New rare book purchase: Printed on vellum in Rome in 1601

When teaching classes and workshops on the history of the book, we frequently get asked the question, did printers ever print books on vellum instead of paper? The answer is yes, occasionally. And thanks to a recent purchase, now Special Collections and University Archives has an example to show. 

Special Collections and University Archives holds the Library’s rare book collection, which features books from the hand-press era, including the Library’s oldest book, printed in 1475. Most books were printed on paper, while vellum or parchment was most commonly used for medieval manuscripts. Parchment is specially prepared untanned skins of animals. Vellum is a particular type of parchment made from calfskin. Reference sources indicate that printing on vellum or parchment was uncommon due to both the cost and the nature of the material, but that early printers occasionally printed a few copies of a book on vellum. Turning through the pages of our new book, you can see evidence of why vellum was not as good for printing as paper in the way the ink offsets onto the opposing pages.  

Other interesting features of the book include the covers which are fragments of a leaf of a famous early European history of the world, Liber Chronicarum, printed in 1493, and commonly referred to as the Nuremberg Chronicle. This is known as a printer’s waste or bookseller’s waste. Spoiled or extra printed sheets were frequently used in many aspects of binding, and in this case, it makes for a very attractive cover.  

As you page through this book, you will notice handwritten numbers in the upper right corners of each right-handed page. Since the numbering starts with 396 and goes through 407, it is likely that this work was originally bound with a number of other works, and later separated and individually bound.  

What is this materially interesting book? The title printed on the title page is Regula Fratrum Minorum Sancti Francisci, printed in Rome in 1601. Known in English as the Rule of Saint Francis, this work governed the daily lives of the Franciscan order of monks.  

The book is being cataloged and will be available for viewing in the reading room of Special Collections and University Archives in Parks Library.