Special Collections Reference

This binding is from the famous collection of Jacques-Auguste de Thou, whose melding of his arms with both of his wives was one of the sweet stories in Jan Storm van Leeuwen’s Rare Book School class this year (if you are at all interested, and haven’t already: take this class!). Though I frankly can’t remember which coat of arms was which, the catalog record for today’s book, NC6.Em663.599r, helps me by pointing out that this is the arms of him and his second wife,  Gasparde de La Chastre. Though the book was published in 1599, this would date the binding to after 1602. It is bound in red morocco.

Today, all of the images are from early 19th century Italian libretti from the Ward Collection in the Harvard Theatre Collection. All of the decorated wrappers appear to be later than the original libretto which they protect, but they are no less interesting and beautiful for it.

TS 8232.172 1806

TS 8070.253 1814

TS 8193.419 1816

TS 8154.591 1818

TS 8415.428 1820

TS 8587.231 1822

GC5.W7854.589b
German treatise about Bezoars (made famous these days by Harry Potter). Caught my eye as parchment reuse in a limp binding, with remains of ties.

Upper Cover, with reused parchment from late medieval (gothic) latin manuscript.

Spine, with dye or some other coloring to hide parchment – make it look more like leather?

lower cover, more of the same manuscript

inside lower cover, showing the limp structure, and the verso of the same manuscript, with better preserved color in the rubricated letter

WKR 24.7.7. Binding of Pietro Duodo, with his arms (upper) and motto (lower) on covers. In citron morocco (for medicine and botany in his color-coded subject system). 1590s.

Upper Cover

Spine

Lower cover