Manuscripts and illumination Books

Book SynopsisThe Book of Miracles first surfaced only a few years ago and is one of the most spectacular discoveries in the field of Renaissance art. The near-complete illustrated manuscript, created in Augsburg around 1550, is composed of 169 pages of large-format illustrations in gouache and watercolor, depicting wondrous and often eerie phenomena. The mesmerizing images deal with both biblical and folkloric tales, depicting stories from the Old Testament and Book of Revelation as well as events that took place in the immediate present of the manuscript’s author. From shooting stars to swarms of locusts, terrifying monsters to fatal floods, page after page hypnotizes with visions alternately dreadful, spectacular, and even apocalyptic. This volume presents the revelatory Book of Miracles in a new, compact format, making this extraordinary document accessible to everyone. It comes with a translation of the manuscript texts and two essays that give an introduction to the cultural and historical context of this unique Renaissance work.Trade Review“The Book of Miracles is a revelation.” * Apollo Magazine *

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Book SynopsisThe illuminated manuscripts of the Middle Ages are among the greatest works of European art and literature. We are dazzled by them and recognize their crucial role in the transmission of knowledge. But we generally think much less about the countless men and women who made, collected and preserved them through the centuries, and to whom they owe their existence.This entrancing book describes some of the extraordinary people who have spent their lives among illuminated manuscripts over the last thousand years. A monk in Normandy, a prince of France, a Florentine bookseller, an English antiquary, a rabbi from central Europe, a French priest, a Keeper at the British Museum, a Greek forger, a German polymath, a British connoisseur and the woman who created the most spectacular library in America - all of them were participants in what Christopher de Hamel calls the Manuscripts Club.This exhilarating fraternity, and the fellow enthusiasts who come with it, throw new light on how manuscripts have survived and been used by very different kinds of people in many different circumstances. Christopher de Hamel''s unexpected connections and discoveries reveal a passion which crosses the boundaries of time. We understand the manuscripts themselves better by knowing who their keepers and companions have been.In 1850 (or thereabouts) John Ruskin bought his first manuscript ''at a bookseller''s in a back alley''. This was his reaction: ''The new worlds which every leaf of this book opened to me, and the joy I had in counting their letters and unravelling their arabesques as if they had all been of beaten gold - as many of them were - cannot be told.'' The members of de Hamel''s club share many such wonders, which he brings to us with scholarship, style, and a lifetime''s experience.Trade ReviewReading the Posthumous Papers is like taking a walk in excellent company ... an exceptional book, and itself an object worth cherishing. -- Daniel Brooks * Sunday Telegraph *This book can be enjoyed on so many levels. The illustrations are exquisite and the writing ... is intelligent, illuminating, voluptuous and mischievous. The members of the club are brought to life with sensitivity; we can't help but find their nerdiness endearing. ... The most delightful feature of this book is, however, the author. I've never encountered one so willing to bare his soul, without ever explicitly setting out to do so. He throws open the doors to his world, exposing its beguiling nature. Sit at my table, he says, feast on what I adore. "The Club is still open for membership . . . All applicants are warmly admitted."' -- Gerard DeGroot * The Times *In this stunningly beautiful book, Christopher de Hamel constructs an imaginary club of people who adore mediaeval manuscripts; bibliophiles whose obsession he shares. The 12 delightfully eccentric members span eight centuries - de Hamel imagines meeting them, sharing precious discoveries, trading gossip. The illustrations emit a light of their own, but what shines even brighter is the author's boyish enthusiasm for his subject. * Times Books of the Year *a beautifully produced and magnificently surprising journey through the history of how and why people have wanted to collect manuscripts. An impossibly recondite subject, you might think; but it turns out to have a lot to do with all sorts of things about how we make sense of our histories and cultures - and it introduces us to a gallery of unforgettable characters. -- Rowan Williams * New Statesman Books of the Year *Christopher de Hamel ... has the rare capacity to turn a scholarly specialism into a humane and humorous adventure. ... De Hamel retains an almost lyrical sense of wonder as he unclasps each groaning tome, opens its parched pages and lightly steps into the alternative world painted by its illuminators. ... he speaks of "meeting a beautiful manuscript" rather than reading it and his own book makes you feel you've spent time - a very long but absorbing time - in his convivial company. -- Peter Conrad * Guardian *Christopher de Hamel's great gift is to tell life stories without taking anything away from the manuscripts, which remain the star of the show. Thanks to the beautiful illustrations in this wonderful book, we can see for ourselves how spellbinding an encounter with them must have been. Five years ago de Hamel entranced the world with his Meeting with Remarkable Manuscripts. This time the meetings are with remarkable manuscript owners, and the result is equally precious -- Kathryn Hughes * Sunday Times *gloriously engaging and readable ... De Hamel wears his erudition lightly, and the reader is taken deeply into the worlds of individuals who lived across almost a thousand years of history -- Richard Ovenden * Financial Times *The story of the people who created, saved and collected Europe's most sumptuous manuscripts, it's beautifully illustrated, a rich feast of scarlet and gold. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times Books of the Year *an eccentric but charming and instructive book which is oddly difficult to put down -- Jonathan Sumption * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThis Element contributes to the burgeoning field of medieval publishing studies with a case study of the books produced at the Benedictine monastery of Engelberg under its celebrated twelfth-century abbot, Frowin (114378).Table of Contents1. Introduction: Publishing in Medieval Monasteries; 2. Engelberg's 'Scriptorium'-What Do We Know?; 3. Colophons-What's in a Name?; 4. Auctor and auctoritas; 5. Conclusion; Appendix: Colophons in Manuscripts from Engelberg.

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Book Synopsis“With a scholar’s commitment to accurate detail, and the heart of a lover of beauty, Kathleen B. Jones’s engaging and well-crafted parallel story is as colorful and lucid as the illuminated manuscripts at the center of her novel.” —Laurel Corona, author of The Mapmaker’s DaughterA deeply affecting dual narrative separated by several centuries, Cities of Women examines the lives of women who dare to challenge the social norms of their days, risking their reputations and livelihoods for the sake of their passions.In the twenty-first century, we meet Verity Frazier, a disillusioned history professor who sets out to prove that the artist responsible for the illuminated artwork in Christine de Pizan’s medieval manuscripts was a remarkable woman named Anastasia. As Anastasia’s story unfolds against the exquisitely-rendered medieval backdrop of moral disaster, political intrigue, and extraordinary creativity, Verity finds her career on the brink of collapse by her efforts to uncover evidence of the lost artist’s existence.Inspired by a decade of research, Jones has woven together a luminous and incisive masterpiece of historical fiction, evoking the spare joys and monumental pitfalls facing medieval women artists and a contemporary woman who becomes obsessed with medieval books.Trade Review“At its heart, Cities of Women is both a detective story about the search for, and love letter to, the women who worked on the beautiful illuminated manuscripts of the medieval era. The novel is both sensitive and well researched, an accomplished debut which marks Jones out as one to watch.” —Laura Shepperson, author of Phaedra“With a scholar’s commitment to accurate detail, and the heart of a lover of beauty, Kathleen B. Jones’s engaging and well-crafted parallel story brings to light female creativity in medieval France. Jones’s writing is as colorful and lucid as the illuminated manuscripts at the center of her novel, and the unforgettable story makes Cities of Women a must read for anyone interested in finding and honoring the forgotten women of western art.” —Laurel Corona, author of The Mapmaker’s Daughter"Kathleen B. Jones’ great talent is her ability to slide through history showing how the past is inextricably alive inside of every present moment. With witty dialogue and lovingly rendered descriptions of beauty, Cities of Women is both a page turning mystery and an intricate tapestry that entwines academic research, medieval history, art, love, and most importantly, the enduring friendships of women." —Karen Osborn, author of The Music Book"Cities of Women is a vivid and absorbing dual-timeline novel following a 21st century historian as she uncovers the life of a forgotten medieval female artist. Illuminating and smart, it reads like a love letter to curiosity and creativity. This is an empowering tale of two women separated by the centuries, but united in their determination to pursue their passions at all costs.” —Nikki Marmery, author of On Wilder Seas and the forthcoming Lilith"A meticulously researched and colourfully written exploration of female creativity and tenacity." —Victoria MacKenzie, author of For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy On My Little Pain

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Book SynopsisFor the first time, exquisite and rarely seen ancient Hebrew manuscripts are presented in this stunning volume as “encounters”, highlighting their similarities and differences in a striking, visual conversation between manuscripts from two outstanding collections. This cleverly designed and richly illustrated dual language English and Hebrew publication will accompany the first temporary exhibition in the new building of the National Library of Israel in Jerusalem. It draws its objects from both the Library’s collection and the highly prestigious, privately owned Braginsky Collection of Zurich, Switzerland. Vibrant new photography brings these manuscripts, printed books, Esther Scrolls and marriage contracts to life. Engaging texts examine such themes as community, migration, spirituality, mysticism, and inspiration, which will be enlightening to all interested in Hebrew manuscripts and the history and culture of the Jewish people. Text in English and Hebrew.

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Book SynopsisUnlike books familiar to us from print culture, every medieval book is unique, the product of individual circumstances of planning, execution, and history. This is a fundamental difficulty for study, particularly for those beginning the investigation of texts in manuscript. There are two conventional ways of approaching this difficulty: explaining the series of processes by which a manuscript book is constructed and explaining how to construct a professional description of a manuscript book. Neither addresses a problem fundamental for beginners: what happens when a librarian presents you with a manuscript? How should you proceed? Fundamentally, this is a problem of visual examination, and taking its procedure from the grand M. R. James and M. B. Parkes, this book attempts to stimulate the visual and experiential. It attempts, in a heavily exemplified account, to explain what might be there in a manuscript to perceive and what it might mean. The argument follows a process of examination that begins with the physical bulk of what's in front of you (and its cover, or binding) and ends with traces of the book's history.Table of ContentsPrefaceWhat's in front of you? What's its shape? How big is it? The closed book: what do you see first?Opening the book: what's it made of? Membrane PaperWhere's the first leaf? What does the first leaf look like? How come it looks so neat? How does the scribe write? What texts does it contain? How's it been put together? Are there other discontinuities? Where's it been all this time? Looking at Cambridge, Queens' College, MS 10

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated reference book for students and scholars of Persian art, poetry, and literature. With this book, Barbara Brend provides thorough consideration of two celebrated Persian manuscripts housed in the British Library. These two copies of the Khamsah (Quintet) a set of five narrative poems by twelfth-century poet Nizami, a master of allegorical poetry in Persian literature, were produced in Herat in the fifteenth century, one of the greatest periods of Persian painting. Although well known, the manuscripts have never before been written about in relation to each other. Brend tells the story of each poem and the painting that illustrates it, and she formally analyzes the images, placing them in their historical and artistic context. The images from both highly prized manuscripts are beautifully reproduced in color, and the ownership history of one of the manuscripts-recorded in the form of seal impressions and inscriptions- is also included. Ursula Sims-Williams provides a translation and commentary of these important marks of ownership which identify the Mughal rulers Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and Aurangzeb, among many others.Trade Review"Brend’s Treasures of Herat performs a deep dive on the two manuscripts, providing unique insights into the purpose and the means used to produce them. . . . Brend’s summary of the tradition of Persian painting and survey of other royal 15th-century manuscripts makes Treasures of Herat a valuable introduction to the topic." * Asian Review of Books *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1 Herat and the Timurids CHAPTER 2 The Painting Tradition of Timurid Herat CHAPTER 3 Manuscript and Illumination in Add. 25900 CHAPTER 4 Illustrations in Add. 25900 CHAPTER 5 Manuscript and Illumination in Or. 6810 CHAPTER 6 Illustrations in Or. 6810 CHAPTER 7 Conclusions on Add. 25900 and Or. 6810 APPENDIX A Break-lines in Add. 25900 and Or. 6810 CHAPTER 8 Or. 6810: The Afterlife of a Manuscript URSULA SIMS-WILLIAMS APPENDIX B Transcriptions of the Notes and Seals in Or. 6810 URSULA SIMS-WILLIAMS BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThe year 2023 sees the 150th anniversary of the death of William Harry Rogers. Rogers was one of the finest artist-designers of the Victorian period in Britain, someone to be considered in the same company as Pugin, William Burges, Owen Jones and Christopher Dresser. His designs won several prize medals at the Great Exhibition of 1851, the event which provides a ubiquitous reference point for cultural histories of the nineteenth century. He subsequently specialised in designing the appearances of books and his work in this field in the 1850s and 1860s was unrivalled, with many of his designs appearing also in the USA. The present book is the first to be devoted to Rogers and aims to be definitive, containing comprehensive accounts of his work and his life in Soho and the then village of Wimbledon. It includes many new discoveries, and hundreds of colour illustrations.Trade Review"Greg Jones's biography brings to life a versatile Victorian artist and designer who made an indelible impact on nineteenth-century material culture. Based on meticulous research, Jones creates a compelling portrait of a talented yet little known artist whose influence on Victorian taste was profound." - Joanne Shattock, Emeritus Professor of Victorian Literature, University of Leicester "This book is erudite yet eminently readable and is a comprehensive study of WHR and his varied achievements in design encompassing not just book covers and illustration but also silver, wooden items and playing cards. This is a landmark in Victorian studies and is very well illustrated." - Paul Goldman, Honorary Professor of English Literature, Cardiff University "This thoroughly researched and lavishly illustrated book places William Harry Rogers at the forefront of mid-Victorian design, as frequently expressed in his book cover designs." - Edmund M.B. King, art historianTable of ContentsAcknowledgements 7 one Introduction 9 two Life of the Artist-Designer 19 three George Isaacs 37 four Two Signatures 46 five The Builder 50 six Henry Fitzcook 63 seven The Art Journal 69 eight Silver 81 nine Sir Henry Cole 96 ten Queen Victoria’s Cradle 106 eleven The Great Exhibition and its Successors 118 twelve Spiritual Conceits 139 thirteen Illustrations 149 fourteen Playing Cards 161 fifteen Jewellery 168 sixteen Book Covers 174 seventeen Contemporary Owners 196 eighteen Patrons 202 Appendices a Gallery of Book Covers 216 b Paris 285 c Cover Design Re-use and Materials 291 d Kate Rogers and Others 295 Index of Titles for Books and Journals with WHR Covers 301 Index 305

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Book SynopsisFew have heard of the Shakespeare Head Press, although it ranks alongside William Morris’s Kelmscott, Emery Walker and Cobden-Sanderson’s Doves, Eric Gill’s Golden Cockerel and St John Hornby’s Ashendene. Its origins date to the 1860s, when a young Arthur Henry Bullen, dreamt of printing the whole of Shakespeare. Making his dream a reality, Bullen founded the Shakespeare Head Press in 1904 in an old Tudor house, where Shakespeare would have been a guest. There are many backstories associated with the Shakespeare Head Press and of the perennial dashed hopes of small presses’, which plagued Bullen. When the Press passed to Basil Blackwell (1921), Bullen’s mantle was assumed by the scholar-printer Bernard Newdigate. For twenty years, he produced a series of finely printed books, yet these were not commercially successful. Blackwell blamed the commodification of literature, and the metamorphoses of books from handcrafted works of art to manufactured objects. A Short and Beautiful Life reconstructs the lives of Bernard Newdigate and A.H. Bullen, and that of the Shakespeare Head Press. For Sir Basil Blackwell, ‘the exact record of events was secondary to the universal truths it served to illustrate.’ And there is something remarkably contemporary about them.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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