Collections

The Printing & Book Arts History Collection

The Printing and Book Arts History Collection is the most diverse grouping of materials in the Sacramento Room. Included are fine press books, incunabula, antique books, and books that are considered works of art.

A fine press considers beauty an integral element of a book's design. The typography, binding, and origin and weight of the paper used reflect the taste and vision of the printers and their associates.

Books in this collection range in age from the 15th century to the present. Below is a "best seller" from 1490 titled Fasciculus Temporum, Ownes Antiquarum, Chronicas Complectens. A history of the world that went through some 30 printings before news of Columbus's discovery reached the known world, its paper, bound between wooden boards, still looks white and fresh after over 500 years of use.

Martha on Copper Mountain (at right) is a creation of noted book artist Joe D'Ambrosio. It is a six-sided wonder and resides in a custom made hexagonal box of Plexiglas. The book itself is covered in ostrich-grained leather and each 'page' is a marvel of design and detail.

Pop-up books are another example of the diversity of the book arts. Enthusiastically received by the children who visit the Sacramento Room, these books are a source of enjoyment for adults as well.