Opus Chronologicum: A study of variants and multiple copies

My time in Special Collections at the University of St Andrews has been exciting and enriching. I’ve been cataloging 17th century books on history, primarily historical chronologies.

The first book I worked on was the 1620 edition of Opus Chronologicum by Seth Calvisius, printed by Johann Thieme in Frankfurt an der Oder, Germany. Calvisius was a well-rounded man, working as a singer, musician, composer, and astronomer. Johann Thieme was an equally busy person. In addition to his printing and publishing trade, Thieme was also mayor of Frankfurt an der Oder.

Opus Chronologicum

Opus Chronologicum, variant B (Special Collections. University Library. University of St Andrews. St Andrews, United Kingdom)

After transcribing the entire title, statement of responsibility, edition statement, and imprint of the book, I looked up the authorized forms of the names of the author and printer in the Library of Congress authorities and VD17 (The Bibliography of Books Printed in the German Speaking Countries from 1601 to 1700). Including as much information from the title page as possible enables a researcher to better find an item and provides a more accurate representation of the item itself.

Additionally, I had to record the pagination and collation statements for the book. This large volume had multiple paginations. After page 178, the numbering sequence restarted, going from 1-900. Thirty pages of an unnumbered index followed. The majority of the signatures had six leaves, with the last two containing only four. With pagination and collation statements, one can not only identify this edition from later editions, but also this specific copy from ones at other institutions.

Opus Chronologicum

Opus Chronologicum, variant A with engraved portrait. (Special Collections. University Library. University of St Andrews. St Andrews, United Kingdom)

After I finished the record for this book, I was surprised to find the next book in the queue was the same, albeit a different variant. This second copy contained an engraved portrait in the preliminary pages, while the first copy did not. I added more copy-specific notes, including provenance and binding information, and moved onto the next book. I was even more surprised to find that the third book was also the same, this one lacking the engraved portrait like the first copy.

Even though all three books were the same edition, there were differences in the bindings, the history of ownership, and even the way page numbers were inked. Recording copy-specific information like this can help researchers trace the history of publishing, printing, reading, and even libraries. At a university as old as St Andrews, many of the books from the 16th and 17th centuries were purchased around the time they were actually created, unlike newer institutions that purchase or receive books that have been collected over the years.

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Visit from Students from the Zarrow Center for Art and Education Summer Camp

On Thursday, June 13th, 2013, the University of Tulsa’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives welcomed two groups of very energetic young men and women in our facilities. These 8 and 11 year-olds are part of the Zarrow Center for Art and Education’s Summer Camp, and came to our department to learn about the history of printmaking. The students were able to see many historical, artistic, and contemporary pieces related to printmaking.

The items shown to our young visitors included a 12th century illuminated manuscript of the books of Romans and Hebrews from the Bible, a gold-leaf page with the First Surah of the Quran from the13th century, a colored, hand-painted page from the original Nuremberg Chronicle, a 500 year-old printed Book of Hours made to look like a manuscript, and a 18th century copy of Lallah Rookh with a hidden, fore-edge painting. Some of the artifacts shown to our young patrons include a miniature working model of a Benjamin Franklin 1726 hand press, a copper plate with an engraving titled Flower Portrait, a miscellaneous collection of woodblocks, movable types, anamorphic engravings, and artists’ books. One of the most interesting pieces in the exhibition was a collection of engravings from British Romantic poet William Blake.

The staff of the University of Tulsa’s Department of Special Collection and University Archives is delighted to have welcomed the young men and women from the Zarrow Center for Art and Education’s Summer Camp and thank them for their visit. In our commitment to serve our community, it is our pleasure so host such visits.

 

 

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Yes! We Have Comic Books!

Popular Culture (commonly referred to as pop culture) is defined as the entirety of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images, and other phenomena that are within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the late 20th and early 21st century. Heavily influenced by mass media, this collection of ideas permeates the everyday lives of modern society, capturing and preserving some of the aspects of the American zeitgeist. One of the most significant events in the history of popular culture is the advent of the comic book. The University of Tulsa’s Department of Special Collection and University Archives prides itself with having a substantial and varied assortment of comic books, ranging from the mainstream to the rare, in order to preserve a portion of such an important component of American history.

An excellent example of what TU’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives holds is a recently donated private collection of comic books that is still under processing. This collection contains 30 boxes that occupy over 60 linear feet of shelf space, for a total of approximately 4000 separate issues. It includes contemporary mainstream titles from DC Comics and Marvel Comics, as well as less well-known titles from imprints such as Image Comics and Dark Horse Comics. Among the titles included in this collection are Superman, Batman, Green Lantern, The Avengers, Captain America, Thor, X-Men, and Iron Man. These titles have become major film franchises, resulting in a multi-billion dollar bonanza, showing the importance and influence of the comic book medium in contemporary popular culture.

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Another collection that contains many interesting comic books is the E. Nelson Bridwell Collection, which contains comic books dating from 1943-1987 (some of which Bridwell had some hand in creating). Bridwell was born in Sapulpa, Oklahoma but grew up in Oklahoma City. He was both a writer and an editor for a variety of comic book series published by DC Comics and was the creator of several comic books. Besides the actual comic books, the Bridwell collection has pen and ink layouts for various comics, color separation overlays for 4 comic book covers, and sketches for proposed comic book characters.

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Vintage comic books can also be found in the Comic Books on Microfiche Collection, which contains microfiche copies of a number of complete comic books from the 1940s, from a variety of the comic book publishers. This collection includes titles such as Action Comics #1, published in June 1938. This particular example presents the origin story and first appearance of Superman in comics. Along with Superman’s debut, this collection offers comic book titles from many genres such as westerns, detective, horror, romance, comedies, science fiction, and military. In addition to microfiche, TU’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives holds a number of vintage comic book compilations and books that deal with the history of the comics medium. These include modern compilations of classic comic books and comic strips. This helps readers to familiarize themselves with the history of the comics medium.

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In addition to English language comic books, TU’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives holds a number of miscellaneous translations of American comic books. One notable example is a 1975 Cherokee/English issue of Popeye the Sailor developed by the Cherokee Bilingual Education Program. This issue’s first half presents a Popeye story in the Cherokee language, whereas the second half presents that same story translated into English. Similar comics have been developed for the Keres language preservation programs of the Chochiti and Acoma Pueblos, the Navajo language preservation programs of the Navajo Nation, and in the Hawaiian language immersion programs of the Hawai’i maoli. Another example of a non-English comic book is the 1989 Russian translation of a Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse comic book. This title is characterized by presenting Soviet adaptations of well-known characters such as Mickey, Goofy, Donald, Daisy, and Pluto. This comic is an example of how American popular culture was able to cross borders and sneak behind the Iron Curtain.

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As a staple of American popular culture, comic books have become a worldwide phenomenon. Although many dismiss comics as a “low” form of literature, their relevance in today’s social context is undeniable. Comic books have been able to transcend their role as an American form of entertainment and become a global form of artistic and literary expression that has expanded into the annals of academia. The staff of the University of Tulsa’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives, in our mission to be the most effective and efficient research tool we can be for our students, faculty, patrons and community in general, understand and appreciate the important role that comic books play in contemporary popular culture, and we work hard to collect and maintain these materials for our users.

 

 

 

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USTC Project at St Andrews, Week 1

I have begun settling in to my work at the University of St Andrews. My first task at the project is to convert item location and copy information from the Incunabula Short Title Catalogue (ISTC) into a form that can be used by the Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC). To do this, I change the shorthand form of library names found in the ISTC to a uniform code that is easily indexed and searchable.

For example, a particular book from the 15th century may have surviving copies in “Roma Vall” and “Salzburg UB.” These translate to the Biblioteca Vallicelliana in Rome and the Library of the University of Salzburg, respectively. I then change the abbreviated name to the predetermined library code for each of those institutions. The challenge comes when the library listed in the ISTC record does not have a USTC library code. Often these are small religious libraries in churches or monasteries. I must then find the full name and location of these libraries and create a new code for them. “Fiecht, Benediktiner” becomes Benediktinerabtei St. Georgenberg-Fiecht in Stans, Austria. I have been making good use of my research and foreign language skills for this assignment!

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Special Collections Librarian Heads to Scotland

University of St Andrews Courtyard by Jared and Corin [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Next week, Special Collections Librarian Alison Greenlee heads to Scotland for six weeks to join a team of interns working on the Universal Short Title Catalogue (USTC) project. This project, based at the University of St Andrews, is an online database of all books printed in Europe prior to 1601. Thanks to continued support, the project has expanded to cover the 1600s. This summer’s interns will be working with the University Library’s uncataloged 17th century collections. For more information on the USTC, see the project’s website.

A short title catalog (Brit. catalogue) is a bibliographical resource which lists printed items in an abbreviated fashion, recording the most important words of their titles. The term is commonly encountered in the context of early modern books, which frequently have lengthy, descriptive titles on their title pages.

A selection of 17th century books from McFarlin Library

Greenlee has been cataloging rare materials for four years, but she is looking forward to working with more early modern books. McFarlin Library currently has close to 1500 books printed before 1800, and those with outdated or brief records would benefit from the extra attention that rare materials cataloging requires.

Follow Alison Greenlee’s bibliographical adventures in Scotland on this blog, on the department’s Facebook page, or on Twitter @alisongreenlee.

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I.33, The Illustrated Fightbook acquisition

I.33, The Illuminated Fightbook

[I.33 : the illuminated fightbook : Royal Armouries manuscript I.33]. [London : Extraordinary Editions, 2013] (U860 .R69 2013 Oversize).

Several years ago, The University of Tulsa, McFarlin Library, Department of Special Collections chose to be a sponsor for a facsimile and translation of the Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, also known as the Tower Manuscript, the Walpurgis Manuscript, and BM No. 14 E iii, No. 20, D. vi. This facsimile and translation was being produced by Extraordinary Editions, and their description may be found at http://illuminatedfightbook.co.uk/home/.

I.33 is the oldest known Fechtbuch, or fighting manual in existence. There are a number of other such manuals from the Middle Ages in Europe, but these date from later than the 13th century date, between 1290 and 1320, that has been assigned to this work. I.33 deals elusively with the use of sword and buckler.

I.33, The Illuminated Fightbook

Our interest in this piece is that this facsimile a work of bibliographic art. As an example of fine binding and printing, it is outstanding, reproducing the parchment pages on paper. The illustrations are individually and as a whole remarkably beautiful. We are pleased to make this facsimile available.

Accompanying the facsimile is a bound translation by Dr. Jeffrey L. Foreng, I.33, the illuminated fightbook. Royal armouries manuscript I.33. A translation. Dr. Foreng rediscovered the manuscript in the Royal Armouries library at the Tower of London and translated it, publishing that translation in 2003. He is an authority on this topic, and this translation beings an additional decade of research to this volume

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Anna Kavan

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Self Portrait, by Anna Kavan. Coll. No. 80.29.1

Recent digitization work on the Special Collections fine art holdings has exposed the paintings and sketches of Anna Kavan (1904-1968), an enigmatic British author and painter who struggled with depression much of her creative life. Acquired as part of the Anna Kavan collection, over 200 individual paintings, sketches and a number of sketchbooks are joined to correspondence, photographs, writings, and personal papers.

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Woman with a dish of fruit, by Anna Kavan. Coll No. 86.2.3

It is striking how personal and open the artist appears with these paintings. Borrowing from a variety of modernist styles, she moves from Cubist landscapes and robotic-like people to Impressionistic scenes that tell a story. A few seem whimsical and almost primitive in style. Then there are the myriad self-portraits, some ghostly in nature and others portraying an attractive woman. Together, they flesh out an amazing, creative individual willing to share her troubled soul with those willing to look.

The paintings and sketches cataloged to date seem to emulate the special language Kavan developed for the books written after a nervous breakdown. These use word forms of dreams, a sense of alienation from others, and a tangible instability in characters and situations. She dealt with her clinical depression in a way only those closest to her recognized.

In time, these cataloged records will be available for access on-line along with many others that reflect the artifacts and fine art held by The University of Tulsa.

Guest post by Deborah Burke

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Three nudes on plinths, by Anna Kavan. Coll. No. 1986.003.4.10
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New Exhibit: The Manly Exhibit

New Exhibit Poster

Starting Monday April 29th the Department of Special Collections and University Archives will be showcasing some of our more masculine treasures in a new exhibit titled “The Manly Exhibit”. Student workers Brancen Gregory and Jacob Fritsch have compiled an assortment of objects that represent manhood. These objects include military rifles from WWI, medieval spear heads, vintage cigar boxes and much more. Come visit this exhibit Monday-Friday between eight and five at Special Collections on the fifth floor of McFarlin Library.

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National Library Workers Appreciation Day!

Special Collections Librarians

This week is National Library Appreciation Week, and according to the American Library Association, today is National Library Workers Day. Here at The University of Tulsa’s McFarlin Library Department of Special Collections and University Archives we would like to say how much we appreciate the staff of librarians that work every day to make McFarlin library the wonderful research institution that it is. We would specifically like to show honor to our librarians here at Special Collections. Our department is fortunate enough to boast three wonderful staff members who make special collections the unique treasure of the University of Tulsa. So thank you very much for all you do to Marc Carlson, Alison Greenlee, and Milissa Burkhart.

Marc Carlson working on materials for HCC library.

Librarian Marc Carlson

Librarian Marc Carlson is currently working on a collection of historical engravings for the Honourable Cordwainers’ Company library. The HCC “is a non-profit 501c(3) educational organization, incorporated in 1987 in Virginia, the home of America’s first English shoemakers. Founded in 1984 by a small group of shoemakers and historians, The H.C.C. is dedicated to promoting the study, practise, interpretation and preservation of historical and traditional shoemaking and allied trades. The guild promotes the historic preservation and research of the craft, forms, tools, techniques, artifacts and all other aspects of shoemaking and allied trades; and educates membership and the public about historical and traditional shoemaking and the allied trades.”

Milissa Burkart working on Rebecca West Collection

Milissa’s desk when she began work on the Rebecca West Coll.

 

Library Paraprofessional Milissa Burkart

Our library paraprofessional Milissa Burkhart is currently working on properly storing materials from the Rebecca West Collection.  These photos illuminate the progress she has made over the past few months working through this collection to bring the storage of these materials to proper library standards. In this photograph, from this morning, she is making a protective enclosure for a photograph.

Alison Greenlee cataloging books from the Hugh Douglas Ford Library

In this photo, librarian Alison Greenlee is cataloging a selection of books from the Hugh Douglas Ford library. These books cover everything from the Lost Generation, American expatriates, and the Spanish Civil War.

Librarian Alison Greenlee

For more information on National Library Week and to view a PSA from the National Library Week Chair Caroline Kennedy please follow this link.

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McFarlin Fellows Dinner with Tom Staley

Not even Tulsa’s unpredictable weather was able to put a damper on the celebration of the McFarlin Fellows Dinner held on the evening of April 11th, 2013, in honor of Thomas F. Staley. With the reception originally scheduled to take place on the premises of Albert Plaza, the night’s festivities were moved to the Ann and Jack Graves Faculty Study due to the drop in temperature the campus had been experiencing during the week leading up to the dinner.

Arriving promptly at 6:30PM, the crowd gathered in the Faculty Study for drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and to meet with Dr. Staley during what turned out to be a very lively and entertaining reception. Following the reception, the attendees made their way to the Pat and Arnold Brown Reading Room for dinner, which began with a Tuscan white-bean salad on a bed of mixed greens with fresh mozzarella and black olives. The main course consisted of beef manicotti with stuffed mushrooms and tomatoes. To cap off the meal, dessert was a warm cannoli with ricotta filling and topped with whipped cream and sliced roasted almonds.

Following the dinner, the crowd was treated to Dr. Staley’s lecture, “The Changing Shape of the Modern Archive,” which touched on many important points within the topic of the archive and the treatment of its components, ranging from rare books and manuscripts, to artifacts and born-digital items.  Dr. Staley, a world-renowned authority on Modernism and the Archive, is the director of Director of the Harry Ransom Center at The University of Texas at Austin, where he is also Professor of English and holds The Harry Huntt Ransom Chair in Liberal Arts. Dr. Staley has written and edited numerous books on James Joyce, Italo Svevo, modern British women novelists, including Jean Rhys and Dorothy Richardson, and modern literature in general. His critical articles on a wide range of subjects have appeared worldwide in scholarly journals and other publications. Dr. Staley is also a former faculty member of the University of Tulsa, where he founded the James Joyce Quarterly,  served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 1981-1983 and Provost from 1983-1988.

The University of Tulsa is delighted to have hosted Dr. Thomas F. Staley on such an entertaining evening, and the Department of Special Collections and University Archives is proud to have been part of such a memorable occasion.

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