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Mini Books in Special Collections: Collection Highlights

ntroductory information about the miniature books in the Mortimer Rare Book Collection, compiled by Mack Case '24

Types of books we have

From the Juvenile Collection:

  • History of the Bible JUV 1825 H629
  • Pictures of Roman History, in miniature JUV 1811 M624p
  • The Little Robinson Crusoe JUV 1841 D362I

 

From the Carter Collection:

  • Brilliants: a setting of humorous poetry in Brilliant types Carter: Miniature book

 

Artist Books:

  • Seeds Collection by Beverly Duncan Mini QK166.D86
  • Where Tigers Roar in Silence Mini 655.173 L629 [a book of riddles!]
  • Spring Pools Mini 655.173 L629 [beautiful illustrations!]
  • Adam's Diary Mini 655.173 L629 [Mark Twain in a gold-embossed wooden box]
  • Alphabetarium Mini 655.173 C355al [the alphabet, illustrated]
  • The Rest of My Life Mini N7433.4 H38 R4 2000 [a self-documentation of the life of a breast cancer patient]

 

19th Century and earlier:

  • Sacrae Litaniae variae Mini 264.02 Sa14 1675 [includes woodcut illustration]
  • History of the Bible Mini BS447 .H58 1825 [teeny tiny!]
  • La Gerusalemme liberata Mini PQ4638 .D22 (1822) [uncut edges]
  • The thumb Bible Mini PR2382 .V4 1889 [beautiful typography with pops of red]

Highlights

A red corkscrew and red tube containing a long skinny artist book laid on a brown suede pouch against a wooden background

The Corkscrew Book [Mini 655.173 L629]

A book whose two front and back covers are a cork that has been split in half against a wooden and white background

Thoughts from the Cork [Mini 655.173 L629]

An artist book open to a spread whose left page is blank and whose right page contains text – a letter to the editor written by Virginia asking if Santa Claus is real – held by a hand

Yes, Virginia [Mini 655.173 So51ye]

An orange book (12 mm) entitled “Canterbury Tales” next to a penny for scale on a blue background

The Canterbury Tales, Raymo Chaucer Collection #809