400 Years of Lambeth Palace Library's Treasures Lambeth Palace Library, published by Scala, documents the Library’s treasures, founded by the will of Archbishop Bancroft in 1610, presenting a fascinating and richly historical collection.
News-Antique.com - May 09,2010 - James I described Lambeth Palace Library as ‘a monument of fame’ in his kingdom. It is the historic library of the Archbishops of Canterbury; its records date from the 9th century to the present day. In this new collection of treasures from the Library, released in conjunction with the 400th Anniversary Exhibition taking place from 17 May until 23 July 2010, sixty items are reproduced in glorious detail alongside extended expert commentary. These include illuminated manuscripts from the Middle Ages such as the MacDurnan Gospels and Hours of Richard III; manuscripts from the Tudor and Stuart eras, the Carew papers – the Irish papers and collections of George Carew (1555-1629), created Earl of Totnes in 1626, a letter from Elizabeth I on her recovery from smallpox and the execution warrant for Mary Queen of Scots; early printed books, among them a Gutenberg Bible with English illumination, possibly the first printed book to come to England, and Elizabeth I’s own prayer book with her portrait. Later items include the medical reports on the madness of George III and the Golden Cockerel Press Four Gospels, one of the masterpieces of Eric Gill. An introduction by Dr Palmer traces the history of the Library and sets the selected treasures in the wider context of the Library’s collections, complete with a forward by the present Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.
Lambeth Palace Library is the first book to document the Library’s treasures, founded by the will of Archbishop Bancroft in 1610, and a superb new addition to Scala’s series on the Great Libraries of the World, presenting a fascinating and richly historical collection. Beautifully produced and illustrated its publication of this new glossy publication coincides with ‘Treasures of Lambeth Palace Library – 400th Anniversary Exhibition 1610 – 2010’, which opens from Monday 17 May until Friday 23 July 2010 in central London. Taking place in Lambeth Palace’s Great Hall, this is a unique opportunity for members of the public to visit the hall, which usually only opens one day a year as part of ‘Open House’ in the autumn. Unlike Open House, for the ten weeks of the exhibition many of the Lambeth Palace Library’s amazing treasures, accumulated by the Archbishops of Canterbury over the past four centuries and featured in the book, are on view.
Dr. Richard Palmer was Librarian and Archivist of Lambeth Palace Library from 1991 until his retirement in January 2010. He was formerly Curator of Western Manuscripts at the Wellcome Institute and honorary lecturer in the history of medicine at University College London.
Michelle Brown is Professor of Medieval Manuscript Studies at the School of Advanced Study, University of London. She was formerly Curator of Medieval and Illuminated Manuscripts at the British Library.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
Lambeth Palace Library is designated as an outstanding collection of pre-eminent national and international importance by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council.
Book Title: ‘Lambeth Palace Library: Treasures from the Collection of the Archbishops of Canterbury’, edited by Dr Richard Palmer and
