Theme

Collecting History of the JCB Library

Featured Items

Detail of a woodcut, hand-colored map depicting North and South America. Visible details include Cuba, written as "CVBA", a compass rose, and text in Italian.

La carta uniuersale della terra firma & isole delle Indie occidẽtali…

1534
Detail of a map shows text in Latin.

Americae et Proximar Regionum Orae Descriptio

Giovanni Battista Mazza
1589
Detail of a printed text shows an astronomical circular diagram and text in English.

An account of the observation of Venus upon the sun...

Benjamin West
1769
Detail of a colored manuscript atlas shows a coastal region and labels in Latin. Other details include drawings of castles and mountains.

[Portolan atlas] / Vesconte de Maiolo ciuis Janue conposuy

Vesconte Maggiolo
1511
Detail of a frontispiece shows four animals grouped between two pillars. In the background, castles sit on either side of a harbor where ships wait. Text in Latin.

Biblia Sacra Hebraice, Chaldaice, Graece, & Latine Philippi II

1573
Detail from book cover shows dark brown binding with a missing piece in the front and worn sides.

The Secretary's guide, or, Young mans companion

William Bradford
1728
Detail of a hand colored, woodcut map shows Africa. Some details shown include labels in Latin and mountains.

Orbis Typus Vniversalis Iuxta Hydrographorum Traditionem

1513
Detail of a blockbook shows woodcut illustration of biblical scene in the garden of eden. A woman holds an apple and is talking to a large snake. Text in Latin also visible.

Biblia pauperum

1460-1470

Related

colored plan of the city of Antwerp, Belgium

Melchor Pérez de Soto: A Book Collector Faces the Inquisition

Summer - Fall 2011
printed text in Hebrew

Jews and the Americas: 165 Years of Collecting at the JCB

Fall 2010 - Winter 2011
political cartoon depicting a funeral procession

Pamphlet Wars: Arguments on Paper from the Age of Revolutions

Fall 2015 - Winter 2016
detail of a map

How deep are the JCB's connections to Mexico?

February 15
detail of a page from a Mexican incunable book printed between 1539 to 1600
New Acquisitions

64 Mexican incunables and counting

May 5

Ptolemy's Exquisite Geographia

February 6

See Also

German

Women's History