Highlights from the Bridwell Library Special Collections
Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University is offering a rare look at the highlights of its special collections in Highlights, an exhibition that runs through July 30, 2010.
Bridwell Library at Southern Methodist University is offering a closer look at some of the treasures from its special collections in Highlights, an exhibition that runs through August 13, 2010.
 Click here to a slide show of samples from the exhibit. |
The fifty manuscripts, printed books, and broadsides selected for this exhibition represent the core strengths of Bridwell Library’s rare book collections.
Produced in Europe and the Americas from the twelfth century to the nineteenth, the highlights on display feature illuminated manuscripts and early editions of essential Christian writings, important examples that show the role of books in religious practice, texts owned and inscribed by the founders of Methodism, and several true rarities not found at other libraries.
The exhibition, open to the public during regular library hours, is organized around six areas of interest:
- Bibles
- Theology and Church History
- Worship and Devotion
- The Reformation
- Wesleyana and Methodistica
- 19th-Century Prayer Books
These categories outline the trajectory of Christian thought from the medieval period through the Reformation to the rise of Methodism and nineteenth-century devotion.
Beyond their significance as Christian texts, numerous items throughout the exhibition also display important aspects of book production, fine illustrations, and evidence of early ownership and use. Collectively, these varied books and manuscripts reflect the uncommonly strong foundation for advanced research that Bridwell Library provides for Perkins School of Theology and all visitors to SMU.
More about the exhibit, including additional images.