The world's rarest books on show at State Library Victoria
One of the world's earliest and rarest printed English books is set to go on show at State Library Victoria, in its exhibition World of the Book: the rare, the sacred and the iconic. A second edition of William Caxton's Myrrour of the Worlde (ca. 1489-1490), valued at around $250,000 and one of only two copies in the world, will be at the centre of the exhibition. 2024 marks 550 years since the birth of English printing.
English merchant William Caxton (ca.1422 to c.1491) brought Gutenberg's printing press to England in 1474, after learning the craft in Cologne, Germany. Caxton established England's first printing press in Westminster, London, but despite many years of production, very few examples of his printing remain. State Library Victoria is fortunate to have some fragments of Caxton's work in the Collection, as well as the complete volume of Myrrour of the Worlde, acquired in 1936.
State Library Victoria Director, Collections Monika Szunejko said the Library is excited to celebrate this key anniversary in the history of English printing.
"William Caxton was first and foremost a businessman who saw an opportunity. It's likely he never imagined that by printing in English for the first time, he would help to create the English language we know today, the most widely spoken language in the world.
"Myrrour of the Worlde is an early type of encyclopaedia and the first English printed book to include illustrations. It is one of the Library's great treasures and shows how books have the power to alter the course of history."
World of the Book will display over 300 works on display from c. 2000 BCE to the present day, many for the first time.
A display exploring the history of women's suffrage will feature many exciting new acquisitions to the State Collection, including:
- Key works by women activists from the 17th and 18th centuries Mary Astell and Mary Wollstonecraft.
- Australian activist Vida Goldstein and her connection with Susan B. Anthony.
- Works by the Pankhurst dynasty of activists.
- Holloway Prison and hunger strike medals, mementos of the bravery of women who were subjected to brutal punishment in their fight for equal rights.
The new acquisitions were made possible thanks to the Library's pioneering Women Writers Fund and the support of philanthropists Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM and Helen Sykes.
State Library Victoria CEO Paul Duldig said the exhibition is a must-see for lovers of literature and history.
"World of the Book is one of the largest rare book exhibitions in the world and showcases the incredible treasures of Victoria's State Collection. The history of the suffragette movement is a particular highlight, with an exciting array of new acquisitions telling a rich story of the fight for women's political rights in Australia and internationally."
World of the Book: the rare, the sacred and the iconic has five themes:
- books and ideas
- books and imagination
- exploring the world
- art and nature
- artists and books.
Other highlights from the exhibition for 2024 include:
- first editions by Pulitzer and Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison, including The Bluest Eye (1970) and Beloved (1987)
- first editions by Haruki Murakami, including Norwegian Wood (1985)
- original Australian pulp fiction art
- Victorian contemporary artists' responses to natural history books
- Tale of Genji: the world's first novel written by a woman
- art deco and modernity in France and Japan
- woodcuts and expressionism, including the first wordless graphic novel by a woman
- the work of Victorian painter and book artist Theo Strasser
- Winnie the Pooh.
The exhibition has been running since 2005 and is completely refreshed each year with a brand-new display of highlights from the Library's Rare Books collection.
World of the Book: the rare, the sacred and the iconic opens 25 May 2024 to 18 May 2025 and is located at Dome Galleries, Level 4, State Library Victoria. Virtual tours are also available.
For more information, visit World of the Book.