books – Pitts Theology Library

Pitts acquires an early 16th Century passional

January 18, 2024

6:01 am

1 Comment on Pitts acquires an early 16th Century passional

A popular genre of devotional books in the late Middle Ages and during the Renaissance were passionals, illustrated books about the suffering and death of Christian martyrs, in particular about the passion and death of Jesus Christ.

The text accompanying the images in these books was typically of secondary importance to the images, which were intended to inspire meditation and prayer. A recent acquisition by Pitts is a 1508 passional printed in Strasbourg, Passio domini nostri Jesu Christi (1508 PASS). The Latin text, likely translated from a German original, is a compilation drawn from the four Gospels and edited by the humanist scholar Matthias Ringman (1481-1510) and the popular preacher Johann Geiler von Kaysersberg (1445-1510). The 25 full page woodcut illustrations are early works by the Swiss artist and goldsmith Urs Graf (1485-1528), representing Graf’s first book illustrations signed by him with his characteristic monogram VS. While Urs Graf does not exhibit the detailed realism often found in the art of his contemporaries Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528) and Lucas Cranach (1472-1553), whose works Graf also reproduced in copies, the characterization of his subjects has a uniquely compelling quality, in particular their often unusual facial expressions.

The particular copy of this work acquired recently by Pitts has significance for the library. The book has the previous ownership bookplate of the Swiss church historian Ernest Strœhlin (1844-1907). The bookplate has a depiction of John Calvin preaching and the motto “Mente Libera” (“with a free mind”). Stroehlin was an avid book collector, and many of his books were bound beautifully in fine morocco leather with gilt tooling on the inside edge, with marbled paste-downs and endpapers. These bindings were the work of noted Swiss binder Hans Asper (1855-1911). Stroehlin’s library was auctioned off in 1912, and Pitts has been making a concerted effort to collect these works from his library. The library now holds at least 8 of these Stroehlin/Asper books, several of which were featured in the library’s exhibition “More Precious than Gold”. You can learn more about these bindings in a blog post from last year, and we invite you to make an appointment in our Special Collections to come and see this new acquisition.

By Armin Siedlecki, Head of Cataloging and Rare Book Cataloger

Pitts adds Nuremberg Chronicle to collection

November 21, 2023

12:30 pm

Leave a comment on Pitts adds Nuremberg Chronicle to collection

Acquisitions, Books, Research

books, New Acquisitions, Rare Books

Pitts Theology Library recently acquired a copy of the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493 SCHE B), one of the most famous books produced in the fifteenth century. The Nuremberg Chronicle, or Liber chronicarum, is a history of the world, best known for its abundant illustrations, which include portraits of famous individuals, maps, depictions of biblical or historical events, and cityscapes. Two editions of the Nuremberg Chronicle were printed in 1493 by Anton Koberger (1440-1513). The first was a Latin edition, written by Hartmann Schedel (1440-1514), printed in June with an estimated print run of 1,400 copies. The second was a translation from the Latin into German by Georg Alt (ca. 1450-1510), Das Buch der Croniken, printed in December, with an estimated print run of 600 copies. Alt slightly shortened Schedel’s text to match the layout of the Latin edition. The new Pitts acquisition is this German edition.

The artwork of the Nuremberg Chronicle sets it apart from other early printed books. The work contains an unprecedented amount of woodcuts, which interact with the text in remarkable ways. The images do more than simply provide a visual companion to the written word; they are as essential as the text itself. Several artists created 645 unique woodcuts, many of which were reused throughout the book. In total, there are over 1,800 woodcut impressions in the work. Because many of the depictions of people or places were not based on historical likenesses, the depictions were often anachronistic. Also, it was common for the same woodcuts to be employed multiple times to represent different people or events. For instance, the same woodcut is used for Enoch and his wife (fol. 10r); Japheth and his wife, Funda (fol. 16r); and Abigail and her husband (fol. 42v). Many of the genealogical woodcuts were designed to be modular so that they could be reused in different ways.

Pitts Theology Library acquires materials like this book to provide resources to researchers and to educate through classroom instruction, exhibitions, and other outlets. This particular work complements the Library’s already robust collection of early printed books and woodcut images.

Pitts plans to include this new acquisition in a Spring 2024 gallery exhibition, where it will be displayed alongside the Latin Nuremberg Chronicle held by Emory’s Rose Library.

By Brandon Wason, Head of Special Collections

Pitts acquires 1551 Estienne New Testament

November 5, 2023

9:21 pm

Leave a comment on Pitts acquires 1551 Estienne New Testament

Acquisitions, Books, Research

Bible, books, New Acquisitions, Rare Books, Special Collections

This past week Pitts added to its rare book collection a very significant New Testament (1551 BIBL B). After many years of searching, Pitts has acquired the 1551 Greek/Latin New Testament published in Geneva by Robert Estienne (1503-1559), who is often referred to by his Latin name Stephanus. This New Testament is the first to include Estienne’s numbering of individual verses, a system he developed on his own and which became the standard versification system still used today. The New Testament text is printed in three columns, with Estienne’s Greek in the center and the Latin Vulgate on one side and Erasmus’ Latin translation on the other. The verse numbers are placed between the columns of text. Estienne would subsequently print a Latin Vulgate in 1555 (1555 BIBL A) in which the verse numbers were integrated into the text, which is how most subsequent Bibles have printed them.

This 1551 New Testament is also one of Estienne’s first publications in Geneva, the city to which he had fled (from Paris) when he came under attack from the theologians at the Sorbonne University in Paris, who were critical of his 1550 edition of the Greek New Testament, his famous “Royal Edition” (1550 BIBL), which was the first New Testament to include a system of text critical notes indicating alternative readings in Greek manuscripts. A later report of this episode, written by Estienne’s son, indicates that he created the verse number system on the move from Paris to Geneva, while “on horseback” (inter equitandum), which has led some to joke that the at-times odd placement of breaks between verses could be the result of his placing his pen in various spots of the text as the horse went up and down along the road!

We encourage you to come see this amazing publication, which is just one of the thousands of historic Bibles held in Pitts’ Special Collections.

By Bo Adams, Director of Pitts Theology Library

New Acquisition Sheds Light on Fifteenth-Century Book Trade

March 2, 2023

10:05 am

Leave a comment on New Acquisition Sheds Light on Fifteenth-Century Book Trade

Acquisitions, Books

books, Rare Books, Special Collections

Pitts Theology Library recently acquired a book that helps us better understand aspects of the book trade in fifteenth-century Italy. This book contains tracts, or spiritual letters, written by Ugo Panciera (or Panziera) da Prato (circa 1260–circa 1330), who was an Italian theologian, lay member of the Franciscan order, and missionary in the Pera-Galata region of Constantinople. While Panciera was in Constantinople, he wrote a series of spiritual letters, or tracts, which were printed for the first time in this book from 1492.

The printing of Panciera’s tracts shed light on competitive printing practices in the fifteenth century. Copyright protections typically did not exist in the fifteenth century and printers often reproduced profitable books produced by other printers. Panciera’s tracts were first printed in Florence by Antonio Miscomini in June of 1492. Miscomini’s edition contained thirteen tracts. Six months later, in December 1492, Miscomini’s rivals, Lorenzo Morgiani and Johannes Petri, issued their own edition of Panciera’s tracts. Their edition copied the text of Miscomini’s edition, but added a fourteenth tract. For this reason, Morgiani and Petri claimed that their version was fuller and superior to the earlier printed edition by Miscomini. Yet the newer edition retained errors produced by Miscomini and printed the text in a more condensed and crude typeface to save money on production costs. Nevertheless, this newer edition of Panciera’s tracts seems to have cut into the sales of Miscomini’s earlier edition. So in response to this newer edition, Miscomini added the fourteenth tract to his unsold copies. Copies of Miscomini’s edition containing the additional tract are rare and so it is significant that the copy of Panciera’s tracts which our library recently acquired does contain the fourteenth tract.

To view the catalog record for this book or to request to view the book in Special Collections click on the following link: https://search.libraries.emory.edu/catalog/9937673492502486

For more information on this topic, see Paul F. Gehl, “Watermark evidence for the competitive practices of Antonio Miscomini”, The Library 15 (1993), 281-305.

Written by Brandon Wason, Head of Special Collections

Why are the shelves empty?

February 16, 2023

11:43 am

Leave a comment on Why are the shelves empty?

Acquisitions, Books

books, Stacks

If you’ve recently visited the first floor stacks, you may have spotted some empty shelves. Don’t worry! They are not a sign of troubled times or a dwindling library collection. In fact, our empty shelves are purposeful, as they provide space for new materials and growth.

The library may seem like a static space, but the stacks are constantly changing, and there is a lot more to collection maintenance than just re-shelving books. In 2022, Pitts acquired 2,060 new items, taking up nearly 50 yards (half of a football field!), or an entire aisle, of shelf space. Making room for that amount of material is no small feat. To accommodate the ever-expanding collection, we do daily shelf-reading, inventory, and shifting projects, which you’ve probably seen our staff doing downstairs. Daily shelf-reading helps us ensure that all of our books are tidy and nothing has been horribly misplaced. Inventory, another ongoing project, helps us track each individual book’s place on the shelves and assess its condition. Any books that are falling apart, water damaged, or otherwise unsuitable for circulation are removed from the shelves.

Finally, the most important task for making space in the stacks is shifting. Shifting begins by measuring every individual shelf and determining the size of the existing materials in each section to find the proportion of the space currently being used. Based on heat maps of space density, we locate available space in other sections. Once the math balances out, we can begin the physical process of moving all of the materials into their new locations, creating the needed space for new materials to be shelved in their respective sections. Throughout the shifting process, we continue measuring and calculating density ratios to make sure everything is going according to the plan. Shifting is a process that is never fully complete.

You may have also noticed the New Acquisitions section located on the 2nd floor of the library. Designated by yellow signs and end caps, the New Acquisitions section is an important space for us to show the cool, new things we get, but also highlight growth in certain areas of the collection. Before we started this section, library staff were able to see the new purchases, engage with them, and have first dibs on checking out the materials, but patrons weren’t able to engage in the same way. This section was created with you, our patrons, in mind, and we encourage you to check it out and see all the new materials arriving at Pitts! Anything in the New Acquisitions section can be checked out with a valid library account. After a few months, all these new materials are placed downstairs into their permanent homes.

Our current shelving space is structured to comfortably house our current collection with more than sufficient room for growth. So the next time you come across empty shelves, know they are waiting their turn to hold our books.

Written by Yasmine Green, Collection Management Coordinator, & Liz Miller, Coordinator of Digital Initiatives