500 year old book!

[kniclander]

a friend of a friend is an antiquarian book dealer and had got hold of an edition of Ptolemy's Almagest published in 1515! I saw it at the weekend - it was in remarkably good condition given that it was 494 years old - the only thing missing was the metal clasps. The wooden cover was intact and the pages were all there and complete. amazingly, it was robust enough to actually turn the pages. Of course it was in latin so I coudn't understand it but the diagrams were interesting.

offers over thousands and thousands of pounds if anyone is interested

[Doc]

One of my hobbies is genealogy and I've seen 500 year old documents at Norfolk Record Office. So anything like this i just love. Must have been fantastic to look through this.

[TheThing]

Wow, I'd love to see a book that old (any book!)

My best is that I have a copy of Alexander Dumas' 'Twenty Years After' (he of 3 musketeers fame) that is 115 years old.

I love old books me!

My friend used to do security at the British Museum and tells great tales of the restricted sections - one is full of ancient books on witchcraft. Fascinating stuff!

Did manage to sneak any piccies on your mobile did you?

[kniclander]

Wow, I'd love to see a book that old (any book!)

My best is that I have a copy of Alexander Dumas' 'Twenty Years After' (he of 3 musketeers fame) that is 115 years old.

I've got a library book from 1974....

my mobile doesn't take piccies - I think I am whats' known as a "late adopter" but my buddy might have taken some. I'll see....

[Mark at Beaufort]

For those members visiting Lucksall next year at SGL5 and interested in antiquarian books a visit to Hereford cathedral will be interesting venture away from the astronomy. Hereford has the oldest map of the world Mappa Mundi together with a chained library - the oldest book being the 8th century. Not sure if any of the books relate to astronomy but I could find out. The cathedral is located 2 miles from home. If enough members are interested I could approach the cathedral for a group guided tour.

Mark

[TheThing]

Mark,

Sounds excellent! Mappa Mundi - seriously intersting!

Put me down for that as I will be at SGL5.

Cheers,

[Mark at Beaufort]

As we get nearer to SGL5, with Daz approval, I will put an item on the star party link. In the meanwhile I will find out more about the chained library. The Mappa Mundi is housed in a lovely new building funded by Paul Getty with the Prince of wales as the patron.

Mark

[michigander]

Went there this year (from SGL4) and it was cool.

Dana

The attendant in the Chained Library was very knowledgeable about its history, also a guy in the room with the Mappa Mundi was there to explain things; but it was rather crowded.

Tip - buy a 'double copy' of the Mappa Mundi poster (one original, the second with modern place names) in the Gifte Shoppe, then go for a coffee while you study the two copies so that you can make more sense of the original original.

Marion

[Helen]

I did the audit of the National Library of Wales for a couple of years and the highlight for me always doing the 'random' stock check - it was amazing how many really old maths and astronomy books appeared in my random sample Great stuff!

Helen

[michigoose]

I have a little book in my possession called 'The Ladies Pocket Magazine - Part 2 -1829'

It's full of fashion plates, little moral stories and poems. I've no idea where it came from. I think it was in my parents' bookcase although I never noticed it as a child. Glad I checked stuff out before clearing their house!!

My only other prized book is a first (possibly only) edition of Edmund Dulac's 'Fairy Tales of the Allied Nations', published during the First World War. It was a birthday gift to my mother as a small child. Its condition is 'critical' so far as binding and fragility of the text pages is concerned, but the plates are in perfect nick. Absolutely beautiful. If you've never come across Edmund Dulac, then google him. He was an amazing book illustrator.

Marion