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Bound for a Russian Princess
Towards the end of last year I highlighted a collection of Russian satirical journals and postcards from the 1905 Revolution. Today’s post continues the Russian theme by examining the provenance of an...
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Sixteenth-Century Manuscript Could Rewrite Australian History [Updated]
[Update, 18.01.14: 'That's No Kangaroo on the Manuscript' from livescience.com]Story from today's The Age reported by Charli Newton:Image of what is thought to be a kangaroo on a 16th-century...
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Hypnerotomachia Poliphili: Woodcuts in the Italian and French Editions
First published by Aldus Manutius in 1499 and praised for its typographical design and early Renaissance woodcut illustrations, the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili is one of the most famous books to come...
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State Library of Victoria Medieval Manuscripts Online
The Ascension of Christ, historiated initial ‘C’, Italy, 15C(State Library of Victoria, RARES 096 IL I)The State Library of Victoria in Melbourne holds 27 medieval and renaissance manuscripts. Last...
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De Doctrina Christiana Receives Shawcross Award
Librarians are always pleased to hear about successes stemming from a user's research. Special collections librarians in particular are especially pleased when that research demonstrates the importance...
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Nullius in Verba: The Royal Society's Two Earliest Books
[First posted on the University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]Earlier this week the Royal Society announced the launch later this year of Royal Society Open Science, an open access...
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ANZAAB Conference and Melbourne Rare Book Week
The following was posted on the ANZAAB website.Conference in May'The most agreeable servants of civilization' Booksellers and Librarians in a Changing WorldA Joint Conference of the Australian and New...
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Vive le Roi! Richer-Sérisy's Journal L'Accusateur Public
[First posted on the University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]University of Melbourne Special Collections recently acquired a complete set of one of the most influential French...
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Altering Shakespeare: An Interleaved Copy of Antony and Cleopatra
[First posted on the University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]On 23 February 1855, the steamship Pacific docked in Melbourne harbour. Descending the gangway for his first tour of Australia was...
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Australia's First Banknote Sells for $334,000
[The following is from Auction Central News]SYDNEY (AFP) – The only surviving example of Australia's first official banknote exceeded expectations when it was auctioned for AUD $334,000 (USD $310,000),...
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Original Les Miserables Manuscript on Its Way to Melbourne
[The following is from the Herald Sun website]The original 1862 manuscript of Les Miserables— considered one of the greatest novels of the 19th century — is on its way to Melbourne.Victor Hugo’s...
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Provenance in Pictures: Tracking the Ownership of Three Early Printed Books
[First posted on University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]Last week a group of Melbourne bibliophiles were treated to a delightful talk by preeminent bookman Nicolas Barker, editor of The Book...
View ArticleAustralasian Rare Books Sumer School 2015
The 10th anniversary Australasian Rare Books Summer School will be held 26-30 January 2015 in Wellington, New Zealand. The event is hosted by Victoria University of Wellington and the Alexander...
View ArticleWarburg Institute: library saved from Nazis awaits its fate
[Originally posted on the Centre for Material Texts bog]The Times Higher Education Supplement reports that the Warburg Institute library is under threat again, as the University of London heads off to...
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The Gutenberg Bible on Exhibit in Melbourne
Next week sees the launch of the third annual Melbourne Rare Book Week (17 to 27 July). Bibliophiles from across Australasia and beyond will descend upon the city and enjoy an array of talks,...
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The Rothschild Prayerbook Comes to Australia
Virgin and Child on a Crescent Moon, f.197v.News is circulating that the exquisite Rothschild Prayerbook (ca. 1505-1510), sold earlier this year by Christie's, New York, for USD $13.6m, was purchased...
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An Apothecary’s Annotations: Eighteenth-Century Medical Notes in a...
[First posted on University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]Since 2009, the rare books collection of the Brownless Medical Library has been housed by Special Collections in the Baillieu Library,...
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Memorialised in Manuscript: A Unique First World War Honour Roll
[First posted on University of Melbourne Library Collections blog]Memorial lists recording the names of people who have died in service to their country or local community are a tragic, but important,...
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Turnbull Library Rare Books on Tumblr
The Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand, has launched a Tumblr page for its Rare Books & Fine Printing Collection:http://turnbullrarebooks.tumblr.comThe page is off to a fun...
View ArticleDunedin, NZ : UNESCO City of Literature
While not rare book specific, I could not resist posting the fantastic news that my previous home for six and a half years has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature!Here is the write-up by Eileen...
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The Bibliographical Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc. Annual...
Turning the Page: Bibliographical Innovation and the Legacy of Aldus ManutiusThe University of Melbourne, AustraliaDate: 26 and 27 November 20152015 marks the quincentenary of the death of the great...
View ArticleILAB Pop Up Book Fair + Shakespeare Folios
Will you be in Sydney on 23 April 2015?If so, be sure to stop by the wonderful State Library of New South Wales for what will be the first in a series of world-wide pop up book fairs organised by the...
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'The Book Beautiful' at the Alexander Turnbull Library
[Guest post by Ruth Lightbourne, Curator of Rare Books and Fine Printing, Alexander Turnbull Library]A new exhibition 'The Book Beautiful' opens in the Turnbull Gallery on Monday 2nd March. This...
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Publication Announcement: 'Hocken. Prince of Collectors'
Delighted to hear Donald Kerr's book on one of New Zealand's greatest book collectors, Dr Thomas Morland Hocken, will be available in just a couple of months. I'm certainly not alone in saying how much...
View ArticleApologies...
Sorry for the lack of content recently and for letting what was once a rather active blog go fallow. One post (often rehashed) every so many months simply will not do, nor is it fair to anyone who has...
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