{"id":913,"date":"2024-02-01T14:09:51","date_gmt":"2024-02-01T14:09:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/?p=913"},"modified":"2024-02-01T14:11:19","modified_gmt":"2024-02-01T14:11:19","slug":"introduction-to-the-university-of-sussex-rare-book-collections","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2024\/02\/01\/introduction-to-the-university-of-sussex-rare-book-collections\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to the University of Sussex Rare Book collections"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is a repost from the University of Sussex Library\u2019s Staff Blog, originally posted on 10 October 2017<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By Rose Lock<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are lucky at the University of Sussex Special Collections to have a number of fabulous and varied rare book collections, which are now part of the wonderful collections held at The Keep. As well as individual researchers ordering in our reading room, academics from Sussex and other universities use the books to teach their courses, running seminars in our education rooms where the students can get first-hand experience of handling rare volumes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our largest collection is the University of Sussex Rare Books, formed in 2003 from our library\u2019s stock and including donations from Harold Foster Hallett, Sir Henry D\u2019Avigdor-Goldsmid and Bishop George Bell. The range of dates and subjects in the collection is wide, and with nearly 2000 volumes it is our largest collection of published material. A highlight of this collection is The works of that famous chirurgeon Ambrose Parey <\/em>(SxUniversityRareBooks\/784 ) from 1678 was at its time a revolutionary book of surgery, not just for the skills and techniques developed by the man considered the father of modern surgery, but also because he did not publish in Latin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
SxUniversityRareBooks\/784 \u2013 The works of that famous chirurgeon Ambrose Parey, 1678<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The Travers Collection was donated to the University by Joy Travers and represents a selection of the collection of Michael Travers, a book collector with wide ranging tastes. It showcases a range of different printing and binding techniques from the 15th<\/sup> to 19th<\/sup> centuries. The themes of the development of modern culture and of the impact of the printing press run through this collection. It includes the first book printed in England in the English language, The Polychronicon<\/em> (SxTravers\/7) printed in 1482 by Caxton, and first editions of The workes of Benjamin Jonson, <\/em>(SxTravers\/226) 1616 and Hobbes Leviathan, <\/em>(SxTravers\/250) 1651. Demonstrating its variety, the collection also includes the largest book in our collections, a reprint of the second volume of Audubon\u2019s Birds of America<\/em>, (SxTravers\/335) printed in Double Elephant and has pages 23\u00d728 inches. Known as \u2018the most expensive book in the world\u2019, our 1970\u2019s reprint allows researchers to see the rich, full size illustrations close up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
SxTravers\/335 \u2013 The birds of America: from original drawings . A selection of landscape plates facsimile volume two. Published by the Author, 1827-38 \u2013 this volume is a reprint from 1973.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The books in the Baker Collection may at first seem rather disparate, but they are linked by the collector, art gallery proprietor Samuel Henry Baker\u2019s eye for beauty. Full of fine bindings, colour illustrations and unusual details, these volumes are a rich source for studying the development of dress and decorative arts. It is this collection that includes our Second Folio of Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, and tragedies<\/em> (SxBaker\/146) and Culpeper\u2019s English physician; and complete herbal<\/em>, (SxBaker\/161) which has never been out of print since it was first published in 1652.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
SxBaker\/161 \u2013 Culpeper\u2019s English physician; and complete herbal. To which are now first added upwards of one hundred additional herbs\u2026 Beautified and enriched with engravings of upwards of four hundred and fifty different plants, and a set of anatomical figures. London: printed for the author, and sold at the British Directory Office; and by Champante and Whitrow, [1789?]<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

University of Sussex does not own the Gilbert Foyle Charles Dickens Collection (SxGilbertFoyle), but looks after it for Eastbourne Borough Council. The original monthly serialisations are regularly used for those studying not just Dickens, but also the history of the book and material culture itself. With several richly bound first editions and a volume of Household Words, this gem of a collection may be small but it\u2019s importance for research and teaching has been proven time and time again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
SxUniversityRareBooks\/72 \u2013 A curious hieroglyphick Bible, or, Select passages in the Old and New Testaments, represented with emblematical figures for the amusement of youth, 1791<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

I present to you here a selection of my own personal favourite volumes and hope you will come to The Keep to explore and find your own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We are lucky at the University of Sussex Special Collections to have a number of fabulous and varied rare book collections, which are now part of the wonderful collections held at The Keep. As well as individual researchers ordering in our reading room, academics from Sussex and other universities use the books to teach their courses, running seminars in our education rooms where the students can get first-hand experience of handling rare volumes.<\/p>\n

Read more ›<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":412,"featured_media":916,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[123513],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/files\/2024\/02\/image-2.png?fit=818%2C1454&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":793,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2023\/11\/06\/unboxing-and-mapping-black-history-in-sussex-library-legacy-collections\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":0},"title":"Unboxing and Mapping Black History in Sussex Library Legacy Collections","date":"6 November 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Reposted from Decolonial Maps blog\u00a0by\u00a0Alice Corble. This summer the Library was blessed to host its first\u00a0Junior Research Associate (JRA): Myisha Box (History and International Relations BA student, now in her final year). The project was supervised by Gavin Mensah Coker and Anne-Marie Angelo, with a support team in the library\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Black History Month"","img":{"alt_text":"JRA Myisha Box with her poster: Mapping Sussex University Library\u2019s Black History Archives","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/files\/2023\/11\/231106-JRAblog-MyishaBox-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C1024&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1010,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2024\/05\/17\/using-ai-to-explore-collections-at-the-university-of-sussex\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":1},"title":"Using AI to Explore Collections at the University of Sussex","date":"17 May 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"We're excited to share some groundbreaking work our systems librarian Tim Graves has been doing in collaboration with Danny Millum from our Collections team and DISCUS, the Data Intensive Science Center on campus. His focus has been on leveraging the latest advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) to unlock the hidden\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "British Library of Development Studies"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/img.youtube.com\/vi\/i7df_XcV3Mk\/0.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":826,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2023\/12\/20\/archiving-and-administering-the-library-and-afras-at-sussex-guest-blog-post\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":2},"title":"Archiving and administering the Library and AFRAS at Sussex: guest blog post","date":"20 December 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Reposted from the Decolonial Maps of Library Learning blog By Alice Corble and Rhiann Tester This overdue blog post features a guest contributor, Rhiann Tester, Assistant Library Administrator at Sussex. I\u2019ll briefly introduce the context of our collaboration before handing over to Rhiann. Future blog posts will build on Rhiann\u2019s\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "The Library"","img":{"alt_text":"Two lever files labeled 'Library Committee Papers' and 'AFRAS School Meetings 7th Autumn 65 - 35th Summer 71'","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/files\/2023\/12\/Library-AFRAS-folders-1024x768-1.jpg?fit=1024%2C768&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":341,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2021\/02\/10\/plans-remember-those-a-look-at-the-architectural-plans-of-the-university-of-sussex\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":3},"title":"Plans... remember those? A look at the architectural plans of the University of Sussex","date":"10 February 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Karen Watson - Special Collections Archivist Plans. It\u2019s a bit tricky to make any at the moment. Luckily that wasn\u2019t the case when the University of Sussex was commissioning new buildings and renovating student residences over the past 50 or so years. In October last year, I was contacted\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Collections"","img":{"alt_text":"Image of an architectural plan for a University of Sussex building","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/files\/2021\/02\/SxUOS1-EP-wing-east-side.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":421,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2021\/04\/16\/collections-reading-group\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":4},"title":"Collections reading group","date":"16 April 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Richard Wragg - Collections Manager For the last few months, the Collections Team have been meeting for a reading group. The texts we have chosen to discuss have all had a focus on decolonisation, equality and diversity. The reading group formed in response to the events of Summer 2020\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "BLDS (British Library for Development Studies)"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":274,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/2021\/01\/08\/out-of-the-box-a-look-at-our-exciting-new-digital-collection-on-jstor\/","url_meta":{"origin":913,"position":5},"title":"Out of the box - a look at our exciting new digital collection on JSTOR","date":"8 January 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"By Rose Lock - Special Collections Supervisor Although there is a great joy and value in holding an original archival document in your hands, for many reasons this is not always possible. At Special Collections we are constantly seeking new ways for researchers to view our collections; so we are\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Special Collections"","img":{"alt_text":"Image of title page of Ludwig Marx's 'Living at the farm' includes a black & white watercolour image of the farmhouse through trees'","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/files\/2020\/12\/Living-at-the-farm-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/412"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=913"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":918,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/913\/revisions\/918"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/916"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=913"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=913"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/librarycollections\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=913"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}