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Posted by: Patrick Hastings
Among the Library's many treasured books is a history of the Romans previously owned by President James Monroe. Pinned into the flyleaf are Monroe's handwritten notes about the reign and reforms of King Servius Tullius.
Posted in: 18th Century, American History, Classics
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
In our current era, we tend to glorify the author and hold the original text in high esteem. We regard Shakespeare with particular reverence, and his text is held aloft as the sacrosanct work of genius. But this was not always the case. In fact, an altered edition of Romeo and Juliet was widely printed and preferred over Shakespeare’s authoritative text for over a century.
Posted in: 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, Education Outreach, Literature, News and Events
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
Posted by: Amanda Zimmerman
During the 19th century in both England and America, physical fitness became an important aspect of structured health and education programs. In 1880, recognizing the public's growing interest in the use of dumbbells and clubs, New York City champion strongman Guss Hill (1858 – 1937) made his publishing debut with an early exercise book.
Posted in: 18th Century, 19th Century, Sports and Games
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
In the digital age, we have all been spoiled by the ease with which we can share our written ideas with others, but let's take a moment to appreciate the skill, time, and resources that were once required to bring a text into print. This post examines the processes involved in operating a printing press in the 15th-18th centuries.
Posted in: 15th Century, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, Education Outreach, History of the Book, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press)
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
During the hand press era, composing the text of a book was among the most technical elements of the printing process. This post describes the labor involved in typesetting and imposition.
Posted in: 14th Century, 15th Century, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, Book Anatomy, Education Outreach, History of the Book, type
Posted by: Patrick Hastings
Most of us learned in school that Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press, which is not entirely accurate. He is, however, conventionally credited with inventing the process of mass-producing individual pieces of type. These innovations in moveable type allowed for books to be efficiently produced in large quantities and revolutionized the human ability to share ideas. This post explains the multi-step process of mass-producing metal letters to be used in printing texts.
Posted in: 15th Century, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century, Book Anatomy, Education Outreach, Famous Printers, History of the Book, Manuscript and Letterpress (Hand Press), type
Posted by: Marianna Stell
In Anglophone communities during the 16th - 18th centuries, a common custom was for book owners to add in their book a note of ownership in either English or in Latin. The Rare Book and Special Collections Division holds a number of examples of these notes that offer a curious study for those interested in historical linguistics.
Posted in: 17th Century, 18th Century, Classics, Provenance
Posted by: Marianna Stell
During the 17th and 18th centuries, classical languages were an important component of education in the North American colonies. Viewed through the lens of material and printing history, the books highlighted in this blog post provide a very human picture of classical studies in early America.
Posted in: 17th Century, 18th Century, American History, Classics, Education History