Treasures from the Vault: World Languages in SIU Library Special Collections

Cultural presentation designed by Dr. Jacob Haubenreich

featuring texts from the medieval to present in Latin, French, Spanish, German, English, Swedish, Dutch, Quechua, Nahuatl, Japanese, Arabic, Urdu, and Farsi

Haubenreich 1

The “smallest book in the world” The Lord's prayer in 7 languages. Hand bound, printed from hand-set type. Legible only with magnifying glass. Published in Mainz in 1955 for the 500th anniversary of the advent of printing. Text in English, Spanish, German, Dutch, French, and Swedish

The works of William Hogarth, 1822. In “elephant folio” format, this is the largest book in SIU Library Special Collections.

“The most beautiful book in the world” The Kelmscott Press edition of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (1896).

Haubenreich 2

Two leaves from a Book of Hours Hand-illuminated manuscript on vellum. 15th-century, French.

Large leaf of a medieval musical score. Manuscript on vellum. Text in Latin

A page from the Gutenberg Bible, ca. 1450-1455. Early printed book in Latin.

Meditationes domini nostri Jesu Christi (1390-1410). Manuscript book in Latin

Haubenreich 3

Epreuves générales des caracteres qui se trouvent chez Claude Lamesle fondeur de caracteres d'imprimerie. 1742 French typography manual with sample typefaces in multiple languages

Ophthalmologeia, das ist Augendienst (Dresden, 1583). The first German ophthalmological text, containing studies of the anatomy of the eye, eye diseases, surgical techniques, and medical training guidelines. Note the anatomical flap-prints!

Haubenreich 4

Arte de la lengua general del Peru, llamada Quichua (Lima, 160?).

A grammar and vocabulary for the indigenous Peruvian language of Quechua , designed for Spanish

missionaries. Text in Quechua and Spanish

Tonalamatl de Aubin, 1576. Textual and pictorial history of the Aztecs, written in Nahuatl (hand-painted facsimile; limited edition of only 25 in the world)

Codex Mendoza, ca. 1530 (hand-painted facsimile; limited edition of only 25 in the world) The Mendoza codex is a Mexican pictographic manuscript prepared on the authority of Don Antonio de Mendoza, the first Viceroy of New Spain, for Charles V.A Spanish priest, familiar with the Nahuatl, or Mexican language, was employed to set down in Spanish the explanations of the glyphs as interpreted by the Mexicans themselves.

Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, Inundacion castalida de la

unica poetisa, musa dezima, 1689. Facsimile. Spanish

Haubenreich 5

Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland, illustrated edition from the Black Sun Press (Paris, 1930)

Oscar Wilde, The birthday of the infanta, with illustrations by Alastair. Paris: Black Sun Press, 1928.

Small manuscript book, Koran. Text in Arabic

Hindu love book. Text in Urdu and Farsi

Haubenreich 6

Illustrated edition of Kinder-und Hausmärchen, collected by the Grimm brothers. 1906. Text in German

Cervantes, Don Quijote, miniature edition. Spanish

Haubenreich 7