New exhibition: Papal Parchments and Blackletter Books
Posted on May 15, 2015 @3:33 pm by cshriver
Rare Books and Special Collections at UBC Library announces a new exhibition!
Papal Parchments and Blackletter Books: How the Middle Ages Shaped the Way We Read, 1245 AD to UBC
Bull of Innocent IV, Lyons, 1245, seal
This fascinating exhibition tells the medieval and early modern story of the written word using RBSC’s fantastic collection. Two recent acquisitions are of particular note: a papal “bull,” or legal decree, issued by Pope Innocent IV in 1245 (whose seal is depicted at the right); and a textbook used at the University of Paris during the late thirteenth century. But the exhibition also showcases pieces that have been here for decades, such as a single leaf from the Catholicon, a Latin dictionary probably printed in 1460 by Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of typography. We also have a 1331 legal document donated to the library by the Bulwer family, whose ancestors are named in the manuscript and who moved from England to Vancouver in 1887.
The items found in this exhibition also explore the intersection between manuscripts and early books called incunabula (English “incunables”), texts printed during the period 1450-1500: the Biblia Pauperum (“Bible for the Poor”) is a printed book bound in the remnants of a medieval manuscript; and our copy of the Roman emperor Justinian’s Institutes has many annotations added by hand and even has fragments of an old manuscript book in its binding!
These pieces were produced over a period of nearly three hundred years, from 1245 to 1525, and together they tell the story of the written word as it moved towards the forms we use today. But we are part of the story too, moving that history forward as we write in English, French, or any of the other European languages.
You can explore the objects featured in the exhibition through the gallery below, but there is nothing quite like experiencing these treasures in person. The exhibition, which is free and open to the public, runs from May 1-31, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rare Books and Special Collections on the first floor of the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre. For more information, please contact Rare Books and Special Collections at 604 822-2521 or rare.books@ubc.ca.
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- Bull of Innocent IV, Lyons, 1245. BX1547 .T74 C373 1245
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- Reproduction of Bull of Innocent IV, 1319. Innsbruck Tiroler Landesarchiv, Urk. I 493
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- Hugh Ripelin, Compendium Theologicae Veritatis, France, c. 1300. BX 890 .H76 1320
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- Gradual, c. 1450. M2148 .L4 I8 1400
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- Martianus Capella, De Nuptiis Philologiae et Mercurii et al., 1500. PA 6511 .M2 1500
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Views of Yokohama Exhibition
Posted on April 7, 2015 @2:33 pm by cshriver
An exhibition of Yokohama woodcut maps from the Tokugawa period is on display at Rare Books and Special Collections from April 1st to 30th, 2015. This exhibition is part of a series of events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Vancouver’s sister-city relationship with Yokohama.
Exhibition Poster
The exhibition is free and open to the public, and can be viewed 10am-4pm Monday through Friday, and 12pm-5pm on Saturday, April 11th and 18th.
For more information, contact Rare Books and Special Collections at 604-822-2521 or rare.books@ubc.ca.
Information about other Vancouver Yokohama Golden Jubilee 1965-2015 events are available here.
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Papal bull media roundup
Posted on February 17, 2015 @10:28 am by cshriver
Papal bull of Pope Innocent IV
More excitement at RBSC over the last few weeks! An extraordinary Papal document that’s nearly 800 years old has come to UBC Library and promises to be a valuable teaching and research tool. The legal decree, called a Papal bull, was written in 1245 and issued in Latin by Pope Innocent IV to the Italian convent of San Michele in Trento. It features the signatures of the Pope and 13 cardinals (including future pope Nicholas III)! Not surprisingly, we’ve been pretty excited about the new acquisition, and so has the media. Here’s a little Papal bull media roundup for your Tuesday morning enjoyment:
- MetroNews Vancouver, “UBC acquires 800-year-old papal document,” (Jan. 29)
- City TV Breakfast Television (Video), “UBC houses ancient document,” (Jan. 29)
- CTV News, “UBC library obtains 770-year-old Medieval religious document,” (Feb. 4)
- Brampton Guardian, “UBC unveils newly acquired 770-year-old document,” (Feb. 4)
- The Province, “Medieval religious document from 1245 added to UBC library collection,” (Feb. 4)
- Toronto Sun, “UBC gets 770-year-old medieval papal decree,” (Feb. 4)
- Toronto Star (Video), “UBC unveils religious document issued by Pope in 1245,” (Feb. 4)
- Globe and Mail (Video), “UBC unveils religious document issued by Pope in 1245,” (Feb. 4)
- Vernon Morning Star, “UBC unveils newly acquired 770-year-old document,” (Feb. 4)
- GlobalNews BC (Video), “UBC unveils newly acquired 770-year-old document,” (Feb. 4)
- Vancouver Sun, “Medieval religious document from 1245 added to UBC library collection,” (Feb. 4)
- Huffington Post (BC), “UBC Library Obtains Medieval Religious Document From 1245,” (Feb. 4)
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Teleny and Des Grieux media roundup
Posted on February 28, 2017 @2:43 pm by cshriver
Des Grieux : The Prelude to “Teleny”
It’s been exciting times here at Rare Books and Collections! With the help of PhD candidate Justin O’Hearn, RBSC has scored a coup by acquiring two exceptional examples of early gay literature, Teleny, or, The Reverse of the Medal and Des Grieux: The Prelude to “Teleny,” that share a connection with famed Victorian author Oscar Wilde. We’ve been very lucky that a number of media outlets have picked up the story of this amazing acquisition. Here’s a little media roundup for your reading, watching, and listening pleasure:
- MetroNews Vancouver, “Student’s crowd funding campaign helps UBC secure two historical novels,” (Jan. 13)
- CBC News, “UBC acquires rare, gay books with unproven links to Oscar Wilde,” (Jan. 13)
- CBC Radio One, On the Coast with Stephen Quinn, (Jan. 13) begins at 7:41
- Publishers Weekly, “Canadian University Acquires Novels With Oscar Wilde Link,” (Jan. 14)
- Georgia Straight, “UBC Library acquires two rare historic gay novels linked to Oscar Wilde,” (Jan. 14)
- American Research Libraries news, “U British Columbia Library Acquires Rare Wilde Books with Crowdfunding Assistance,” (Jan. 14)
- Global News, BC, “UBC Library acquires two rare historic gay novels,” (Jan. 15)
- The Guardian, “Gay erotic novel linked to Oscar Wilde bought after Kickstarter campaign,” (Jan. 19)
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Oscar Wilde Exhibition
Posted on February 28, 2017 @12:35 pm by kferrante
A new exhibition is on display this month at Rare Books at Special Collections, featuring rare publications of works by Oscar Wilde:
“That mighty love which maddens one to crime,” Teleny, Oscar Wilde, and Decadent Publishing in the 1890s
This exhibition will be on display until January 31, 2014, and is free and open to the public Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information, contact Rare Books and Special Collections at 604-822-2521 or rare.books@ubc.ca.
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RBSC holiday hours
Posted on February 28, 2017 @2:44 pm by cshriver
Sequoia tree with Christmas lights in front of old Main Library
Happy holidays from the RBSC family to yours!
Just a reminder that Rare Books and Special Collections will be closing for the holidays at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, December 24, and will remain closed from December 25 through January 1. We will reopen at 10 a.m. on Friday, January 2. Please note that Saturday hours for the spring term do not start until January 31. More information about RBSC’s hours can be found on the UBC Library website.
We hope to see you in the New Year!
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Relive the fun…and the food!
Posted on December 9, 2014 @11:04 am by cshriver
If you weren’t able to join us for Robert Sung’s funny and fascinating talk on December 19 entitled “Food in Transit,” you’re in luck! Thanks to the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre, the talk is now available to watch online:
1922 menu from the CPR’s Empress of Asia
http://www.ikebarberlearningcentre.ubc.ca/food-in-transit-by-robert-sung/
Sung’s entertaining and educational talk included personal stories of immigration, cultural and culinary exchange, and Vancouver’s local food history.
A fourth-generation Canadian, Robert Sung has a passion for culinary arts and history. For over twenty-five years, Sung’s personal and business life have revolved around the food and hospitality industry. As the owner and founder of Robert Sung Tour, Sung provides culinary walking adventures through Vancouver’s Chinatown. He is co-president of the Chinese Canadian Historical Society of British Columbia, a member of the Vancouver Chinatown Revitalization Committee, and serves as an advisor to the Asian Heritage Month Society. Sung is also a contributor to the book Eating Stories: A Chinese Canadian and Aboriginal Potluck, a collection of stories about family gatherings, home cooking, and restaurant outings.
And be sure to visit the exhibition that inspired the talk: “Bon Voyage / Bon Appétit: Menus from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company’s Ships, Trains, Planes, and Hotels.” Whether you prefer quick eats or fine dining, you’re sure to enjoy this display of eye-catching and mouth-watering Canadian Pacific Railway Company menus dating from the 1890s through the 1980s from the renowned Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection. The exhibition, which will be on display through December 24, 2014, is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Chung Collection exhibition in Rare Books and Special Collections, level one, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
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New exhibition : Dorothy Burnett Book Binding Tools
Posted on February 28, 2017 @12:35 pm by kferrante
A new exhibition is now on display at Rare Books & Special Collections. This exhibition features book binding tools used by one of the first book binders in Vancouver, Dorothy Alcorn Burnett. Dorothy graduated from the Vancouver School of Decorative and Applied Arts (now Emily Carr University) in 1930. She left her tools, plus a number of books that she made, to the library and we are excited to be able to share this collection, giving a unique glimpse into the fine art of making books.
The exhibition will be on display until April 2015 in the reading room at Rare Books & Special Collections. It is free and open to the public, and can be viewed 10am-4pm Monday through Friday, and 12pm-5pm on Saturdays.
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WWI Centennial | A Soldier’s Story
Posted on December 22, 2022 @12:32 pm by kferrante
Jack Stickney in London, 1915. Folder 1-15, photo 28.
2014 marks the 100th anniversary of the start of WWI. Here at Rare Books & Special Collections (RBSC), we have a number of items and collections related to the war, and thought we would observe the war’s centennial by highlighting a few for you in a series of blog posts.
RBSC holds the papers of many WWI soldiers, offering glimpses into the experience of those who were on the front, as well as their loved ones back home. Among these are the papers of Jack Stickney, one of the first Canadians sent overseas to fight in the war. This fonds contains material from Jack’s life leading up to the war – when he moved from the United States to Canada – through his time overseas, as well as correspondence and other documents produced after his death. Jack died in action in December 1915.
Much of the material is personal in nature. Reading these original letters, looking through his wartime diary, holding his dog tags and the telegram sent to his mother informing her of the death of her son – these all provide insights into the war experience that you can’t get from a history book.
Here are a few highlights from the collection.
A letter to Jack’s sister, dated April 28, 1915, written while he was in a trench (left), and a typed copy of this letter made later by Jack’s family (right). Click on the image to open up a full size version that you can read:
Folder 1-12
Folder 1-12
The telegram sent to Jack’s mother, informing her that her son had been killed:
Telegram to Jack’s mother. Folder 1-08.
Telegram envelope. Folder 1-08.
If you would like to get to know this soldier a little better, visit RBSC and take a look through his papers for yourself. A full inventory of the Jack Stickney fonds is available online at http://rbscarchives.library.ubc.ca/index.php/jack-stickney-fonds.
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Bon Voyage / Bon Appétit
Posted on May 5, 2014 @10:59 am by cshriver
“Menu from the Empress of Russia,” 1930 from the Chung Collection CC-TX-225-56-7
Whether you prefer quick eats or fine dining, you’re sure to enjoy Bon Voyage / Bon Appétit: Menus from the Canadian Pacific Railway Company’s Ships, Trains, Planes, and Hotels, RBSC’s new exhibition of eye-catching and mouth-watering Canadian Pacific Railway Company menus dating from the 1890s through the 1980s from the renowned Wallace B. Chung and Madeline H. Chung Collection.
The exhibition, which will be on display until the end of December 2014, is free and open to the public Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Chung Collection exhibition in Rare Books and Special Collections, level one, Irving K. Barber Learning Centre.
Read more about the exhibition and its guest curator, historian Larry Wong, here!
“Lunch menu from Chateau Lake Louise,” 1929 from the Chung Collection CC-TX-197-10-1
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