Evening star., 1947-06-29
Rare Books Display Demonstrates Gains
In Printing Methods And in Illustrating
By Florence S. Bergman

/ NY
I Art lovers as we'll as bibliophiles
will be enchanted with the exhibition
of 80 rare and important books now
! on view at the Library of Congress,
to remain through September. These
volumes, gifts from Lessing J. Rosen-
wald, were acquired during the past
year in most instances, and are
additions to the great collection he
presented to the Library in 1913.
| In an introduction to the catalogue
of these recent acquisitions, DR.,
A. S. w. Rosenbach pays tribute to
. the remarkable achievement they
represent. In one year" he says,
have been gathered some of the
most important volumes ever issued
! by the presses of Europe and Amer
/ ica, from the days of Gutenberg to
| the end of the 18th century Every
one is significant in the history of
culture. No other library in
i this country or abroad, has received
during this period a collection COM
parable to it.
The Rosenwald collection has
two major facets: It represents the
history of book illustration. with
/ especial emphasis on the 18th and
! 10th centuries; and it eXemplifles
the monumental achievements, of
early printing. Each exhibit in the
present show is admirably described
/ in a printed label taken from the
catalogue available to the public
under certain conditions.
4 A Work of Art Per Sc
Although the first exhibit on view,
Rationale devinorum offlciorum" of
GuIielmus Duranti. is important as
an example of early printing Q459)
I it is per Sc a work of art, resembling
an illuminated manuscript Printed
entirely on vellum and bound in
crimson velvet, the pages are dec
Grated with red and blue initials.
among the earliest known examples
of two-color printing
( Several early German illustrated
books 15th century, include two
editions of the "Auslegung der
Heiligen Messe" with handsome
colored woodcuts of the Visitation
of the Virgin to St. Elizabeth: the
Mirror of Human Redemption
with amusing colored woodcuts in
an edition so rare that this is the
only copy recorded in American
ownership; and a chronicle of Ger
man kings and kaisers, with % lively
WoodcutS, one on view, showing an
attack on a medieval castle.
This group is followed by 81 early
Italian books dating from 1484 to
1884. Outstanding are Turrecrema-
tas 'Meditationes, illustrated with
wood engravings of Biblical scenes
inspired by series of frescoes (no
longer in existence) which decorated
church in Rome 500 years ago;
"Epistles, Gospels and Lessons" one
of only two copies in existence, re-
garded as among the finest iliustra-
/ ted books of the 18th century, with
minutely delineated woodcuts. Ital-
ian Renaissance in style. and two
books with unusually fine bindings.
One of these. a 1896 edition of
the "Anteros" of Baptista Fulgosa is
bound in boards overlaid with fine
wood engravings expressly prepared
for this purpose; that exhibited de-
pictS St. George and the dragon.
No other copy similarly bound is
( known and the survival of this one
in such good condition Is considered
almost incredible
The other, Marullus' "Hymni" Is
the only known perfect copy of an
inlaid mosaic binding done for Jean
Grolier. It is the third and finest
example originally executed for the
distinguished Lyonnese book collec-
tor, given to the Library of Congress
by Mr.. Rosenwald.
/ Early English Volumes
/ Following the italian books come
IA early English volumes. dating
from 1879 to 1854. Highlights among
these are a beautifully bound (early
1 18th century, single volume contain
/ ing four different editions by Will
liam Caxton, England's first printer;
and a copy of the first English
arithmetic t1522) written by Cuth-
bert Tunstall, the present copy of
which has a fine original pen draw
ing presumably by Hans Holbein.
| In a group of six early French
books, lie Livre du Roy Modus
| is particularly engaging, with Its
quaint, rather primitive little wood
cuts of stag-hunts, hawking and
bird-snaring; it Is thought to be
one of the two first sporting books
ever printed. A few early Spanish
books follow the French section. One
of them is a Salamanca edition OF
Olivier de la Marches lie Cheva-
lier delibere,'' the original of which
/ printed in Paris, 1488} is the cnly
book in the exhibition not a recent
acquisition. 1t is shown because
the library recently published a
facsimile edition of this rare vol
ume with its 13 woodcut illustra-
tions
Six nations are represented In the
printing of 10 books comprising ar
interesting group of Americana. The
most intriguing TO me are . vol