble reminder of our own fragile connection with one another.” #bookarts #nature #mollusk #paperart #artistbooks #speccolls

In 1929, Lincoln’s famous tweets—wait, speeches—were collected into this tiny compilation by Kingsport Press of Tennessee. . . [Case Z 8166 .51] #tinytuesday #abrahamlincoln #tinybooks #miniaturebooks #specialcollections #speccolls

🌚🌒🌓🔄🌓🌔🌝Going through a serious moon phase right now. . . The human fascination with the moon predates Apollo 11 by hundreds of years, and made it in to iconic Renaissance texts like Peter Apian’s Cosmographicus (1524). #moon #space #apollo50 #apollo50th #renaissance

Ah, the soft glow of a globe. For centuries, maps have been used to decorate and accessorize the home (or research library reading room). This globe-lamp is a relatively recent example, produced by Rand McNally in 1985. . . [Globe G3170 1985 .R3] #globe #homedecor #maps #interiordesign #lamp #lighting

Geographical Playing Cards

At the intersection of cartography, diversion, and British imperialism, you'll find this 1839 deck of geographical playing cards. Newberry research fellow Jennifer Park tells us all about these cards, how they envisioned the world, and what they would have taught people in the 19th century.

A Typo in the Declaration of Independence

This rare copy of the Declaration of Independence includes one of the most famous typos in American printing history. . . After the Second Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, copies were printed and posted publicly throughout the newly established United States. This rare copy was printed by patriot printer Solomon Southwick on July 13. However, the broadside lists the date of printing as June 13—three weeks BEFORE the Declaration was approved! Will Hansen, Curator of Americana, discusses this item, which is currently on display at the Newberry.

Hidden fore-edge paintings will never get old. Never. . . This image--of mounted soldiery at the gate of Raworth Castle in Cumberland--appears on the fore-edge of an 1816 ed. of Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel. . . [The lay of the last minstrel. Walter Scott. London. Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown. 1816. Case 4A 2274] #foreedgefriday #romanticism #bookbindings #bookhistory #speccolls

This is what #TinyTuesday heaven looks like. Only the best miniature books get in.

Migration and Housing: A Century of Color Lines

In the wake of the 1919 Chicago race riots, segregation in the city became more entrenched as white homeowners, real estate associations, and the federal government reinforced color lines in the housing market. "Migration and Housing: A Century of Color Lines" was held at DRW College Prep on Saturday, May 4, 2019. The program was part of a city-wide conversation series, coordinated by the Newberry, called "Chicago 1919: Confronting the Race Riots." Speakers: Brad Hunt, historian of housing and Vice President of Research and Academic Programs at the Newberry Lee Bey, architectural critic, photographer, and writer Tanesha D. House, speaker, educator, consultant, and activist

Law school would be a lot more tempting if it involved learning how to make legal documents like this. . This land grant was awarded by Russian Tzars Ivan and Peter to Tikhon Nikitich Streshnev in 1683. A member of one of the country's leading families, Streshnev apparently rendered valuable services to the Tzars during a revolt in Moscow and was recompensed handsomely with land conferred via this legal instrument. . Surrounded by hand-painted ornamental flowers, the Cyrillic text begins by referring to the grant's creators and explaining its function (in the golden, calligraphic letters at top). The last few lines give its publication details, including the name of the clerk, Avtamon Ivanov, who recorded it. . [Grant of land to Tikhon Nikitich Streshnev. Upper Printing Office of Ivan V. Moscow. 1683. Wing MS oversize ZW 1 .683] #manuscripts #law #illustration #russian #cyrillic

We understand if all you’re seeing are Unsullied, Dothraki, Wights, and White Walkers. . . [From an album of prints depicting religious warfare in France between 1559 and 1570. Wing folio ZP 539 .T63.] #gameofthrones #gots8 #warfare #battle #renaissance

Even Flat Earthers have to appreciate Townsend's Patent Folding Globe. . . A 19th-century schoolteacher from Vermont, Townsend found it difficult to teach his students geography using two dimensional maps, which he claimed offered "a false illustration, and [could] be understood only by a process of reasoning entirely beyond the mind of the child." To address the problem, he developed his folding globe as an inexpensive alternative to the wall maps prevalent in classrooms. . . [Townsend's patent folding globe. Dennis Townsend. Boston. 1869. Map 6C G3170 1869 .T6] #foldoutfriday #teaching #maps #globes #americanhistory #education #pedagogy

That is some mighty fine paper engineering. From the genre of artist’s books, Shawn Sheehy’s “Counting on the Marsh: A Nighttime Book of Numbers” uses the book as a medium for experimenting with form, structure, and content. Curator of printing history Jill Gage explains why we acquire artist’s books for our collection: “I’m interested in how people think about books in new ways...What is our idea of the book, and how do we change it?”

King's Landing makes an improbable cameo on the foreedge of this Romantic-era edition of Edward Young's 18th-century poem Night Thoughts. (Actually, the foreedge features Pembroke Castle in Wales.) . . [Foreedge painting featuring scene from "Pembroke Town and Castle." The Complaint, or, Night Thoughts. Edward Young. London. 1817. Printed for John Sharpe by C. Whittingham. Case PR3782 .N6 1817] #foreedgefriday #gameofthrones #romanticism #foreedgepainting #bookhistory

This 15th-century prayer book has been through a lot, and it tells a story of religious revolution, censorship, and resistance. [Book of hours, use of Salisbury. ca. 1455. Case MS 35]

"Let those critical conversations about the past inform the present and the future." Scholar and poet Eve Ewing discusses the 1919 Chicago race riots & our year-long series of events commemorating the 100th anniversary. Watch the full video: http://bit.ly/2T4QUqj