Worth Its Weight in Gold Printing
Since Florida State University joined the Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies Consortium in fall 2018, I have had the incredible opportunity to travel to the Newberry Library on two occasions. In September 2018, I attended the symposium “Emblems and Empire: Emblematica Politica in Early Modern Nürnberg” and research methods workshop “Physical and Virtual Emblematica.” In addition to providing a platform for learning from and networking with established art historians and scholars of emblem studies, the research methods workshop led by Professor Mara Wade provided an excellent introduction to the Newberry Library’s impressive collection of early modern emblem books and online resources for emblem studies.
I recently returned in March 2019 to conduct dissertation research from the library’s outstanding rare books collection. A particular highlight of the research trip was examining two editions of Konrad Peutinger’s Romanae vetustatis fragmenta (one printed in red and black, another printed in red, black, and gold on vellum) printed in Augsburg by Erhard Ratdolt in 1505, side-by-side. The opportunity to examine both editions simultaneously proved invaluable to my continuing research on Peutinger’s collection of antiquities and the representation of Augsburg’s local antiquity during the early modern period.
In addition to its rich collections, the Newberry Library offers a uniquely stimulating space and colloquial environment; it has been a joy over the past two semesters to build relationships with specialists on staff, established researchers, and fellow emerging scholars at the Newberry Library, who have all generously and enthusiastically welcomed a new member into their community.
Rachel Carlisle
Art History
Florida State University