Musing on Miniatures: An Introspective

By Elissa B.G. Mullins The miniature format recommends itself to a wide variety of genres—from devotional materials to political pamphlets; from almanacs to advertisements; from volumes designed for the small hands and big imaginations of children, to delicately hand-crafted artists’ books. All boast portability, stealth, ease of storage, and economical use of paper and binding […]

Adventures in Cataloging: Arabic Manuscripts at RBML Part 2

By Hanan Jaber Welcome back to part 2 of our Arabic Manuscripts at the RBML series! Today, we present to you some Islamic as well as Christian texts found in Arabic.  Asrar Namah by Shaykh Farid al-Din ‘Attar Amongst the Arabic manuscripts, there were also Persian manuscripts, such as Asrar Namah, a Sufi “secret” book […]

Tools of the trade for Opening Day 1921

By: Tony Hynes One hundred years ago on the opening day of the 1921 baseball season, April 13, manager Johnny Evers’ Chicago Cubs were set to host Branch Rickey’s St Louis Cardinals for a 4-game series. This series was followed by 150 more scheduled games, ending with pennants for neither team (the Cardinals finished third […]

Now Available: Fairy Tales Digital Exhibit

The digital pop-up exhibit “Once Upon a Time… Fairy Tales from Around the World” is now available! Curated by former graduate assistant Taylor Henning, the exhibit highlights fairy tale books from the RBML collection while exploring variations of familiar stories from five continents. Delve into the world of folktales and fairy tales by visiting the […]

Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Manuscript Division

MANUSCRIPTS: Saint Benedict – La Regle Saint Benoit (ELIMINATED IN ROUND 1) La regle saint Benoit or, The Rule of Saint Benedict, is a 13th century manuscript that laid out the rules of interaction between inhabitants of monasteries. This particular copy is especially important because it is almost certainly written for a female Benedictine community. […]

Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Science Division

SCIENCE: Andreas Vesalious – De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem  De humani corporis fabrica libri septem is one of the most significant anatomy books in the history of science. The text deviated from the teachings of Galen, a Roman physician, in order to promote a more hands-on approach to learning anatomy and subsequently learning how […]

Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Archival Division

ARCHIVAL: Carl Sandburg – Stereograph (ELIMINATED IN ROUND 1) Before becoming a well known poet and author, Carl Sandburg spent four years selling stereographs from door to door.  Stereographs use two almost identical photographs to create a three-dimensional image when viewed through a stereoscope. The Keystone View Company produced this stereograph of the Union Stock […]

Yours Truly: A Valentine’s Day Pop-Up Exhibit

This Valentine’s Day, we are celebrating love in all its forms. From decades-long marriages to the love between a poet and his dog, the love letters featured in this exhibit represent some of the most beautiful relationships in our collections. Transcriptions and English translations are available for easy reading. We would like to thank Caroline […]

A Halloween History: Movable & Pop-Up Books

Pop-up books, also known as movable books (the umbrella term encompassing pop-ups, tunnel books, volvelles, flaps, pull-tabs, pop-outs, pull downs, and more), have been around for centuries. Children, however, were not the target audience until the late 18th century. Prior to then, the audience was primarily adults, and usually with a scholarly purpose. Authors would […]

Edward Gorey: Granddaddy of Goth

by Kellie Clinton Edward Gorey (February 22, 1925-April 15, 2000) is an author and illustrator best known for his pen-and-ink illustrations in Victorian and Edwardian settings. Due to his illustrations generally grim, dark, and depressing content, Gorey’s works have found their home in a specific niche, and earned him the title of “Granddaddy of goth” […]