by Petra Hofmann (College Librarian) Among the Library’s early printed books are eleven published by William Caxton, including his second edition of Jacobus de Cessolis’s The Game and Play of Chess, which Caxton translated himself and printed it with woodcuts in his workshop in Westminster around 1483. Almost from the beginning chess was perceived asContinue reading “Caxton’s Chess Book”
Tag Archives: William Caxton
Surprising Diversity : The Length and Breadth of St John’s Historic Collections
Celebrating the Reopening of St John’s College’s Historic Libraries 4 October – 13 December 2024 Contents Introduction The Oldest … in Our Collections Royal Connections Words & Deeds: Women in Print(ing) From Bestiaries to Zoology: Animals through the Centuries Middle Eastern Manuscripts 1: Sciences Middle Eastern Manuscripts 2: Qurans & the Hadith Middle Eastern ManuscriptsContinue reading “Surprising Diversity : The Length and Breadth of St John’s Historic Collections”
Working with the Special Collections: a Trainee’s experience
By Georgie Moore, Library Graduate Trainee As the Library Graduate Trainee for 2021-22, I have one year to gain experience and develop my skills across a range of library activities. As well as the busy side of Reader Services, I am fortunate enough to be involved in the College’s Special Collections. Here are four ofContinue reading “Working with the Special Collections: a Trainee’s experience”
Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales (Westminster: William Caxton, c. 1483)
Early printed books form a significant part of the library’s Special Collections, and this particular item contains an illustrated second edition of one of the most famous works of middle English literature, Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. It is thought to have been published in 1483 by William Caxton, famous for being the first English printer, andContinue reading “Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales (Westminster: William Caxton, c. 1483)”