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Category: History of Science

Woodcut image of the skeletal Zodiac Man.

A Humorous Skeleton

Posted by: Marianna Stell

At the end of the fifteenth century, simplified versions of medical charts featuring an image of the "Zodiac Man" began to appear in Books of Hours. The Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection in the Rare Book and Special Collections Division contains many examples of these printed editions, one of which uses a skeleton in place of the Zodiac Man.

Bright white circular shape with a dark circle in the center.

Tiny Totality: A Souvenir of the 1878 Solar Eclipse

Posted by: Marianna Stell

Humans have always been fascinated by eclipses and other astronomical phenomenon. In anticipation of the April 8, 2024 total solar eclipse that will cross the United States, the Rare Book and Special Collections Division presents one small treasure from the collections: a miniature book of 19th-century eclipse photography!