The Rare Books Collection at the University of Saskatchewan Library's Special Collections comprises almost 4 000 volumes ranging from medieval manuscripts, to early printed Bibles, to first editions of such literary greats as Dickens, Twain, and Sir Walter Scott, among others; there are also more contemporary volumes of rare books.
Also included in the Rare Books Collection are paintings and prints, by such renowned artists as John James Audubon and William H. Perehudoff, and works in several languages including, but not limited to, Latin, German, French, Russian, Japanese, and Chinese.
You can search the library catalogue to see the entire collection of Rare Books by clicking here. You can further constrain the results by searching for a title within the collection by using the search bar at the bottom and pressing "locate in results."
This page is dedicated to showcasing some of the interesting works the U of S Library, Special Collections has to offer. Check back every month for a new feature! Click to view the Rare Books Online Showcase Archive.
For the month of May Special Collections will be showing off the Bietenholz Rare Book Collection. It is a significant compilation of books in a number of languages, including 16th and 17th century editions of famous authors such as Desiderius Erasmus, Horace, Julius Caesar, Machiavelli, Ovid and Plutarch. It was donated to the library by Professor Emtertis of History Peter Bietenholz and his wife Doris.
The collection reflects the importance of printing in the Renaissance period and contains what might be considered a number of primary sources, as some of the books are not printed in modern editions or available electronically. Furthermore, some of the books with more notable authors which are printed in modern editions contain important commentaries written by famous scholars in the 16th and 17th centuries.
In addition in many of the books there are manuscripts and marginalia written by contemporary readers. For example, Omnia poemata by Horatius Flaccus contains pen sketches on the first and last leaves which suggest that the book was used by a schoolboy; another item, The Spirit of the Laws by Charles-Louis de Secondat, baron de Montesqieu, contains a manuscript indicating that the item was likely given as a gift: “Let this book be your constant companion. Meditate its contents and consult it in every occasion, as you would do the mistreatment given you by authority.”
Not only noteworthy due to its significant content, the collection is also very attractive to those with an eye for historical printing and binding techniques. As well, many of the items contain elaborate title pages, remarkable woodcut prints, and personal features, such as European library stamps. To learn more about the donation and the Collection visit the Bietenholz Rare Book Collection site. To see the Bietenholz Rare Books Collection in the library catalogue click here, or come up to the third floor of the Murray Library to Special Collections to see them in person!
The April edition of the Online Showcase will feature the works of the Golden Cockerel press, which was established in 1920 by the husband and wife team of Hal and Gay Taylor, along with Gay’s old roommates Pran Pyper and Bee. The Golden Cockerel Press was first set up in a hut on a fruit farm.
At the beginning of the 20th century there was renewed interest in the printed book as art form. The success of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press (1890-96) and the spread of the Arts and Crafts Movement resulted in numerous private presses dedicated to producing limited editions using pre-industrial methods. Among the most notable English examples are St. John Hornby’s Ashendene Press (1900-35) and The Doves Press (1900-1916) of T.J. Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker. The press never achieved commercial success and this, along with Hal Taylor’s failing health, led to its sale to Robert Gibbings in 1924.
Gibbings was a founding member of the Society of Wood Engravers in Britain, and under the management of him and his wife Moira the Golden Cockerel rose to prominence as the primary vehicle of wood-block engravers practicing in England. In addition to Gibbing’s own work, Golden Cockerel books featured the work of John Buckland Wright, Blair Hughes-Stanton, Agnes Miller Parker, David Jones and Eric Ravilious. And, most notably, Eric Gill was a frequent contributor to the press; not only did he produce engravings, he designed both the Golden Cockerel typeface in 1929 and the italic version in 1931. The press enjoyed success for a time, but the Great Depression dried up the market for expensive limited editions and Gibbings was forced to sell in 1933.
Christopher Sandford, Francis Newberry and Owen Rutter took over the press, and, unlike its original founders, they were well-schooled in the art of both printing and publishing. They realized that continuing the press as a hand-press was not feasible and they contracted the Chiswick Press, one of the finest mechanized printing houses in England, to produce the books. The press continued to feature the work of the best current engravers and illustrators, and by the time it finally shut its doors in 1959 its various owners had managed to publish over 200 volumes.
The Golden Cockerel Press books can be found here; or, to see them in person come on up to Special Collections on the 3rd floor of the Murray Building!
Comments to: Special Collections (spec.coll@usask.ca)
