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Archive: 2025 (2 Posts)

Detail of the illuminations in the Giant Bible of Mainz.

A Little Note About A Giant Bible

Posted by: Marianna Stell

Happy Giant Bible Day! On April 4, 1952, philanthropist and bibliophile, Lessing J. Rosenwald (1891-1979) donated the Giant Bible of Mainz to the Library of Congress. He made this gift exactly five hundred years after the manuscript’s scribe first put quill to parchment. In keeping with Rosenwald's commitment to encouraging broad cultural engagement with the history of the illustrated book, the Library’s digitization allows book lovers near and far to encounter every page of this important and evocative manuscript.

Posted in: 15th Century, History of the Book, Illuminated Manuscript, Illustrated Book, Library History, Provenance

Image of title page of Eliot Bible.

Early Owners of an Eliot Algonquian Bible

Posted by: Marianna Stell

A closer look at the Library’s copy of the Eliot Algonquian Bible (1663) reveals a connection to the local history of the greater Washington area. Family birth and death inscriptions within the Bible show that it was once owned by the famous Gaither family of Gaithersburg in Montgomery County, Maryland. How and when did it arrive at the Library? Read this post to learn more.

Posted in: 17th Century, 18th Century, American History, Indigenous Peoples, Provenance