The Alcuin Society’s 2012 Awards for Excellence in Book Design in Canada have been handed out and a selection of the winning titles will be on display in the main lobby of the Queen Elizabeth II Library from Nov 13-Dec 13, 2013. More information about this year’s winners can be found on the Alcuin Society website.

Memorial University’s Queen Elizabeth II Library’s First Space Gallery is currently hosting an exhibit of printers’ marks from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. The marks have been selected from the holdings of Archives and Special Collections. The exhibit runs until December, 2013.

Three display cases containing thirteen books and broadsides from the outstanding Locks’ Press (Kingston, Ontario) are on display this spring in the main lobby of the Queen Elizabeth II Library. The pieces on display are: Fame‘s Trumpet: Twenty Rhymes; Know Thyself; Poem about Nothing; Alison; Autolycus’s Song; Hymn to Hephaistos; Deor’s Lament; The Legend of St. Laura; Farewell Ungrateful Traytor; Winter; “We work in the dark…”; Svmer is Icumun In; and Ulisses and the Syren.

Medieval Manuscripts & Early Print Works at Memorial University highlights twenty-six manuscripts and print works from the holdings of Archives & Special Collections and the Centre for Newfoundland Studies.

Wither, George.A Collection of Emblemes, Ancient and Moderne. Quickened With Metricall Illustrations, both Morall and Divine: And disposed into Lotteries, That Instruction, and Good Counsell, may bee furthered by an Honest and Pleasant Recreation.London: Augustine Mathewes/Henry Taunton, 1635-34.

Frontispiece (above). The work contains 200 fine circular engraved emblems by Crispin de Passe the Elder that were first published in Gabriel Rollenhagen’s Nucelus Emblematum Selectissimorum, Cologne, [1611] (see below for example).

“Wither divides the 200 plates into four parts, each of which is accompanied by a “Lotterie” of 56 verses referring to the various plates. These, when combined with the two woodcuts on the last leaf form a fortune or character-telling game of chance. By spinning the two pointers the player is directed to one of the four books and then to one of the 56 chances which in turn relate to the 50 plates, numbers 51-56 being blanks. Some of the chances are labelled “M” or “W” and relate exclusively to men or women; if you land on the wrong one for your sex then you take the next chance: ‘This Game occasions not the frequent crime, Of Swearing, or mispending our our Time; Nor losse of money: For the Play is short, And, ev’ry Gamester winneth by the sport. Wee, therefore, know it may as well become The Hall, the Parlor, or the Dining-roome, As Chesse, or Tables; and, we thinke the Price Will be as low; because it needs no Dice.’” The above text is from the dealer’s description. See below the “two pointers.”

Fortunetelling. Warsager Kunst. [Frankfurt]: [Christian Egenolff], 1541. [36] pp.

Title woodcut from Fortunetelling (above). The pamphlet also contains 48 smaller woodcuts (sample pages below).

 Luther, Martin. Ain Trewe Ermanung Zu allen Christen Sich zu verhuten vor Auffrur unnd Emberung. [Augsburg: Melchior Ramminger, 1522]. 20 pp

Greiffenberger, Hans. Ein christenliche Antwordt denen, die da sprechen das Evangelio[n] hab sein krafft vo[n] der Kirchen verlegt mit götlicher Geschrift auff das kürtzist zu trost den Christen inn Christo. Hanns Greyffenberger. [Bamberg: Georg Erlinger, 1524]. [8] pp.

Exquemelin, Alexandre Olivier. The History of the Bucaniers of America; from the first original down to this time; written in several languages; and now collected into one volume.: I. The exploits and adventures of LeGrand, Lolonois, Roche Brasiliano, Bat the Portuguese, Sir Henry Morgan, &c. Written in Dutch by Jo. Esquemeling, one of the bucaniers, and thence translated into Spanish — II. The dangerous voyage and bold attempts of Capt. Barth. Sharp, Watlin, Sawkins, Coxon and others in the South sea / written by Basil Ringrose and examin’d with the original journey — III. A journal of a voyage into the South sea by the freebooters of America from 1684 to 1689 / written in French by the sieur Raveneau de Lussan, never before in English — IV. A relation of a voyage of the Sieur de Montaubon, capt. of the freebooters in Guinea in the year 1695, &c. The third edition. London: Newborough, J. Nicholson & B. Tocke, 1704.

One of seven folding engraved maps:

Cerati, Antonio, Count. Le ville Lucchesi con altri opuscoli in versi ed in prosa di Filandro Cretense, Pastor Arcade (pseud.). Parma: Dalla Stamperia Reale [Bodoni], 1783. Printed within ornamental type border throughout; fine, thick paper, uncut and partly unopened. 

Swammerdam, Jan. Miraculum naturae sive uteri muliebris fabrica. notis in D. Joh. van Horne prodromum illustrata, & tabulis, … Adjecta est nova methodus, civitates corporis ita praeparandi, ut suam semper genuinam faciem servent. Ad illustriss. Regiam Societatem Londinensem. Leiden: Apud Cornelius Boutesteyn, 1679 (1672).

First edition, reissue of the 1672 gatherings with new title page. The image below is one of three large folding engraved plates of female reproductive organs.

Digitization of the International Labour and Radical History Pamphlet Collection is ongoing. 1800 of approximately 2200 pamphlets have now been scanned and uploaded to the Digital Archive.

The International Labour and Radical History Pamphlet Collection in the Queen Elizabeth II Library consists of more than 2200 pamphlets, representing a broad spectrum of leftist opinion that includes communists of various stripes, socialists, liberal reformers, trade unionists, civil libertarians and antiwar activists.

The Roger and Marlene Peattie Collection

Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. Ballads and Narrative Poems. Hammersmith, Kelmscott Press for Ellis & Elvey, 1893.

Printed in red and black. With woodcut double title and several woodcut initials both designed by William Morris. 227 pp. Large 8vo. Orig. limp vellum with 2 silk ties (1 broken) and with gilt-lettered title on spine.. One of 310 paper copies besides 6 on vellum. Armorial ex-libris on first paste-down.

Rossetti, Dante Gabriel. Sonnets and Lyrical Poems.
Hammersmith, The Kelmscott Press for Ellis & Elvey, 1894.. With woodcut title borders and many woodcut initials designed by William Morris. X, 197 pp. Large 8vo. Orig. limp vellum with 2 silk ties and with gilt-lettered spine.. One of 310 paper copies besides 6 on vellum. Exlibris “Robert Hall 1902” on first paste-down.

Malory, Sir Thomas. Le Morte D’Arthur (Aubrey Beardsley illustrator).This edition of Le Morte DArthur is limited to 300 Copies on Dutch Hand Made paper and 1500 ordinary copies, after printing which the type has been distributed.” Present copy is one of the 1500. The two Volumes in publisher s cream-coloured cloth decorated on front and spine with design of stylized irises, Beardsley-Art Nouveau-style, stamped in blind and richly gilded.Titles on spine treated equally.

Boccaccio, Giovanni & John Lydgate. The Tragedies, gathered by John Bochas, of all such Princes as fell from theyr estates throughe the mutability of Fortune since the creation of Adam, until his time: wherein may be seen what vices bring menne to destruccion, wyth notable warnings howe the like may be avoyded.

Translated into English by John Lidgate, Monke of Burye. London: John Wayland, (1554).

Pulton, Ferdinando. An Abstract of all the penall Statues which can be generall, in force and use: Wherein is conteined the effect of all those Statutes, which do threaten to offenders thereof the losse of life, member lands, goods, or other punishment or forfaiture whatsoever. Whereunto is also added, in their apt Titles, the effect of all other generall Statutes.wherein there is any thing materiall and necessarie for each subiect to know. Moreouer the authoritie and duetie of all iustices, shirifes, coroners, escheators, maiors, baylifes, customers, comptrollers of custome, stewards of leetes and liberties, aulnegers, and purueyors, and what things by the letter of seuerall statutes in force, they may, ought, or are compellable to doe. Collected by Fardinando Pulton, … and by him (sithence the last Parliament holden anno 39. regin Elizabeth,) corrected and amended in euery title, and also augmented with diuers both last, and fourmer statutes, and with some new titles now added hereunto. London: Thomas Wight, 1600.

Bullein, William. Bulleins Bulwarke of Defense Against All Sickness, Soareness and Woundes that doe dayly assaulte mankinde: Which Bulwarke is kept with Hilarius the Gardener, & Health the Phisicion, with the Chirurgian, to helpe the Wounded Souldiours. Gathered and practised from the most worthy learned, both olde and new: to the great comfort of Mankinde… London: Thomas Marshe, 1579.

MEDIAVILLA, RICHARDUS DE. Commentum super quarto sententiarum. (ed. by Franciscus Gregorius). Venice: Dionysius Bertochus, 10 November 1489.

Folio, 217 (first leaf blank, without last blank leaf). Roman type; 2 columns; 64 lines; capital spaces with guide letters; rubricated with initials provided in red by a fine contemporary hand; few tiny round worm holes in first few leaves; small marginal worm hole in top margin of a few leaves. Fine fresh wide margined copy. Early blind tooled pigskin backed wooden boards; at a later time the boards were covered with leaves from an incunable and spine labels added.

FIRST EDITION to be edited by Franciscus Gregorius of this commentary on the Sentencesof Peter Lombard written in 1294 by the English theologian and philosopher Richard Middleton (or Mediavilla; ca. 1249-1308?) who was a leading Franciscan teacher of the thirteenth century.

Midddleton served as chancellor for several years from 1269 to 1272 and taught theology at Oxford and Paris.

 LOCHER, Jakob. Libri philomusi. Panegyrici ad Rege(m). Tragedia de Thurcis et Suldano. Dyalog de heresiarchis. Strassburg: Johann (Reinhard) Grüninger, 1497.

to, 61 (of 62 leaves) with 19 (2 full-page) woodcuts from 16 wood blocks. Lacking last leaf with colophon (on rector with blank verso); title in Gothic, text in Roman type with, 3 Greek words printed as woodcuts. 19th century half vellum. FIRST ILLUSTRATED EDITION of this Strasbourg incunable. The text consists of three long works and a number of shorter works in poetry and prose by the court poet Jakob Locher (1471-1528). Of particular interest is the middle poetical work, “Tragedia de Thurcis et Suldano“, which consists of an early admonition against the Turks in five acts (dated id. Maiis, 1497).

MARTIALIS, Marcus Valerius. Epigrammata. (with commentary by Domitius Calderinus). Venice: (Printer of the 1480 Martial), 1480.

Folio, [223] leaves (instead of 224; without last blank). Roman type; 57 lines; capital spaces; ownership inscription on first blank page; marginal annotations in an early hand; first few leaves with some minor marginal handsoiling; few very minor dampstain in outer blank margin of last few leaves; some tiny round worm holes at end of volume (not affecting text). Contemporary blind tooled calf over wooden boards (rebacked and without clasps or 4 bosses).

Early printed edition of Martial with the commentary by Calderinus which was first printed in 1474 by De Colonia and Manthen.

ALBERTUS MAGNUS, Saint. [Paradisus animae] De veris et perfectis virtutibus alias Paradisus animae nuncupatus. (Strassburg): (Martin Flach), (10 July 1498).

4to, [36] leaves, including final blank leaf. Gothic type; 2 columns; spaces left for capitals with guide letters; few very minor smudges and tiny marginal damp stains; old printed book label of Sauveur-Jérôme Morand in blank portion of last text page.

Recently added to the Roger and Marlene Peattie Collection

Doyle, Richard. In Fairyland. A Series of Pictures From the Elf-World. London, Longmans, Green, Reader, & Dyer, 1870.
With a Poem by William Allingham. Folio. Original green boards, titles and illustration to upper board gilt, decorations to spine gilt, all edges gilt. 16 colour plates, painted by Doyle, engraved by Edmund Evans. First edition of one of the masterpieces of Victorian colour printing.

Houghton, Arthur Boyd, et. al. The Spirit of Praise. London: F. Warne & Co., n.d. [1866].

First edition, 24.5 x 18cm, in publisher’s reddish-brown sand-grain cloth w/elaborate gilt decorations, title, and dogwood floral motifs to covers & spine & sunken turquoise panels to covers (all designed by Albert Warren).Binder’s ticket (W. Bone & Son; Ball 17D) to rear pastedown, 251 [xiv] red-ruled pp. with decorative gilt, red, blue and sepia frontis and titlepage, 8 gilt-decorated plates, numerous in-text wood engravings by the Dalziels, & red-decorated initials & ornaments by P. Hundley thrroughout. Printed at the Camden Press, London. “The most ornate of the ‘Dalziel’s Fine Art Books.”

Gray, John. Silverpoints. London, Elkin Mathews & John Lane. 1893

First edition, number 215 of 250 copies on paper water-marked Van Gelder. Original green cloth designed by Charles Ricketts. The quintessential nineties slim book of verse at once attracted attention, as much for its design, based on Aldine models in the shape of a Persian “saddle book,” as for its contents.

Wilde, Oscar. The Sphinx. London Elkin Mathews & John Lane, 1894.

First edition. 4to. (8.8 x 6.9 inches). One of only 200 copies published for England. Printed, in 3 colours on hand made paper. Illustrated with 9 full page, and one half page, engravings by Ricketts. Both boards feature full gilt decorations by Ricketts. Decorative initials.