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A Heavenly Craft:
The Woodcut in Early Printed Books
15 September - 9 December 2005
An exhibition created by the Library of Congress, A Heavenly Craft: The Woodcut in Early Printed Books, presented for the first time one of America's most important collections of early woodcut-illustrated books — 84 outstanding examples of the art of woodcut illustration.
Mr. Lessing J. Rosenwald (1891-1979), retired Sears, Roebuck, and Company chairman, purchased all the woodcut-illustrated books at a C.W. Dyson Perrins (1864-1958) sale. That particular sale secured the financial future of the Royal Worcester porcelain factory.
Now part of the legendary Lessing J. Rosenwald Collection at the Library of Congress, these books were printed within the first century after Gutenberg mastered the art of printing with moveable type. They represent the evolution of this pictorial art form during the late Medieval and early Renaissance periods and document significant features of various national styles and tastes.
The exhibition also traveled to The Grolier Club, New York, from 8 December 2004 to 5 February 2005, and to The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C., from 7 April to 9 July 2005. Use the links below to get more information at each of their web sites.
The exhibition was free and open to the public from 15 September through 9 December 2005 in the Elizabeth Perkins Prothro Galleries, located at Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, 6005 Bishop Blvd., Dallas, TX 75275. For information please call (214) 768-3483.
A Heavenly Craft: The Woodcut in Early Printed Books was made possible by the generous support of Arthur Ortenberg and Elisabeth Claiborne, The Long Island Community Foundation Krasnoff Family Fund, Fred Krimendahl and Emilia Saint-Amand, and Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. (Bud) Smith. The accompanying exhibition catalogue was supported by generous gifts from the Fellowship of American Bibliophilic Societies (www.fabsbooks.org), Jonathan A. Hill, Ray and Lorraine Perryman, The Berkley Foundation, Inc., Donna L. and Robert H. Jackson, and The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation.
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