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Special Collections and Rare Books

This guide provides an overview of the special collection and rare book holdings within the DePauw University Archives and Special Collections.

Post-Incunabula

POST-INCUNABULA -- Post-incunabula are books printed in Europe after 1500 that have characteristics similar to early printed books, called incunabula.

  • Martialis, Marcus Valerius; Merula, Giorgia, and Calderino, Domizio. M. Vale. Mar. Epigrammata cum Do. Chal. ac Geo. Me. Commentariis
    Archives and Special Collections General Collection
    PA6501 .A2 1510
    • Marcus Valerius Martialis, also known as Martial (38-104 AD), was a Roman poet born in Hispania (Spain) and is known for his twelve books of Epigrams, published in Rome between 86-103 AD. He is considered the creator of the modern epigram, a short, satirical poem. Giorgia Merlani (1430-1494), also known as Georgius Merula, was an Italian humanist and classical scholar. Domizio Calderini (1446-1478) was a Roman humanist, teacher and author. In this book, Merula and Calderini provide commentary on Martial’s works.
  • Virgil. 1528. Opera Vergiliana.
    Archives and Special Collections General Collection
    PA6801 .A2 1527
    • This book was published by Jacques Mareschal, a printer in Lyon, France, from 1509-1529. Opera Vergiliana was published in 1528 as an edition of works of Publius Virgilus Maro (70 BC-19 BC), also known as Virgil, a Roman poet.
  • Dalechamps, Jacques. 1587. Historia Generalis Plantarum, in Libros XVIII. Per Certas Classes Artificiose Digesta, Haec, Plusquam Mille ImagìNibus Plantarum Locupletior Superioribus, Omnes Propemodum Quæ Ab Antiquis Scriptoribus, Græcis, Latinis, Arabibus, Nominantur: Necnon Eas Quæ in Orientis Atque Occidentis Partibus, Ante Seculum Nostrum Incognitis, Repertæ Fuerunt, Tibi Exhibet. Habes Etiam Earundem Plantarum Peculiaria Nationibus Nomina: Habes Amplas Descriptiones, È Quibus Singularum Genus, Formam, Vbi Crescant & Quo Tempore Vigeant, Natiuum Temperamentum, Vires Denique in Medicina Proprias Cognosces. Adiecti Sunt Indices, Non SolùM Græci & Latini, Sed Aliarum Quoque Linguarum, Locupletissimi. Edited by Jean Des Moulins. Lugduni,: Apud Gulielmum Rouillium.
    DePauw University Libraries General Collection
    QK41 .D136 (2 volumes)
    • The author, Jacques Dalechamps (1513-1588) received his doctoral degree in 1547 at Montpellier as a physician naturalist. His writings focus on botany and natural history as well as surgery. This book is the most complete botanical work of its time, and the first to describe the flora in the region around Lyon, France. 
  • Bacon, Francis, J. Haviland, and William Lee. 1631. Sylua Syluarum: Or A Naturall Historie. In Ten Centuries. Edited by William Rawley. The 3rd ed. London: Printed by J. H[aviland]. for William Lee at the Turkes Head in Fleet-street next to the Miter.
    Archives and Special Collections
    QH41 .B2 1631
    • Sylva Sylvarum was the final work of Francis Bacon (1561-1626), the lawyer, statesman, literary man, and natural philosopher who immersed himself in scientific studies at the end of his life. The book was prepared posthumously by Bacon’s chaplain, William Rawley. It is divided into 10 centuries, containing a series of observations about nature, such as plants, animals, weather and minerals. Sylva Sylvarum translates to “A forest of forests” in Latin, the title can be interpreted as “A vast collection of natural knowledge.”
  • P Nyland (Petrus). 1668. Den Nederlandtsen Hovenier: De medicyn-winckel, of Ervaren huys-houder : zijnde het III. deel van het Vermakelyck landt-leven ... Als mede Den naerstigen byen-houder
    Archives and Special Collections
    SB477.N4 G89 1668
    • A Dutch housekeeping text with woodcuts depicting garden layouts in Ryswyck, Honsholredyk and Huis 'ten Bosch. Also included is cultivation techniques for crops, a veterinary manual for farming, guidance on beekeeping, and recipes. Bound in vellum.
  • Diderot. 1751-1772. Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers
    Archives and Special Collections
    AE25 .E53 (17 volumes text, 11 volumes plates)
    • The Encyclopédie ou Dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers, par une Société de Gens de lettres was published under the direction of Diderot (1713-1784) and d'Alembert (1717-1783), with 17 volumes of text and 11 volumes of plates between 1751 and 1772. Containing 74,000 articles written by more than 130 contributors, the Encyclopédie was a massive reference work for the arts and sciences, as well as a machine de guerre which served to propagate the ideas of the French Enlightenment. The impact of the Encyclopédie was enormous. Through its attempt to classify learning and to open all domains of human activity to its readers, the Encyclopédie gave expression to many of the most important intellectual and social developments of its time.
  • Biblia, Das Ist: Die Ganze Heilige Schrifft : Alten Und Neuen Testaments. 1768. Ulm: In der Bartholomäischen Buchhandlung Gedruckt den Christian Ulrich Wagner.
    Archives and Special Collections
    BS239 1768
    • This is a German Bible translated by Martin Luther. printed in Basel, Switzerland during 1768.
  • Catholic Church. 1872. Missale Romanum Ex Decreto Sacrosancti Concilii Tridentini Restitutum, S. Pii V. Pontificis Maximi Jussu Editum, Clementis VIII et Urbani VIII Auctoritate Recognitum : Ad Exemplar Romanum Anni 1868 .. Vindobonae: Henrici Reiss.
    Archives and Special Collections
    BX2015 .A2 1872