Western Libraries Special Collections owns 34 leaves from books written and illustrated by hand in Europe during the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries, including this page from a book of hours created around 1450.
Books of hours were Christian prayerbooks used by laypeople and the first books widely owned and used by women, says Special Collections Librarian Michael Taylor.
While we often think of medieval manuscripts being written by monks, the majority of the leaves in Western’s collection are from a period when they were being made in workshops by lay scribes. Pages like this are a window into the history and culture of the Middle Ages, Taylor says, and they’re one of the main sources of surviving medieval art.
Taylor adds that the books also played an important role in spreading literacy in medieval Europe, where literacy rates were probably no more than 5 percent.
“They are some of the most frequently used items in our collection, and every quarter we get them out to show to students in courses on history, religion, art, and literature,” Taylor says. “Students are always fascinated by them and are surprised that they can actually encounter something from the Middle Ages right here on campus!”
