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

Rare 1596 prayer book discovered at McMaster University thrills librarian

“This book was discovered during Holy Week for Christians,” says Reverend Monsieur

While preparing for an exhibition of works published by the renowned Plantin Press, Ruth-Ellen St.Onge, librarian of the Special Collections Catalog at McMaster University, came across something that made her “heart beat faster” with excitement.

“On the comprehensive list of short titles, I saw a note that said ‘Lost Book,’ and I was so excited,” she told CBC Hamilton.

The rare book, called Officium beatae Mariae virginis, or “Book of Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” was published by the Plantin Press in 1596 and is written in Latin. These types of books, with their regular daily prayers, were often used by religious people and devout Christians, and because of their everyday use, few copies have survived.

St-Ange said the term “lost book” means that researchers knew the book had been printed, but no copies had ever been found.

After careful research, he shared the news with his boss and Myron Grover, the university’s rare books and archives librarian, who were co-planning the exhibition.

“This discovery is important not only for McMaster but for the entire scholarly community, because no copy of this particular book had ever been found before, and many small, religious books published by the Plantin Press have not survived,” he said.

He also said he had sent photos of the book to the Plantin Press Museum in Belgium, and they were thrilled. He plans to go there this summer to do more research and talk to museum officials.

The book has been at the university since 1965

The book has been owned by McMaster University since 1965 and previously belonged to an Italian professor named Aldo Caselli, who immigrated to the United States during World War II.

“He had about 100 books from the Italian Renaissance, and the university bought his collection,” said St.-Onge. “But this particular book, published in Antwerp and in Latin, is a little strange because it’s not Italian.”

The physical condition of the book is very good

The book contains 645 pages, is printed in red and black ink, is very small (about 7 centimeters high) and fits in the palm of your hand. Its cover probably dates from the late 18th century, which has helped preserve the book well over time.

The role of women in book printing

One of the interesting aspects of this discovery is the participation of women in the book printing process. The daughter of the founder of the Plantin Press, Martina, and her husband, Jean Riviere, played a key role. Also involved was the printer Lincoln van Lancoult, who worked on copperplate engravings from 1594 to 1600. Her mother, Minken Liefrink, had also worked for Plantin.

A late discovery

The book was listed in the library, but its importance was not recognized due to the lack of specialized resources at the time, Saint-Ange explained.

“We knew we had this book, but we didn’t know how rare it was. This discovery is like rediscovering it.”

Of the approximately 75,000 copies printed by the Plantin Press between 1589 and 1610, only 81 copies survive, making it the only known copy of this size with copperplate engravings.

Religious and historical significance

The Reverend Monsignor Murray Crouch, of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Hamilton, said the book provides a glimpse into the way Christians prayed in the 16th and 17th centuries and is a valuable resource for religious scholars.

“The discovery coincides with the holiest week of the Christian calendar and is a reminder that our worship is deeply rooted in ancient traditions.”

The book will be on display at the McMaster Libraries exhibition beginning in early May. A digital version will also be available. St. Augustine said it is updating its catalogue information to capture the book’s true value and plans to publish a scholarly paper on the subject.

Source