Book History
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Flora Americae (1814), Frederick Pursh Annotations such as these made by William Darlington in his copy of a book by fellow botanist Frederick Pursh tell us a great deal about the way books were read and used. |
Printed books in Special Collections date from 1476 and include many significant titles. In addition, we hold countless manuscripts, ephemera, author’s papers, broadsides, pamphlets, and more. Our holdings provide opportunities to study all major aspects of the book as a material item, including its paper, binding, printing, and distribution. Further opportunities exist to investigate book ownership, reader reception, and the business of publishing.