For anyone with even a passing interest in Islamic history or cartography,
'The Book of Curiosities of the Sciences and Marvels for the Eyes' site at Oxford University's Bodleian Library will provide a thoroughly interesting timesink. This recently discovered 13th/14th century copy of an 11th century Egyptian manuscript was partly based on Ptolemy and includes the oldest rectangular map of the world...not to mention the famed human-bearing
Waq-Waq tree.
[via]
posted by peacay
on Apr 5, 2007 -
7 comments
One of only ten poems published during Emily Dickinson's lifetime, the poem beginning "Safe in their Alabaster Chambers" continues to be reproduced in
conflicting versions.
Emily Dickinson Writing a Poem lets us leaf through images of Dickinson's original manuscripts and correspondences concerning the poem. According to the site, this documents surrounding this poem offer "the only example of Emily Dickinson responding directly to another reader's advice." At one point, Dickinson apparently struggled to decide between at least
three alternatives of the
much-contested second verse. Also included is a
history of the poem's early printings, providing an opportunity to note how many publications have ignored Dickinson's
idiosyncratic punctuation.
posted by treepour
on Nov 9, 2006 -
14 comments
Scattered Leaves In the early decades of the 20th century, a Cleveland book collector named
Otto Ege removed the pages from 50 medieval manuscript books, divided the pages among 40 boxes, and sold the boxes around the world. Now the University of Saskatchewan
plans to digitally
remake the book.
posted by dhruva
on May 28, 2005 -
32 comments
