Which is the oldest item in the collections?
How old is it?
Our earliest work in the collection is a 13th century manuscript by Johnanes De Garlandia '
Liber de contemptu
Mundi', a poem in Virgilian Stanzas, donated
by Bloomfield in 1917.
Did you know...?
Early books, printed before 1500, are known
as incunabula
and the library has over 30.
Who was the first English printer?
Does
the library hold any of those items?
William Caxton
was the earliest English printer. His first printed
work in England was in 1476. In Brighton we
do have a copy of Ranulph Higdens' 'Polychronicon'
printed by Caxton in 1482.
Which is the oldest printed book in the
collections? How old is it?
Our earliest printed book is by Saint Jerome '
Incipit Exposicion
symboli Gloriosi Jeronimi contra Jovinianum
Hereticum', printed by
Ulrich Zell, in Cologne,
in 1470.
Do you have any famous or infamous books?
Yes.
The 'Nuremberg Chronicle' printed by Anton Koberger
in 1493, is a very important book in the history
of printing. It is profusely illustrated with
2000 woodcuts showing the history of all the
countries of Europe to the 15th century. The
first coffee table book ever printed!
The most infamous book in the collection is
the book of magic 'Trinum Magicum'. Printed
in 1573, it is special because
it is supposedly bound in human skin.
These are just a few of the 45,000 titles within
the Rare Books and Special Collections held
in Brighton. There are too many gems to
list.
