The Harry Ransom Center continues to monitor the local and global developments related to COVID-19, as well as changes in university guidelines.
[Read more…] about Modified research services offered remotely
Books + Manuscripts
Picturing the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries
The Ransom Center’s Spring 2020 Stories to Tell exhibition features some of the earliest printed examples of illustrated English plays. [Read more…] about Picturing the plays of Shakespeare and his contemporaries
Conservators painstakingly remove glue that binds
Kress Paper Conservation Fellow Emily Farek, working with paper conservators Ken Grant and Jane Boyd, describes the painstaking work of removing modern adhesive from the back of this very large (10′ x 7′) 1648 Dutch map titled, Nova totius terrarum orbis tabula, commonly known as the Blaeu World Map. [Read more…] about Conservators painstakingly remove glue that binds
Revealing an English Schoolmaster’s Piers Plowman
Most of the books that came to The University of Texas at Austin as part of the John Henry Wrenn Library didn’t look like old books when they arrived in 1918 and still don’t look old now—not as old, at least, as the publication dates of the printed pages inside would suggest. [Read more…] about Revealing an English Schoolmaster’s Piers Plowman
Seeing stars in the Blaeu World Map
A fascinating project to preserve and display the iconic 1648 Dutch world map is now underway. In previous blog posts, we revealed the history of the Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula (Blaeu World Map) and the family of cartographers, globe makers, printers, and publishers who created it. We also have discussed the science and conservation taking place to prepare the Texas-sized 371-year-old map (learn more about the map) for public display. [Read more…] about Seeing stars in the Blaeu World Map
The conservation behind the Blaeu World Map
In an earlier blog post, we shared the science behind the Blaeu World Map. This week, Kress Paper Conservation Fellow Emily Farek dives into the treatment taking place to help extend the life of this unique 371-year-old wall map created by Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu in 1648. [Read more…] about The conservation behind the Blaeu World Map