Selections from Vassar’s Incunabula collection, including a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, will be on exhibit at Vassar College from April 10 to June 9.

In connection with a yearlong program called "Transformations of the Text," the Vassar College Libraries will exhibit selections from its Incunabula collection from April 10 to June 9. Incunabula — books printed before 1501 — demonstrate the shift from manuscript production to printed works, which some regard as the most important cultural change prior to the appearance of digital technologies.

Historians estimate that roughly 30,000 editions of books were printed in Europe during this period, totaling around 20 million copies. These first printed books were thus produced in great numbers, testifying to printing's influence on society and culture. But today incunabula are considered rare.

Vassar's collection of incunabula has grown slowly but steadily since the 19th century. Matthew Vassar, college founder, purchased the first incunable for the college, a book of hours printed in Paris by Philippe Pigouchet. At present, the college holds 42 books and 98 leaves. Most items in the collection were printed in Latin in either Germany or Italy. They include several of the most popular and most beautiful texts of the 15th century.

The exhibit will feature a variety of individual leaves and full books, including the "Nuremberg Chronicle," which is especially noteworthy for its woodcut illustrations; a French book of hours featuring intricate illustrations, ornate borders, and illuminations; and a page from the Gutenberg Bible (the approximate date of the Gutenberg Bible, the first book ever printed, is 1455).

The illustrated catalog accompanying the exhibit, titled "Incunabula in the Vassar College Library," includes essays by Ronald Patkus, Head of Archives and Special Collections, and Benjamin Kohl, Professor of History Emeritus, as well as a short-title catalog of Vassar's incunabula by Julie Kemper, Special Collections Librarian.

For more information, call the Vassar College Libraries, Archives and Special Collections Departments, at (845) 437-5799. Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations should contact Cathy Jennings, Office of Campus Activities, (845) 437-5370, as far in advance as possible to request reasonable and appropriate accommodations.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

Individuals with disabilities requiring accommodations or information on accessibility should contact Campus Activities Office at (845) 437-5370. Without sufficient notice, appropriate space and/or assistance may not be available.

Vassar College is a highly selective, coeducational, independent, residential liberal arts college founded in 1861.

This article was posted on Thursday, April 10th, 2003.