News
Amid Boston Overdose Crisis, a Pair of Harvard Students Are Bringing Narcan to the Red Line
News
At First Cambridge City Council Election Forum, Candidates Clash Over Building Emissions
News
Harvard’s Updated Sustainability Plan Garners Optimistic Responses from Student Climate Activists
News
‘Sunroof’ Singer Nicky Youre Lights Up Harvard Yard at Crimson Jam
News
‘The Architect of the Whole Plan’: Harvard Law Graduate Ken Chesebro’s Path to Jan. 6
With Christmas now at hand there is a display in the Treasure Room of Widener Library, appropriate to the season. This collection consists of a number of different sorts of volumes of Christmas Carols, Songs, stories, and so forth. One of the two show-cases is quite resplendent with the characteristic bright reds, blues, and golds of illuminated manuscripts, many of which illustrate typical Christmas scenes such as the nativity. One of the most noticeable of these is "A Booke of Christmas Carols" illuminated from ancient manuscripts in the British Museum. This was edited by Joseph Cundall in London in 1846.
One of the more amusing exhibits is a book edited by Thomas Tusser in London in 1580 entitled "500 Points of Good Husbandry". The page to which it is opened enumerates the benefits for which the members of a household should be grateful on Christmas.
"A Christmas Tale" by David Garrick may also be seen. This is a first edition and is written to be played in the Theater-royal in Drury-Lane. There are several pages of water color illustrations by Randolph Caldecotte in the same case.
A 1663 edition of the John Eliot Indian Bible is one of the rarer specimens on exhibition, while nearby is a copy of "Old English Carols for Christmas" with Calligraphy by David Pottinger, who is the head of the University Press.
Want to keep up with breaking news? Subscribe to our email newsletter.