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Happy #MiniatureMonday!

Today we’re showcasing TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS. This micro-miniature book features the lyrics to the original English carol, along with hand-colored illustrations of each of the twelve gifts. Also, that end sheet maaaaaarbling! *swoons*

We’ve decided to do our own version of the Twelve Days of Christmas here at Special Collections, so stay tuned to our Tumblr feed for a festive holiday countdown.

-Hannah

Charlotte Smith Miniature Collection M1741.2 .T97 1983

Bernier, Bernier, Jane, and Borrower’s Press. The Twelve Days of Christmas : A Traditional English Carol. Cleveland Heights, Ohio: Borrower’s, 1983.

miniature mondays microminiature book twelve days of christmas happy holidays christmas special collections hannahmarie

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GUEST POST FROM JOHN MARTIN RARE BOOK ROOM!

Book : Mr. Valentine Greatrak’s Strange Cures

Author : Mr. Valentine Greatrak

Year : 1666

I was just ranting about this book to a friend of mine the other day and they found it so interesting that I thought “Heck, I should rant about this strange little book to everyone!” It’s been one of my favorites since I started my position here at the JMRBR and if you read the text above I think you’ll see why. 

Valentine Greatrak was known as “The Stroker” in the mid 1600′s and this book presents, “The true and lively pourtraicture of Valentine Greatrakes Esq.of Affane in ye County of Waterford in ye Kingdom of Ireland. famous for curing several deseases and distempers by the stroak of his Hand only ~” containing a 40 page letter from Greatrak himself defending his name and throwing around insults (”my answer to this is that he is the Jack-pudding” !!!) followed by ~50 pages of testimonials from those whom The Irish Stroker had….stroked….and seemingly healed!

Every part of this book is interesting and entertaining. If you’d like to marvel at medical history and maybe have a few laughs you can enjoy this book in the John Martin Rare Book Room in Hardin Library.

jmrbr uiowa lolothelibrarian thestroker dr.strangecures hardinlibrary medicalhistory specialcollections

#ArtsyFartsyFriday!

Today is National Letter Writing Day, so I thought I’d share Karen Hammer’s Letter Home, an artist book inspired by a letter written from 1954 by a military wife to her relatives back home. The binding, by Hedi Kyle, is in an accordion fold format, which showcases reproductions of family photographs when stretched out.  The photograph of the woman on a balcony is the artist’s mother in Florence, Italy. 

I know I haven’t written a letter in about a year or two, so I hope you pick up a pen (or whatever you fancy) and paper to write a letter to someone dear.

N7433.4.H35 L48 2004 (x-collection)

-Micaela 

Catalog record

karen hammer hedi kyle letter home national letter writing day artists' books artsyfartsyfriday special collections

Who else is super stoked for Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald?!

On November 15th, Special Collections will be hosting a pop-up exhibit that will give visitors the opportunity to explore some of the most magical books from our stacks. While searching for books for the exhibit, we came across this newly illustrated copy of Newt Scamander’s Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. From charcoal sketches to watercolors, J.K. Rowling’s creations come to life with stunning illustrations by artist Olivia Lomenech Gill. Seriously, I wish every Harry Potter fan could have this book on their shelf! 

-Micaela 

special collections artsyfartsyfriday fantastic beasts and where to find them j.k. rowling olivia lomenech gill Harry Potter newt scamander

#ComicCorner

We said goodbye to a legend this week, and we can’t think of a better way to honor Stan Lee than sharing how fantastic he really was. Well, in this case he’s Mr. Fantastic. Stan Lee is famous for his cameos in Marvel films, but here we see him take on the heroic roll of Mr. Fantastic in this Fantastic Four comic book.

Thanks for creating your “Fantasy Factory” Mr. Lee and showing us how imagination can create worlds, but also shape our own. We at Iowa’s Special Collections will miss you.

-Liz R

 [Keating DuGarm Collection, MsC1067] 

stanlee marvelcomic specialcollections comics comic books UISpecColl fantasticfour

#ArtsyFartsyFriday

Finals are almost done here at University of Iowa, and all I can think about is all of the delicious holiday food I’ll be having soon! So, here’s an artist’s book from our Szathmary Culinary Collection to help us all remember the great meals we share with our families and loved ones. The artist’s book, Lunch at Diamonds’ Tea Room, is by Annie Tremmel Wilcox and incorporates her mother’s original handwritten or typed recipes. The recipe cards are also contained in a black imitation leather file box with the title,” My Recipes.”

Now, I can’t wait for some homemade tamales and my mother’s cheesy potatoes. What are your favorite holiday meals? Share with us!

-Micaela 

Catalog record

artists' books special collections rare books artsyfartsyfriday annie tremmel wilcox micaela foodlove szathmary

#ArtsyFartsyFriday!

This is perhaps one of the only artists’ books I know of in our collection that features Native perspectives. The Lost Journals or Sacajawea was primarily constructed in collaboration between artist Peter Koch and writer Debra Magpie Earling, a member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation. This is a great example of a multi-individual piece. For example, the work features a form of the 18th century Dutch Fell types, which has been reinterpreted by Jonathan Hoefler. The text was printed on handmade Twinrocker Da Vinci paper by Peter Koch Printers with images organized by Donald Farnsworth.  It was then bound by Jonathan Gerken with the buffalo rawhide prepared by Amanda Degener.

Do you know of any other artists’ books written by and/or about indigenous individuals that we should know about? Tell us!

FOLIO PS3605.A75 L6 2010

Catalog record

-Micaela

The lost journals of Sacajawea peter koch debra magpie earling indigenous american indian native american
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#MiniatureMonday!

Our thoughts seem in galaxies far away today. In honor of the exciting InSight Mars landing, we bring you this out-of-this-world mini book. Designed and bound in Rhyolite stone by Clark and Pat Baldwin at Waterleaf Mill &Bindery, Micromacrocosm actually uses text from Monty Python’s famous Galaxy Song. 

So as NASA attempts another Mars landing today, remember that “the universe itself keeps on expanding and expanding,” and we are only just beginning this adventure.

Smith N7433.4 I35 M53 1989

If you want to watch the landing, check out NASA: https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-brings-mars-landing-first-in-six-years-to-viewers-everywhere-nov-26

specialcollections monty python uiowa miniaturemonday miniaturebooks rarebooks mars galaxies NASA elizabeth clarkandpatbaldwin
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#MiniatureMonday!

New acquisition! I just finished cataloging this rare summary of St. John’s Gospel. S. Jan Evangelie met de 7 Woorden, een schoon Benedictie ende 5 dankseggingen which was published around 1780 by J. B. Carstiaenssens. 

This Dutch miniature book also features the Seven Last Words, a benediction, and thanksgiving prayers. Our copy has two nice woodcut engravings–one of the Last Supper and the other of the Burning Heart. “Such books were often carried… as talismans under their shirts at the height of their heart. In any case the extreme portability of such small prayer books and religious texts assured their owners of mental and spiritual relief and consolation, often far from their homes…” (L.W. Bondy, Miniature Books, pg 31-32).

Our copy is unbound and retains the deckle from the paper mold on four lower and two outer edges. It’s pretty cool to see the printing process preserved in this tiny book!

SMITH BS2614 .D8 1780z

~Bethany K.

miniaturebooks miniaturemonday rarebooks specialcollections bible gospelofstjohn dutchbooks 18thcenturybooks dutchbible uiowa charlottesmithminis newaquisition bookstagram bookworm bookaddict booklover bibliophile

#ArtsyFartsyFriday!

Here’s a look at one of the miniature artists’ books in our collection! Mermaid is an accordion fold sheet with text about mermaids on one side and an illustration of Lake Wonsapauna on the other. The book, by Holly Bowen, also includes two plates of glass (green and blue) covering the front and back covers. The book is  real treat to open because of the delicate sheer purple bag and tiny purple box that it is stored within. 

-Micaela 

Catalog record

artsyfartsyfriday special collections mermaids artists' books holly bowen miniaturebooks
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