All the Americas, All the Time? Exploring the Greek Classics at the JCB

A unique collection of nearly 300 books printed by the Venetian printer Aldus Manutius (ca. 1450-1515) represents the historical vestige of a time before John Carter Brown turned his sights to collecting Americana. Here, Isabel Thornton (Brown class of 2019) translates a passage from a 1524 edition of Homer's Iliad during a visit with Darrel Janzen's Introduction to Greek Literature class. As significant landmarks in the history of print, these “Aldines” showcase innovations in typography and book production – and provide students with an opportunity to try out their fluency in Greek and Latin. The JCB frequently offers workshops for Brown and RISD students and provides special tours for members of our extended community on an ongoing basis.