The Half of Knowledge Nancy T. De
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Volume 1, Issue 3, Spring 2015 Dimidium scientiae: The Half of Knowledge Nancy T. de Grummond, Florida State University Over the main door of Dodd Hall at Florida State University, the former Library of the institution when it was the Florida State College for Women, a Figure 2 well-known and much discussed motto Ironically, no one knows for certain is written in gilded relief letters: “The the source of this meaningful adage. half of knowledge is to know where to Internet sites make comparisons with find knowledge” (Figs. 1-2).1 various quotes involving half or a Figure 1 portion of knowledge, 2 and an anecdote circulated at FSU attributes the quote to a lowly but hypothetically shrewd workman of the time the building was erected—and the relief was created—in the 1920’s.3 The saying was clearly intended to inspire students to identify the building as a very important source of knowledge. Merely to enter the hall was tantamount to completing half a research assignment. The purpose of this article is to Bertanza5 was someone who had good provide some of the intellectual reason to know about sources of background for this particular notion knowledge. A classical scholar, of research and learning and to reveal linguist, teacher, education the present writer’s discovery that the administrator, and archivist, he proverb in English was very likely specialized in Greek and Roman derived from a Latin motto noted in chronology and in the history of the nineteenth century. In addition, scholarship and universities. Bertanza some surprising design elements in studied at Milan and Venice before Dodd Hall will be revealed, closely holding positions at Padua, Feltre, and connected with the inspiring motto Este and was ultimately appointed to and showing the link between the the high-level position of inspector of building’s architecture and its mission. schools at Venice in 1884. He remained in Venice until his death in The Latin motto that preceded the 1898, during which time he worked English version is as follows: frequently in the archives of the “Dimidium scientiae cui scit ubi sit world-famous library of St. Mark’s in scientia,” translating as “The half of Venice. There he undoubtedly had knowledge belongs to the one who occasions to realize the truth of the knows where knowledge is.” This Latin slogan he quoted in 1885, since motto is mentioned in a review in he must have achieved his academic 1885 in the Italian periodical, Rivista success by knowing the library well Storica Italiana, as an “antico adagio,” and knowing where to find what he i.e. as traditional but anonymous was researching. He had already wisdom.4 It was therefore current published a work on the history of the well before the construction of Dodd university from the origins to the Hall. Italian Risorgimento, as well as a The scholar who quotes the Latin study of the chronology of Greek saying, Enrico Bertanza, was writing a civilization before the Trojan War. At learned review of an ambitious work Venice he researched questions that on historical chronology and was using had to do with the Republic of Venice, it in praise of the work under review. the Venetian dialect, and in particular what was to become a publication on the portal’s left side is the plate of masters, schools, and scholars in Nicolas Jenson, born in France but Venice up to 1500. 6 Bertanza flourishing in Venice from 1470 to specialized in locating unpublished but 1480, also specializing in printing relevant documents on these topics. classical authors. His typographer’s mark (Fig. 4) is a geometric pattern Curiously, and perhaps not that features a circle cut by coincidentally, the motto used by intersecting lines.7 Bertanza is not the only connecting point to Venetian learning and libraries Manutius and Jenson both used a form found at the door of the FSCW/FSU of type that was new in 15th-century library in Dodd Hall. Above the portal Venice, with the letter forms based on occur two shields that are the Roman script, quite different from the emblems of two famous printers in lettering used for the Dodd Hall early Venice. inscription. Instead, it is based on Gothic lettering of a kind used in medieval manuscripts and for another early printed work, the Gutenberg Bible (Fig. 5), published at Mainz in the Figure 3 1450s and famous in the history of Figure 4 books as the first major book printed with movable type in the West. On the portal’s upper right (Fig. 3) is the publisher’s device of the firm of Aldus Manutius, depicting a dolphin with its tail wrapped around an anchor, an image known around the world associated with the earliest printed books, in particular those that Figure 5 published Greek and Latin authors. On Letter form for letter form, the highly decoration in illuminated manuscripts ornamental Dodd inscription, covered and early printed books. with gold leaf like that used in some of There are many more such design the capital letters of the Gutenberg elements that illustrate Dodd Hall’s Bible, features the exact lettering style educational mission. Just inside the of that book. Further, the ornamental door, on the ceiling of the Lobby of lozenge shapes set in between the the library, are numerous other words are those of the Gutenberg learned references to books and style. libraries. A molding painted brightly in Yet another reference to Gutenberg, blue, green, red, and white again and to the way in which early printed shows a vine pattern, here with key books were illuminated in the tradition motifs entwined (Figs. 6-7). of medieval manuscripts, is present in the glazed terracotta frieze above the lettering, depicting five birds, alternately red and blue, perched on a grape vine (Seen in Fig. 1).These are not identifiable species, but rather serve a decorative purpose.8 In fact, a Figure 6 similar scheme appears on the first page of the book of Genesis in the Gutenberg Bible where the illuminations feature birds frolicking in vines9; neither the birds nor the vines, depicted with great variety, are meant to be biologically precise. The bright Figure 7 coloring that makes the Dodd inscription and frieze so appealing, Featured on the molding and ceiling along with the Gothic tracery in are the open-faced rose of the English adjoining frames, is clearly royal Tudor family and the latticed reminiscent of Late Medieval portcullis originating from the crest of Lady Margaret Beaufort (d. 1509), mother of King Henry VII. Elsewhere and write in English and to read and on the plastered ceiling are the translate from the French.10 She was emblems of the major geo-political a good friend of the great English divisions of Great Britain: the printer William Caxton, commissioning shamrock (three-leaf or trefoil) of books from him and even providing Ireland (Fig. 8); the thistle of Scotland translations from the French for him to (Fig. 9); the fleur-de-lys of Wales (Fig. publish. Lady Margaret was a great 10); and the Tudor rose of England patron of education in general and of (Fig. 11). Cambridge University in particular. Besides founding a free public Figures 8, 9, 10, 11 grammar school and endowing a professorship in Divinity at Cambridge, she is honored as a founder of Christ’s College and St John’s College, Cambridge. The portcullis appears conspicuously above the Gatehouse of St John’s and it also appears on book stamps for the libraries of Christ’s College and St John’s College (Fig. 12).11 This choice of Tudor inspired ceiling decorations is not accidental. There is in Dodd Hall’s Lobby an intended and particular emphasis on Lady Margaret and her special relationship to libraries and books. In every way she was a superb model for the education of young women such as those who Figure 12 attended Florida State College for Figure 13 Women and used its library. For a woman of her time, Lady Margaret was exceptional in her abilities to read The Tudor rose is also frequently used Both the trefoil and the fleur-de-lys on book stamps (Fig. 13), belonging are quite common on book stamps.12 both to Cambridge University and to Frequently the stamps of the British individuals. A portrait of Lady royalty and nobility are derived from Margaret originally created in 1505 heraldry, and many recapitulate the features both the portcullis and the coat of arms of a particular family or rose (Fig. 14). Here, as in so many society. Hence there are numerous portraits of her, she is depicted with book stamps created in the shape of a one of the books beloved to her. shield. Figure 14 In this regard, we return to the great entrance portal of Dodd and note that just above the door and below the inscription are two shields, featuring a gold saltire (St. Andrew’s Cross) on a red field (Fig. 1). The device may be found on a shield in combination with the thistle on Scottish stamps of, for example, the National Library of Scotland and the Signet Library in 13 Edinburgh. While a precise allusion to Scottish libraries is hard to explain The thistle, ancient symbol of further, the student entering the door Scotland, also occurs on book stamps, may well have found significance in and in particular on the device of the the FSCW school colors, garnet and National Library of Scotland (Fig. 15). 14 gold. There is yet another aspect of the decoration of the ceiling in the Lobby that reveals an historical allusion to books and printing.