Rare Catholic prayer book printed in 1596 uncovered at McMaster University had librarian 'freaking out'

Ruth-Ellen St. Onge was engaged preparing for an upcoming accumulation that volition showcase a assortment of texts published by the renowned Plantin Press erstwhile she saw thing successful the McMaster University Libraries catalog records that had her "freaking out."

"I saw this enactment connected thing called the cosmopolitan abbreviated rubric catalog that said 'lost book,' and my bosom started beating truly fast," St. Onge told CBC Hamilton. 

"I was like, oh, what's going connected here?" 

St. Onge — McMaster University Libraries' distinctive collections cataloguing librarian — uncovered a uncommon publication titled Officium beatae Mariae virginis, which translates to The Book of Hours of the Virgin Mary, published by Plantin Press successful 1596.

The tiny supplication book, which the nationalist tin presumption successful aboriginal May, was written successful Latin and sold crossed Europe, typically purchased by devout Catholics oregon members of spiritual orders. Known arsenic a 'book of hours' for its structured prayers designated for circumstantial times of day, these volumes were often utilized daily, making their endurance implicit centuries rather rare, according to the university.

St. Onge said the word 'lost book' indicates that scholars knew from fiscal records that these books were printed, but nary copies were known to exist.

After treble checking her work, St. Onge said she shared the quality with her brag and with workfellow Myron Groover, archives and uncommon books librarian, with whom she's co-curating the Plantin Press exhibit.

"It's precise breathtaking for McMaster and I deliberation for scholars successful general, due to the fact that not lone are determination nary surviving copies of this circumstantial variation of The Book of Hours, astir of the tiny format books of hours produced by the Plantin Press bash not survive, truthful there's lone a handful," St. Onge said.

"So, it's truly important that we person this publication astatine McMaster."

St. Onge said she's besides sent an e-mail, which included immoderate photos of the book, to the Plantin Press Museum successful Belgium. 

"The curator there, whose sanction is Zanna van Loon, she wrote backmost and she said they were precise excited to perceive this news." 

"Actually, I had already planned to spell determination this summertime to bash immoderate probe connected different book, truthful present I'll beryllium researching some of these books and gathering with the curator determination to talk successful person. So, that's precise breathtaking arsenic well." 

University acquired the publication successful 1965

St. Onge said the publication had been astatine McMaster University since 1965.

Its erstwhile proprietor was Aldo Caselli, an Italian prof who moved to the United States during World War II.

"He had a postulation of astir 100 oregon truthful books from the Italian Renaissance and McMaster acquired that postulation from him successful 1965," St. Onge explained. 

"We're not definite wherever helium acquired this book, and due to the fact that this publication was really not Italian — it was published successful Antwerp successful Latin —  it's a spot antithetic successful that collection."

Book 'in beauteous bully shape'

According to St. Onge, the publication has 645 pages, is printed successful reddish and achromatic ink, is "quite sturdy"and "very small."

"It's astir 7 centimetres precocious and it's rather a small, heavy small book. It fits astir successful the thenar of my hand," she said.

"The binding is astir apt not original. The binding I would accidental is astir apt from the precocious 18th period and it's protected the publication precise good and truthful we tin look astatine it cautiously and not interest excessively overmuch astir it falling apart.

"So, it has been good cared for successful its lifetime, and since 1965 it's been astatine McMaster wherever we've had somesthesia and humidity power and unafraid facilities for astir of that time, truthful it's successful beauteous bully shape, considering however aged it is," she added.  

Women progressive successful producing book

Another crushed wherefore this publication is truly fascinating, St. Onge said, is that women were progressive successful producing it. 

They see Plantain Press laminitis Christophe Plantin's daughter, Martina, arsenic good arsenic his widow Jeanne Rivière.

"The sanction of Jeanne Rivière … appeared connected Plantin Press books printed betwixt 1589 and her decease successful 1596, arsenic she was inactive progressive successful the household business," St. Onge said.

There is simply a sanction that does not look connected the book, but which I deliberation is important to mention. That is of the pistillate printer, Lynken Van Lanckvelt. She was employed by [Plantin Press] from 1594 to 1600 to people copper engraving illustrations for books. These illustrations had to beryllium printed separately from the text, connected a rolling press. Lynken's mother, Mynken Liefrinck, was besides a printer who worked for Christophe Plantin."

'We knew we had it … We conscionable didn't recognize the significance'

St. Onge said contempt being listed arsenic lost, it was known that McMaster had the book, though its value was not emphasized successful catalogue descriptions. This is due to the fact that the publication was acquired by McMaster anterior to the work of the archetypal large Plantin Press bibliography. 

"We knew we had it, idiosyncratic cataloged it erstwhile it was acquired. We conscionable didn't recognize the value of the publication until present due to the fact that of each these caller resources that are disposable to us," St. Onge said. 

"It was mislaid successful the consciousness that the Plantin scholars and bibliographers had ne'er seen a transcript and 1 hasn't been described before. It's benignant of similar we're rediscovering it." 

Of astir 75,000 copies printed by the Plantin Press betwixt 1589 and 1610, lone 81 surviving copies person been identified, with McMaster's being the lone known surviving transcript printed successful this size and format with copper engraved illustrations. 

According to St. Onge, galore of these books did not survive, owing to a operation of their tiny size, extended mundane use, and the ways spiritual signifier changed implicit time.  

'News of the find is timely'

Chancellor of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, Msgr. Murray Kroetsch, said the publication provides a bully penetration into however Christians, astir particularly members of spiritual institutes prayed each time successful the precocious 16th and aboriginal 17th period and an important superior root for liturgical scholars who survey the Church's nationalist prayer. 

"The quality of the find is timely arsenic the Christian satellite enters the holiest week of the twelvemonth and volition stitchery publically to observe 1 of the astir cardinal mysteries of our faith," Kroetsch wrote successful an email to CBC Hamilton.

"[It's] a bully reminder that arsenic we commune today, we are participating successful a profoundly rooted contented of nationalist Christian supplication and devotion."

Wade Wyckoff, subordinate assemblage librarian astatine McMaster University Libraries, said uncovering the value of the publication highlights the value of archives and probe collections. 

"The hidden peculiar collections task is proving tremendously valuable," Wyckoff said. 

"We are cataloguing hundreds of items successful our postulation for the archetypal clip done this work, and, arsenic breathtaking arsenic it is to unfastened those caller resources for use, we are besides making important discoveries astir our collections by revisiting antecedently catalogued materials. 

"This project, on with the enactment done by others successful the department, emphasizes the value of preserving, describing, and returning to these uncommon and unsocial resources,"  Wyckoff added.

Meanwhile, St. Onge said the publication volition beryllium included successful the upcoming grounds astatine the McMaster University Libraries archives starting successful aboriginal May.

"So [people] could look astatine it successful person, it'll beryllium down a solid case," she said.

"There'll [also] beryllium an online mentation of that exhibit, truthful if you can't travel successful idiosyncratic to McMaster, you tin look astatine the online version."

St. Onge said she is moving connected updating catalogue records to bespeak the book's significance, and she besides plans to constitute a abbreviated nonfiction successful a scholarly diary to pass others of the book's existence.