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To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Moody Memorial Library, we are counting down 50 unique items from the special collections housed in the half-century-old building.

This month is our final month wrapping up a year-long celebration of our collections. We are highlighting four Bibles from the rich and expansive collection of religious texts. The Central Libraries Special Collections hold hundreds of Bibles (facsimiles and originals) dating from the 4th century through the 20th. Since we can't show you all in one blog entry, the librarians voted to highlight some of the earliest bibles. Each bible in the collection holds a significant place in religious and political history as religious text and as cultural object.

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#4 : Codex Vaticanus B (Facsimile: Rome, 1999, original dated from 4th century)

 

#3 : Aleppo Codex (Facsimile: Jerusalem, 1976, original dated from 10th century )
 

#2 : A smaller Biblia pauperum... (London, 1884, content dated from 1450)

 

#1 : Biblia Sacra polyglotta (London, 1963, content dated from 1657)

 


We hope you've enjoyed these past 12 months of special collections highlights! You can access these materials by arranging a visit with our special collections staff! To make an appointment, please visit our web page:

https://www.baylor.edu/lib/CentralLib/centralspecialcollections/

This post is part of the 50 for 50 series highlighting 50 unique and fascinating items found in the Central Libraries' special collections. The series is being held as part of the ongoing celebration of Moody Memorial Library's 50th anniversary.

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Moody Memorial Library, we are counting down 50 unique items from the special collections housed in the half-century-old building.

This month we are highlighting the Crouch Fine Arts Library, including examples from the Jennings Collection, the Book Arts Collection, the Spencer Collection, and the Baylor School of Music Performance Recordings.  Enjoy these selections, provided by Music Librarian Clayton Crenshaw.

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#8: Parts of the Holy Mass for a Confessor and a Bishop and Parts of the Holy Mass for a Virgin Not a Martyr.

At the time this music was created, printing was a relatively new technology and music notation was still developing.  The combination of those two things makes these two 500-year-old leaves very special indeed.  The individual pieces of type that made the impressions were carved from wood; tiny gaps in the staff lines show the imperfections of the process. The printer is believed to be Luca Antonio Giunta of Venice, whose family established printing businesses throughout Italy and eventually in many other parts of Europe.


 

#7 : The Tower Book designed by Beth Thielen (2007).

This is one of approximately 1,000 items in the Baylor Libraries Book Arts Collection.  Designed by artist and educator Beth Thielen, who has worked with inmates in the justice system throughout her career, it consists of linoleum prints and four volumes of original writings by inmates at the San Quentin State Prison and the California Rehabilitation Center in Norco, California. The four books form the sides of a prison guard tower and are held together by a removable roof.

 

 

#6 : The Star- Spangled Banner by Francis Scott Key.

In Baltimore in September 1814, Francis Scott Key wrote the poem that would become the text of our national anthem.  Days later, it was published in the Baltimore newspapers, and shortly thereafter in other cities.  It was set to a popular English tune of the day, “To Anacreon in Heaven,” as had other patriotic poems.  The first sheet music edition was published (with errors) by Baltimore music store owner Thomas Carr.  The second was published in Philadelphia, by A. Bacon & Co., sometime between 1814 and 1816.  In the Frances G. Spencer Collection of American Popular Sheet Music, we have a facsimile of the Carr edition.  But our copy of the Bacon edition is the genuine article, and available for viewing online as part of the Baylor Digital Collections website (http://digitalcollections.baylor.edu/cdm/ref/collection/fa-spnc/id/16051).

 

 

#5 : Baylor Recording of Verdi’s Requiem Mass

Throughout its history, the Crouch Fine Arts Library has served as the repository for recordings produced by the Baylor School of Music. Most of these are archival recordings that are available to the Baylor community, but not distributed.  But over the years a small number of recordings, like this one, were professionally recorded and produced to be shared widely.  The two-record set was produced from a concert given in Waco Hall on December 10, 1963.  The performance honored the 150th anniversary of Verdi’s birth, and was also dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated only weeks before.  Daniel Sternberg, the long-time Dean of the School of Music, conducted the Oratorio Chorus and the Baylor Symphony Orchestra.  The soloists were Sarah Harvey Wilkinson and David Ford, both graduates of the School of Music; Baylor faculty member Henry Bannon; and Catherine Akos, a faculty member at Southern Methodist University.

Listen to a sample of the recording here:


You can access these materials by arranging a visit with our special collections staff! To make an appointment, please visit our web page:

https://www.baylor.edu/lib/CentralLib/centralspecialcollections/

This post is part of the 50 for 50 series highlighting 50 unique and fascinating items found in the Central Libraries' special collections. The series is being held as part of the ongoing celebration of Moody Memorial Library's 50th anniversary.

 

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On the eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month of 1918, fighting in World War One ceased. This year on November 11, 2018 we honor the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day and the end of World War I.
Much has been written about these years of war and the Baylor Central Libraries Special Collections house research materials that offer a glimpse into life during this time period.

On the homefront, the government published reports through various agencies giving guidance on how to operate day to day under the stresses of wartime.

"Home economics teaching under present economic conditions, Sept. 5, 1917" (call# : Gov.Docs. I 16.5:917/6)

There is a wealth of research opportunities working with wartime advertising. Many agencies advertised to raise support for various war efforts.

“Government war advertising : report of the Division of Advertising, Committee on Public Information” published in 1918. (call#: Gov Docs Y3.P 96/3:2 W 19)

On the Western Front, the 33rd Division completed their mission in Europe. The 33rd Division was a formation of the U.S. Army National Guard.

“33rd Division A.E.F. from its arrival in France until the armistice with Germany, November 11, 1918” printed in 1919. (call#: Hughes D570.3 33d .T4 1919)

In the years immediately following the war, many leaders published personal narratives and first-hand accounts of their involvement in the war. Winston Churchill wrote a multi-volume work on the 'Great War' entitled “The world crisis, 1911-1914” published in 1923. Several printings and volumes are available in the libraries (call #: Payne D 521 .C53x 1923). John Pershing, the commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, wrote a personal narrative “My experiences in the World War” published in 1931 (call#: Hughes D640 .P454 1931b v.1-2).

John J. Pershing - narratives 1931

Here at home, communities worked to help returning soldiers and find their own organization’s role in the aftermath of massive losses.

"The new opportunity of the church" 1919

"When you go home, tell them of us and say, for their tomorrow we gave our today." -- Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936)

We hope this glimpse of life surrounding Armistice Day has honored our veterans and their families. If you'd like to see these materials and more, you can access these materials by arranging a visit with our special collections staff! To make an appointment, please visit our web page:

https://www.baylor.edu/lib/centralspecialcollections/

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of Moody Memorial Library, we are counting down 50 unique items from the special collections housed in the half-century-old building.

This month we are highlighting four sermons. The Central Libraries Special Collections hold around 300 sermons dating from the 17th century through the 20th that cover a broad range of topics.  In addition to the message of the sermon, researchers can find different perspectives on historical events and periods.

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#12 : The glorious rest of heaven by Mather Byles.  (Boston, 1744)

 

#11 : A sermon, occasioned by the death of General George Washington by Peter Thatcher (Boston, 1800).

 

#10 : Earthquakes: a token of the righteous anger of God by Charles Chauncy (Boston, 1755).

 

#9 : The Godly Man's Ark  by Edmund Calamy (London, 1661).

 


You can access these materials by arranging a visit with our special collections staff! To make an appointment, please visit our web page:

https://www.baylor.edu/lib/CentralLib/centralspecialcollections/

This post is part of the 50 for 50 series highlighting 50 unique and fascinating items found in the Central Libraries' special collections. The series is being held as part of the ongoing celebration of Moody Memorial Library's 50th anniversary.

Just a short ‘flyby' on the Audubon exhibit currently on display at the Martin Museum on Baylor’s campus. If you haven't visited yet, check here for more information: Martin Exhibits

John James Audubon (1785-1851) was an artist, ornithologist, and naturalist. He was known for his illustrations of birds throughout the Americas. Audubon's most famous collection “Birds of America” was printed in 1827 and 1838. His extensive work with illustrations and water-color paintings are significant examples of early book arts.

Willow Ptarmigan

If you’d like to explore Audubon’s works more we have several resources in the libraries general collections and a few items in our special collections.

  • 2 volume set of “The original water-color paintings by John James Audubon for The birds of America” published by Houghton Mifflin Co. in 1966 (this is a full series of color plates, includes quotations from Audubon’s Ornithological biography, and is housed in Central Libraries Special Collections)
  • A limited edition reproduction of “The birds of America” published by Macmillan in 1937 (first reproduced as an octavo edition, includes parts of the country for the various species, and is housed in the Central Libraries Special Collections)

Goldfinch

The Audubon Society offers more information on their continued work and access to online images. https://www.audubon.org/birds-of-america

You can access these materials by arranging a visit with our special collections staff! To make an appointment, please visit our web page:

https://www.baylor.edu/lib/centralspecialcollections/