Monday, May 10, 2010

Mirror of the World: Books & Ideas

This exhibition showcases many of the rare, beautiful and historically significant books held in the Library’s collections. Located in the galleries overlooking the magnificent La Trobe Reading Room, this exhibition celebrates the unique place of books in our hearts and minds.

Mirror of the World: Books & Ideas provides an overview of the history of book production, design and illustration, with a display of fine examples from the Library's collections dating from the Middle Ages to the present day. The title of the exhibition is taken from William Caxton’sMyrrour of the Worlde (1490), one of the first illustrated books published in England.




The exhibition is divided into five major themes:

  • Books and ideas - outlines the early history of books and printing.
  • The book and the imagination - looks at the way books and texts have been created out of the imagination, while at the same time acting imaginatively upon us.
  • Exploring the world - investigates how books have been used to explore and document the world, its landscape and topography, its inhabitants and its flora and fauna.
  • Art and nature - looks at how botanical illustration unites two worlds - the scientific and the artistic.
  • The artist and the book - highlights the art of the book and the role of the artist in its production.

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