Events
The Book Beautiful opens

The Book Beautiful opens

Name: The Book Beautiful opens
Start: 2015-03-02 10:00:00 +0000
End: 2015-05-22 17:00:00 +0000
Location: Turnbull Gallery, National Library Wellington

Monday 2 March 2015 to Friday 22 May 2015

Turnbull Gallery, Level 1, National Library, corner Molesworth and Aitken Streets, Thorndon, Wellington

ruth.lightbourne@dia.govt.nz

Free

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The new Turnbull Gallery exhibition includes some of the most beautiful items we hold.

Some of the most beautiful books in the Turnbull

Runs from 2 March – 22 May 2015 | 10am – 5pm, Monday – Saturday | Level one

Details of items from the exhibitions, showing a modernist cover, an illuminated medieval representation of philosophy, and a gilded Islamic illumination. — Details of L-R: Brendan O’Brien, Magnolia tree, 2001; Historiated initial ‘I’ Boethius, Consolatio Philosophiae ca. 1425–1450; Illuminated opening page, Sadi, Gulistan (1649)

Beautiful books are a joy to the beholder, whether for reading or just for looking at, and throughout history there have been people who have made them, people who have read them, and people who have collected them.

Come in for a rare glimpse of some stunning examples of the art of the book. Selected by Ruth Lightbourne, Curator of the Rare Book Collection, this beautiful and exquisite grouping includes medieval manuscripts, early hand-printed works from the 15th century, the finest examples of the 19th and early 20th century private press movement, embroidered and jewelled bookbindings, and more.

A New Zealand section features a specially commissioned work by Auckland printer Tara McLeod of the Pear Tree Press. This exhibition is also your chance to buy one of four copies from the limited run of 12 from the Library’s ground floor shop.

Doublures for a volume of Eliot's Romola. — Elaborately decorated doublures on Eliot, Romola (1880). ‘Fazakerley Binder Liverpool’ is stamped in gold at the lower edge. The right-hand leaf is watered silk. Record page

The Book Beautiful celebrates the glory of the physical book, something which cannot be replicated in a digital environment. This exhibition is also a tribute to New Zealand’s earlier collectors who assembled much of this material.