The trip was organised by Calligraphy Southscribes and featured a viewing of a facsimile copy of the Book of Kells and one of the Saint John's Bible (Donald Jackson). After wetting our appetites with these two we were allowed to view four rare books from the 15th and 16th centuries brought up from the safe for us.
One was a miniature prayer book and the illustrations were exquisite, representing the goings on at different times of the year. It was the equivalent of a camera today and allowed this generation of reader a glimpse into a world now gone. Another one of the books had an intricately carved cover of ivory on it.
Add to this the beautiful calligraphy and the books or manuscripts were delicate works of art.
In contrast the Saint John's Bible held page after page of modern interpretations of both hands and illustrations. Some pages awoke the eye with rich and colourful works while others were subtle and gentle in their execution. It was interesting to be able to determine when a new calligrapher took up the pen as they displayed their own nuances in the writing.
All in all it was a great visit and I would recommend making a time with the lovely Librarians and Library Technician of the Rare Books and Manuscript section of the N.S.W. State Library. Lynette, Rene and the other young lady who helped out deserve our support, as do our libraries in general.
http://www.sl.nsw.gov.au/
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