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Archive: September 2023 (2 Posts)

Title page of Doctrines of the Middle State with inscription.

The Middle State: Famous Owners of a Controversial Text

Posted by: Marianna Stell

Clementina Rind (d. 1774) was the first female newspaper printer in Virginia and associated with Thomas Jefferson, Peyton Randolph, and other American founding fathers. The Rare Book and Special Collections Division at the Library of Congress holds a controversial religious text given to her by her father, which was later owned by Thomas Jefferson.

Posted in: American History, Provenance, Women in Book History

Image of a lion with small objects and figures.

In Your Mind’s Eye: Strange Mental Architecture to Help You Remember

Posted by: Marianna Stell

Memory training was an important part of education in the Middle Ages. Borrowing from classical sources, medieval techniques offered elaborate and creative methods for memorizing lengthy works and speeches. The blockbook Ars memorandi, likely printed in Germany around 1470, offers a surprising lesson for those interested in the history of graphic design or mnemonic theory.

Posted in: 15th Century, 16th Century, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press)