![]() ![]() These gifts are reflected in the shelfmarks (labels) of the manuscripts. ![]() The core of the Free Library’s manuscript collection came from the families of two collectors: John Frederick Lewis and P.A.B. Some of the great works of art of the Middle Ages can be found within the covers of these precious books. Many manuscripts were illuminated, or decorated, often very lavishly, with gold, silver, and other luxurious pigments that came from far and wide. Manuscripts are valued by scholars because they preserve in their materials so much information about the people who made them: their societies, their beliefs, and even their ideas of beauty. In the fifteenth century, manuscript book production was slowly replaced by the printing press, and by the end of the sixteenth century, very few books were produced by hand. Beginning in the thirteenth century, as more lay people learned how to read, commercial enterprises sprang up in the cities and towns of Europe, especially around universities such as those at Paris, Oxford, or Bologna. Each monastery would have a “scriptorium,” a room where the monks would produce the books for use in religious ceremonies as well as for study. Up to the twelfth century, most medieval manuscripts were written by monks living in monasteries. Or “written by hand.” Because medieval manuscripts are handmade, each book is unique, and each one has a story to tell. During the Middle Ages, before the advent of printing in the fifteenth century, all books were manuscripts, a term which derives from the Latin phrase A “manuscript” is a book written and produced by hand. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |