Evening star., 1934-09-09

printers of centuries ago and TO one
still living who has been honored with
a panel. The design for the doors
was selected by DR.. Parma, curator
of the division of rare books, and
were executed by the MeSsrS. Pearson
and Wilson, architects of the new
annex to the Library. Dr. Parma
is Just now particularly interested in
the history of the earliest printed
books in the different States of the
Union; the names of those earliest
printers are on the bronze door to
the right as one enters the room.
The top panel is given to Juan
Pablos, who printed the first book on
the North American continent in
Mexico; then Stephen Daye, 1889, the
first printer in the Northern Colonies;
William Nuthead, 1882, first to print
books in the Southern Colonies; Will
liam Bradford, 1885, who printed first
in Pennsylvania, and later printed the
first book to be printed in New York.
Mr.. Bradford, also started the New
York Gazette, in 1725. The files of
the Gazette in the New York Public
Library, are delightfully."- quaint and
reading.
The bottom panel on the door de-
voted to American printers, is ex-
quisitely decorated with the colophon
or emblematic device used by Bruce
Rogers, the distinguished independent
designer of books and since 1920
printing adviser to Harvard Univer-
sity. Mr. Rogers is the only living
printer honored.
On the left door the panels are
exceptionally lovely in detail and bear
the names and devices of Peter
Geoffry Tory and the nine
teenth century printer and genius,
William Morris of the Kelmscott
Press, London, and Gutenbergs part
ner and the capitalist of the firm,
Johann Fust. Gutenberg does not
appear to have been much of buSi-
ness man, such details being left to
Fust. One Of the early ventures Of
the immortal printer of the Guten-
berg Bible, now in the Congressional
Library, was the manufacture of look
ing glasses; this failing, he turned
seriously to the art of printing in
movable type, and became famous for
all time. 1t is a curious fact, how
ever, that his name appears on no
example of his printing.
DR.. Parma, adviser extraordinary
TO some of the most noted collectors
of rare books in this country and
abroad. was busy, SO he delegated his
assistant, Miss Lerch, to show the
visitor few of the priceless treasures
IN the rare book stacks.
She took down a copy of Pliny's
Natural History" printed by Nicholas
JenSon in 1472-she handles these
tones like they were made of the most
ETHEREAL substance: of course, they are
pretty old-and called attention to the
exquisite type, remarking that Jenson
put the Roman letter on the market.
That led to a discussion of AlduS, the
Venetian printer of the fifteenth CEN
tury, who first used the italic letter
and was the first to make small books,
thus giving the common people
chance to read them. The books of
the time we're ponderous volumes with
wonderful bindings inlaid with gold
and precious stones and with marvel
GUS Illuminated text. They were only
for princes and the great and rich of
the time.
Just one more: THE Acts of the
Apostles, 1854" which Mr.. Putnam, the
librarian Of Congress, considers the
acquisition of 1888 in
Slavic literature. This book contains
the famous colophon, which Mr.. Put
nam describes as the only authentic
document pertaining to the actual be-
ginning of Russian printing in the
sixteenth century. BY the way, Ivan
the Terrible, was the founder of the
"TSar's Printing Court" which was
built in Moscow for the purpose Of
religious books.
The engagement of Prince George
of England-the Apollo of the royal
family-to Princess Marina of Greece
(She has no Greek blood has caused
a revival of interest in that charming
book, My Fifty Years." by her father,
IL ~ H. 1IlCC 4N4OAAOAdo Vi 1ICCCC,
who also signs himself Prince of Den
mark Prince Nicholas is the nephew
of the late Queen Alexandra, grand
mother of Prince George, and also a
of Empress Marie of Russia
who for some time could not believe in
the death of her son, the late Tsar
Nicholas, and who spent her last days
in her old home in Denmark, hoping
and praying for his return.
1t has been some time since royal
wedding bells have chimed in Europe,
but now that the ball has been started
rolling there will be several royal
couples incoming around on the conti-
nent. The engagement of Archduke
Otto, Hapsburg pretender to the Aus
trian throne, and Princess Maria,
youngest daughter of the King of Italy
seems to be waiting on the turn of the
tide in Austria
A few weeks ago the Hungarian
holy crown of st. Stephen, the old
est royal crown in the world, was ex-
hibited at Budapest, and while this
exhibition is supposed to take place
annually, unusual interest was said
to be manifested when it was shown
last month with other coronation in