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Posted by: Marianna Stell
Christine de Pizan (1364-1430), first professional woman author in Europe, was considered by Simone de Beauvoir to be the first woman to 'take up her pen in defense of her sex'. The Library of Congress has a rare copy of Christine’s work, Epistre d'Othea, printed by Philippe Pigouchet around 1499.
Posted in: Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press), Women in Book History
Posted by: Marianna Stell
Monica Varner, Collections Manager in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, dives into the provenance of an American imprint from 1705.
Posted in: American History
Posted by: Amanda Zimmerman
In the early 1860s amidst growing unrest between the North and South, American humorist, journalist and political commentator David Ross Locke (1833 - 1888) debuted a character that would be popular with abolitionists for years to come - and with Abraham Lincoln in particular.
Posted in: 19th Century, American History
Posted by: Mark Manivong
Musician and children’s book author Gertrude Ina Robinson (b. 1868) created cloth figurines that match the characters in her children's book series, the Floral Fairies, 13 of which can now be found in the Archive for Floral Fairies and Rainbow Fairies in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress.
Posted in: 20th Century, Children's Literature
Posted by: Marianna Stell
Callie Beatie, Junior Fellow Summer of 2023 in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division, writes about her experience processing the Russell Maret Artist Archive.
Posted in: Contemporary Book Arts