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A World in the Palm of Your Hand: for Almost As Long As Writing Itself Has Existed

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A World in the Palm of Your Hand: for Almost As Long As Writing Itself Has Existed « Julian Edison, holding Facts about the Candidate, a book from his collection. FRUITS OF PHILOSOPHY:ONE MINIATURE BOOK’S HUGE IMPACT miniature book history Edison was able to provide the class books that Edison’s collection Edison’s miniature book collection has indeed had been used and valued by their owners, includes a three-inch-tall become one of the premiere collections in underlining and notations still visible on the book entitled Fruits of private hands. A glimpse into it demonstrates pages. Erin Davis, curator of rare books for the Philosophy; Or, The Private these books’ incredible variety: Libraries, says, “We’re incredibly fortunate that Companion of Young Mr. Edison has been so generous in allowing Married People. Published ■ A set of nesting books, like Russian nesting access to his collection for exhibition, scholar- anonymously by American dolls, by contemporary artist Marylin Poole ship, and teaching. It’s one thing to read physician Charles Adams about these extraordinary artifacts in history Knowlton in 1832, this ■ A 40-volume set of complete Shakespeare, books, and another thing altogether to see small book on contracep- two inches high and easily readable and study the items themselves.” tion was the first of its kind in the U.S. Meant ■ collecting discoveries John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address to be a practical tool to Edison’s pursuit of miniature books has taken ■ The eulogy from Kennedy’s funeral advise newlyweds on him to auction houses, antiquarian book fairs, family planning, Fruits ■ Facts about the Candidate endorsing Theodore and flea markets such as London’s Portobello of Philosophy calmly dis- Roosevelt’s presidential campaign Road. Even more than travel and explorations, cussed the medical, social, Edison values the opportunities the books pro- ■ The first book on contraception and economic issues vide to learn about their content, form, and involved in birth control. ■ Promotional copies of magazines historical setting. Each piece in the collection The book was published has led him to new questions and pursuits. Surprisingly, miniature books have been made in this small format to be A World in the Palm of Your Hand: for almost as long as writing itself has existed. As editor of Miniature Book News, Edison is in inconspicuous and discrete. Miniature books survive from every period of touch with his fellow collectors, learning about Fruits of Philosophy existed the miniature book collection the history of writing. Edison’s oldest example is developments in the field. He says, “Since 1965, below the radar for a Babylonian tablet from 2000 BC, slightly larger I’ve been writing a quarterly journal about decades until it was of julian edison than a postage stamp. Over time, miniature miniature books and the people involved. brought to England and books have been almanacs, Bibles, dictionaries, This has been part of the fun of collecting.” caused a stir for what picture books, and books for children. They Edison appreciates all aspects of books— some considered its are frequently works design, paper, printing, binding, and content— shocking and tasteless of beauty; many have no matter what their size. This love of the book material. There, in 1877, been created for useful contributes to his passion for the Washington a well-publicized legal purposes, information University Libraries. He admires the Libraries’ battle ensued with the a reader might want Triple Crown Collection of the entire pub- courts eventually finding to carry in a pocket. lished work of three fine English presses as well in favor of the book. After Edison’s personal as ephemera on the printing process and the the trial, the sales of Fruits favorites include of Philosophy and contra- « history of the presses. Edison adds, “With the art and books line the walls s The Smallest French-English jewel-like illuminated 18 of the light- Reading Cervantes’s Don Quixote for the first renovation of Olin Library I was delighted to ceptive behavior increased 19 Dictionary comes with a built-in manuscripts and filled library in Hope and Julian Edison’s home. time, Edison was taken with the book and magnifying glass. see the Department of Special Collections dramatically, with a antiquarian books. The space is elegant and inviting, the creation decided to collect first editions of it. Although expand. Anne Posega and Erin Davis and their noticeable drop in the of two people who see books as art—in content he soon realized he wasn’t the first person to Edison recently lent some of his collection staff are doing a good job in developing these English birthrate. and in form—and have built a place in which have this idea, he had caught the collecting bug. to the Washington University Libraries for collections. The modern manuscript material to enjoy them. The room houses finely bound Professor Joe Loewenstein’s fall 2005 graduate and the Henry Hampton collection are fabulous On their first wedding anniversary, Hope SPRING 06 books and paintings, and is the showcase for gave Julian a miniature nine-volume set of English class Accessorizing the Renaissance. The resources, the kinds of things that become Julian Edison’s collection of miniature books— Shakespeare’s complete works. These were the seminar on “the small objects, the ornaments resources for teaching and for scholarship. tiny texts less than three inches tall. first small-format books Edison had seen, but and accessories of Early Modern personhood” And that’s great to see.” Julian Edison, a member of the Washington they were just the beginning of a collection of examined the symbolic meanings of items like University Libraries’ National Council since miniatures that has grown to thousands over writing tablets and small-format books, asking 2000, began collecting books during his under- the years—including, of course, a miniature the question: What do the objects that people graduate years at Harvard in the 1950s. version of Don Quixote. carried in their pockets in the 16th and 17th centuries reveal about them? WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES WASHINGTON.
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