By: Katie Hartman Besides the quill and parchment, ink was one of the most basic components of manuscript production. Black inks were typically produced either from collecting soot (most common in Asia) or from oak galls (most common in Europe). Oak galls are growths that are formed around the larva of the gall wasp. The […]
Non Solus Blog
Iron Gall Ink
April 7, 2021
Tools of the trade for Opening Day 1921
April 1, 2021
By: Tony Hynes One hundred years ago on the opening day of the 1921 baseball season, April 13, manager Johnny Evers’ Chicago Cubs were set to host Branch Rickey’s St Louis Cardinals for a 4-game series. This series was followed by 150 more scheduled games, ending with pennants for neither team (the Cardinals finished third […]
Making Quills Part 3—Cutting the Quill
March 30, 2021
By: Katie Hartman Cutting the quill’s nib is often seen as the most finicky and difficult part of the quill making process. In a way, this assumption is both true and false. Cutting a quill nib takes practice and some getting used to, especially if you’re nervous handling a knife or razor blade. But, once […]
Making Quills Part 2- Curing with a Dutching Tool
March 25, 2021
By: Katie Hartman Technically speaking, dutching simply refers to the process of hardening a quill by using heat. However, since the process of using a dutching tool differs greatly from the other methods discussed in part 1, it is useful to refer to the process of using a dutching tool as dutching and the process […]
Now Available: Fairy Tales Digital Exhibit
August 24, 2020
The digital pop-up exhibit “Once Upon a Time… Fairy Tales from Around the World” is now available! Curated by former graduate assistant Taylor Henning, the exhibit highlights fairy tale books from the RBML collection while exploring variations of familiar stories from five continents. Delve into the world of folktales and fairy tales by visiting the […]
Digging the Depths of The American Songbag
August 3, 2020
by Stephen Griffith Editor’s Note: Writer and musician Stephen Griffith (http://stephengriffith.com/) is working on several projects relating to Carl Sandburg’s The American Songbag (1927). A recent visitor to the Rare Book & Manuscript Library, he is turning over everything he can find about Sandburg’s ground-breaking collection of American folk songs. However, with many of his […]
Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Manuscript Division
March 12, 2020
MANUSCRIPTS: Saint Benedict – La Regle Saint Benoit (ELIMINATED IN ROUND 1) La regle saint Benoit or, The Rule of Saint Benedict, is a 13th century manuscript that laid out the rules of interaction between inhabitants of monasteries. This particular copy is especially important because it is almost certainly written for a female Benedictine community. […]
Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Science Division
March 11, 2020
SCIENCE: Andreas Vesalious – De Humani Corporis Fabrica Libri Septem De humani corporis fabrica libri septem is one of the most significant anatomy books in the history of science. The text deviated from the teachings of Galen, a Roman physician, in order to promote a more hands-on approach to learning anatomy and subsequently learning how […]
Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Literature Division
March 10, 2020
LITERATURE: Jane Austen – Emma (ELIMINATED IN ROUND 1) Emma is the fourth novel written by Jane Austen and it took a little over a year for her to write. The novel was ultimately printed on commission. Austen paid for the advertising and the first print run of 2,000 copies herself after declining John Murray’s […]
Rare Book & Manuscript Madness: Archival Division
March 9, 2020
ARCHIVAL: Carl Sandburg – Stereograph (ELIMINATED IN ROUND 1) Before becoming a well known poet and author, Carl Sandburg spent four years selling stereographs from door to door. Stereographs use two almost identical photographs to create a three-dimensional image when viewed through a stereoscope. The Keystone View Company produced this stereograph of the Union Stock […]