WMU Research Guides: Special Collections and Rare Book Department: Medieval and Early Modern Collections

Medieval Studies at WMU

Illuminated thirteenth century missal leaf, France (WMU MS 108)

Medieval Studies at WMU Subject Guide
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describes primarily electronic resources for medieval studies at WMU for graduate study
The Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University
Center for Cistercian and Monastic Studies
Medieval Studies Academic Program at WMU
International Congress on Medieval Studies
Richard Rawlinson Center for Anglo-Saxon Studies and Manuscript Research
Obrecht Collection Map
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Dom Edmond Obrecht Collection of Gethsemani Abbey mapped onto Google earth by WMU Libraries Map Coordinator, Jason Glatz.

Medieval and Early Modern Collections: Introduction

Medieval

The Special Collections and Rare Book Department has substantial holdings for Medieval Studies. These include medieval manuscripts (both codices and documents), facsimiles of manuscripts (of various types) and secondary works (including reference works, monographs and working papers of medievalists). The original manuscripts and facsimiles are primarily focused on medieval Europe and cover a wide range of topics. All of these materials are included in the on-line catalog, but some additional resources have been developed for teaching and research.

Facsimile of a mid-fifteenth century handbook for health produced in the Rhineland. A Latin text translated from an Arabic treatise by eleventh century physician, Ibn Butlan of Baghdad (BnF MS Lat. Ms. Lat. 9333, Paris)

We strive to provide our manuscript collection in digitized form and the collection in progress is available at Digitized Medieval Manuscripts. This resource includes both manuscripts owned by WMU and some materials which were on loan here, but are now held at Gethsemani Abbey in Trappist, KY.

Early Modern

The department also holds a large body of sources for the study of the Early Modern Period of European history: manuscripts, incunabula, Hand Press Period books, facsimiles and secondary sources. Subjects include (but are not limited to) religious commentaries and sermons, theology, philosophy, poetry, fiction, travel accounts, natural science, medicine, law, studies of dress/costume. Records for all of these materials are searchable in the online catalog.

Volvelle in Della Fabrica et Uso di Diversi Stromenti di Astronomia et Cosmografia... Venice, printed by Ruberto Meietti, 1598, held in WMU Special Collections.

WMU Medieval Manuscripts
This catalog of descriptions of WMU-owned manuscripts and fragments includes a full numerical listing of the collection, but descriptions are only provided for Mss. 102, 104-159. Mss. 160 and beyond do not yet have full descriptions, but what information is available can be accessed on request.
Manuscripts Co-owned with the Newberry Library

William John Cameron Collection
William John Cameron (1878-1955) was a journalist and public relations representative at Ford Motor Company in the early twentieth century. He collected numerous books covering a wide variety of subjects over his lifetime. The collection of his books at WMU Libraries Special Collections was acquired via purchase and donation through the Baggerman family of Kalamazoo in 2015. It is primarily comprised of books printed in the United Kingdom between the sixteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Subjects include (but are not limited to) theology, biblical commentaries, law, philosophy, heraldry, British monarchy, natural science, politics, literature, as well as Anglican and non-conformist religious thought. (*the majority of this collection is in the process of being cataloged. As they become available, materials in this collection will be searchable in WMU Libraries online catalog.)
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Highlights from this collection include a first edition of Sir Isaac Newton's 'Observations on the Prophecies of Daniel and the Apocalypse (1733), a complete set of Elias Ashmole's 'Institution, Laws and Ceremonies of the Noble Order of the Garter' (1672), and the 'Complete Works of John Milton both English & Latin' (1698).
John Tedeschi Rare Italian Reformation Collection
John Tedeschi is a distinguished academic librarian emeritus (former Curator of Special Collections at University of Wisconsin, Madison) and an Italian Renaissance scholar. In 1982, he donated a collection of rare books relating to the Italian Reformation to WMU's Medieval Institute. The books are now housed in Special Collections and are searchable via WMU Libraries online catalog.

Scholarly Papers, Correspondence and other Archival Collections

The scholarly papers of medievalists can provide insight into their work and methods as well as allow scholars to find out about unpublished research which will further current projects. WMU Special Collections has several small sets of working papers of medievalists: some are listed below and some are associated with our Cistercian Collections. Some collections remain uncataloged and will be added as they become available for consultation.

R. H. C. Davis Collection, 1773-1990
R.H.C. Davis (1918-1991) began his teaching career in 1947 and eventually became the head of the History Department at the University of Birmingham, where he remained until 1984. The collection consists of personal papers, primarily notebooks containing architectural notes and sketches of medieval and other structures in Great Britain, Europe and the Middle East.
Edward B. Irving, Jr. Old English Collection, 1930-2001
The Edward B. Irving, Jr. collection was donated jointly to Special Collections and the Medieval Institute by Professor Irving's wife, Dr. Judith Moffett, after his death. Edward Irving (1923-1998) was a professor of English at the University of Pennsylvania, specializing in medieval literature.
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Some of his works include: An Introduction to Beowulf (1969), Reading Beowulf (1968), and Rereading Beowulf (1989). He also co-edited Old English Studies in Honour of John C. Pope. This archive includes class lectures, articles concerning critical studies of medieval literature such as Beowulf and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, as well as typescript chapters of Irving's books with revision notes.
The Aelfric Archive, 1886-1998
The Aelfric Archive was a gift from Professor Luke Reinsma of Seattle Pacific University, author of Aelfric: An Annotated Bibliography. This bibliography is the basis for this collection. The collection consists of offprints, photocopies, and drafts of articles that appear in the bibliography.
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The Aelfric archive includes articles and papers written about Aelfric, Abbot of Eynsham, who lived from approximately 955 to 1020 C.E. Aelfric is particularly known as the author of the Anglo-Saxon Homilies, a translator of the Holy Scripture, and as a writer on sermons, grammar and poetry in Old English and Latin. The Archive primarily contains copies of critical studies pertaining to Aelfric's work and the literature he produced. Most of the articles in the Archive are photocopies of the originals.
Bryce Lyon Correspondence Collection (1949-2007)
Correspondence between medieval historian Bryce Lyon (1920-2007) and other scholars in the United States, United Kingdom and Belgium. The topics of the correspondence mostly relate to Lyon’s research on aspects of the social and economic histories of the Low Countries and England during the medieval period, but include personal exchanges, as well.
Facsimile Leaves Collection, 1996-2013
Facsimile leaf samples distributed by vendors. Reproductions of leaves of various medieval and Early Modern texts. In some cases correspondence and descriptions of full facsimile products are included.

Subject and Course Guides

Special Collections and Rare Book Department: Medieval and Early Modern Collections

Medieval Studies at WMU

Medieval and Early Modern Collections: Introduction

Scholarly Papers, Correspondence and other Archival Collections