A collection of pages from antique/rare books reflecting innovations in printing techniques and changes in subject materials from the Koran (page dated 1207 A.D.) to a 1796 common Bible that was printed for public sale and copied from the English Bible by Barker.

Dates and Topics of the Pages:

1207 A.D. - Koran.

1515 A.D. - Medicine - Doctor Galen - Galini - Galeno.

1567 A.D. - Plines quotes Hippocrates - French edition.

1610 A.D. - Religious Greek book with Latin interpretation.

1628 A.D. - Ecclesiastical - Civil Law.

1635 A.D. - 4 Line Music Staff.

1640 A.D. - ECCLESIASTICI - the established Order of the church is kept by precedents.

1673 A.D. - Historia di Leopoldo Cesare.

1678 A.D. - Law.

1678 A.D. - Synopsis Criticorum Aliorumque Sacre Scripturae Interpretum et Commentatorum.

1693 A.D. - Biblia das ist: Die gantze Heilige Schrifft durch Marin Luther.

1714 A.D. - Manuductio ad Excitatorem Christianum - Catholic Church needing constant definition.

1725 A.D. - A. Lapide - E Societate Jesu - subjects of the Church: Scriptures, Law, Prophets, Old Testament.

1734 A.D. - Commentary on the Bible.

1737 A.D. - Pierre Bayle - Theology and Philosophy - French - OEUVRES DIVERSES.

1769 A.D. - Historia Ecclesiastica - The History of the Bible, Laurentius Berti.

1769 A.D. - History of Religion and Church Structure - expulsion of Martin Luther.

1790 A.D. - Spanish book of the life of ancient and modern Saints by Andres Lopez Guerrero, in collaboration with Father Pedro de Ribadeneyra.

1794 A.D. - John the Baptist.

1796 A.D. - A Common Bible printed for public sale and copied from the English Bible by Barker.

Also, in addition:

1. Page from a printed book about plants.

2. Latin Biblical manuscript whose paper, etc. appears genuine.

3. Latin Biblical page (only one side), with decorative initials on a paper that appears to be modern and might have actually been printed.

At some time during the history of Funderburg Library, this collection was brought into the Director's Office.  When Rob Gratz assumed the library directorship in 1989, he tried to find the donor of the collection, but could find no record. It was Rob's opinion that the collection might have arrived even before Rob started working in the library (prior to1983).

To Rob, the collection almost represented vandalism by some seller, who ruined the research value of the original books by cutting them apart to sell in pieces...as separate pages in a set. He hung them over the low filing cabinets that filled the north wall of his office. At some time, the collection slipped behind those cabinets. When Rob retired in the summer of 2012, he cleaned out his office and accidentally took 3 undescribed pages home with him. These were later discovered and returned by Rob.  They consisted of:

1. Page from a printed book about plants.

2. Latin Biblical manuscript whose paper, etc. appears genuine.

3. Latin Biblical page (only one side), with decorative initials on a paper that appears to be modern and might have actually been printed.

As for the other elements of the collection.  The collection was re-discovered when Jill Lichtsinn retired during the Summer of 2019, and the office was renovated to house the office of the President of Manchester University, David McFadden.

There were two sets of pages - and one set of instructions.  It appears as if the collection had arrived to the owner in 2 sets. Each set included a grouping of large descriptive pages (with facsimile of title page, date and write-up about book), with all these pages stapled together IN ORDER! And another set of original pages, also STAPLED TOGETHER, and IN ORDER!!!

The owner was admonished NOT to get the pages out of order, but to remove staples, lay both stacks side by side, and STAPLE, TAPE, or GLUE the original page to the descriptive one! (DOUBLE HORRORS!)  If these stacks got out of order in some way - the owner was out of luck!

The first set had been assembled (sloppily I might add through the use of staples).  When I found the sets in December 2019, the 2nd set, that had not been assembled) had lost a descriptive page (it was floating around with the mass of pages).  I did the best I could in matching pages with the descriptions - numbering the descriptive pages after being unstapled...and then matching them with original pages after they were unstapled as well.  The floating page appeared to have belonged at the end...and I felt rather secure about being able to match the original with it's describer. I also got the assistance of a Funderburg librarian to check my work...but even so...I would say there was room for error. 

Jeanine Wine, 18 December 2019