Our library houses a curated selection of rare and historically significant books that span centuries, continents, and disciplines. Each volume has been carefully preserved and documented, offering scholars, students, and curious readers a tangible connection to the past. The following list highlights the most noteworthy items, organized by thematic groups. c. 1420 Illuminated French devotional text, featuring marginalia by an unknown scribe. Bound in original calfskin with gold tooling. c. 700 The oldest surviving complete Latin Vulgate Bible, written on vellum in Northumbria. Contains unique marginal glosses. c. 958 Spanish illuminated manuscript celebrated for its vivid miniatures depicting apocalyptic visions. 1726 First edition, London: Benjamin Motte. Rare unsigned copies are prized for their original woodcut frontispiece. 1818 Original first edition from Londons Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones, notable for its preface by Percy Shelley. 1859 First British printing, London: John Murray. Includes handwritten marginal notes by a contemporary naturalist. 1902 Original watercolor illustration used for the first published edition. Signed by Potter. 1855 Limited edition printed on handmade paper by the Kelmscott Press, featuring decorative borders by William Morris. 1862 French first edition with lithographs by Gustave Dor, bound in embossed leather. c. 1300 Manuscript copy of "Il Milione" written in Venetian dialect, illuminated with maps of the Silk Road. 1839 First edition, London: John Murray. Contains original field sketches of Galpagos fauna. 1492 Early printed edition of Columbuss log, translated into Latin, bound in blue vellum. 1687 First edition, London: Royal Society. Marginal notes by Edmund Halley. 1543 Original folio, printed in Nuremberg. Rare copy with handcolored astronomical diagrams. 1916 First French edition, Paris: Payot, with authors marginal annotations on linguistic theory. All rare books are stored in climatecontrolled vaults. Researchers must schedule an appointment with the Special Collections desk. Handling protocols include: wearing cotton gloves, using book cradles, and limiting exposure to light to under 30 lux. Digital surrogates are available for most items through our online repository.Rare Books Collection
About Our Rare Books
Medieval Manuscripts
The Book of Hours (ca. 1420)
Codex Amiatinus (c. 700)
Beatus of Libana, Commentary on the Apocalypse (10thcentury)
First Editions
Gullivers Travels Jonathan Swift
Frankenstein Mary Shelley
On the Origin of Species Charles Darwin
Illustrated Works & Fine Press Books
The Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter (Original Watercolor)
Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman (First Edition, 1855)
Les Misrables Victor Hugo (Illustrated Edition)
Early Travelogues & Exploration Accounts
Travels of Marco Polo (c. 1300)
Voyage of the Beagle Charles Darwin (1839)
The Journal of Christopher Columbus (1492)
Scientific Tomes & Reference Works
Principia Mathematica Isaac Newton (1687)
De revolutionibus orbium coelestium Nicolaus Copernicus (1543)
Aphorisms on the Nature of Language Ferdinand de Saussure (1916)
Access and Handling Guidelines
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