A Guide to the Rosenthal Medieval Manuscript Collection, ca. 1400 - 1767 Rosenthal Medieval Manuscripts, ca. 1400-1767 9772-a

A Guide to the Rosenthal Medieval Manuscript Collection, ca. 1400 - 1767

A Collection in
The Special Collections Department
Accession Number 9772-a

Special Collections Department, University of Virginia Library

Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library
University of Virginia
Charlottesville, Virginia 22904-4110
USA
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Funding: Web version of the finding aid funded in part by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Processed by: Special Collections Department

Repository

Special Collections, University of Virginia Library

Accession number

9772-a

Title

Rosenthal Medieval Manuscript Collection, ca. 1400 - 1767.

Physical Characteristics

This collection contains seventy manuscripts.

Collector

Bernard M. Rosenthal

Language

English

Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Use Restrictions

See the University of Virginia Library’s use policy.

Preferred Citation

Rosenthal Medieval Manuscript Collection, Accession # 9772-a, Special Collections Dept., University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

This collection was purchased from Bernard M. Rosenthal, San Francisco, CA, on January 14, 1972.

Scope and Content Information

The Rosenthal Medieval Manuscript Collection was assembled by Bernard M. Rosenthal to serve as examples of the development of Latin script from the ninth to the sixteenth century. In describing the collection, Mr. Rosenthal wrote:

"The collection is primarily a tool, a laboratory, for teaching medieval Latin paleography and codicology. The range is such, however, that it can be used in other disciplines: the musicologist will find a good representation of medieval musical notation, the classicist can illustrate techniques of text identification and critical text editing, [and] the number of legal documents if sufficient for acquiring the basic skills of diplomatics.

"Practically all Western scripts are represented: Carolingian minuscules, Gothic minuscules, various types of bⴡrde, cursives, the Italian round Gothic and "littera bononiensis," the humanistic minuscule and cursive, and the legal hands ranging from the neat deeds of the Bologna notaries to the "illegible" common law hands of 17th-century England. The countries of origin are Italy, Spain, France, Germany, and England.

"Most leaves are vellum, but some of the later ones are paper; sizes range from small 8vo to large folio. The state of preservation varies: many of the leaves have at one time served as covers of archival bundles or book-bindings and now show corresponding traces of use: fading, stains, cut edges, remains of glue, pen-and-ink scrawls, etc. Other leaves are in perfect condition. In all cases, even when the specimen consists of only a fragment of a leaf, there is enough text to establish the characteristics of the script. The variable quality of preservation and the fragmentary nature of the material reflect the reality which confronts the scholar working with medieval primary sources."

Contents List

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Probably Flemish. Unidentified ecclesiastical text. (Missale?) This script is also called Textualis Gothica formata. 2 specimens.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule Textualis Gothica Formata, 15th century.

Flemish Book of Hours. Double leaf, the second one blank but ruled.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

France. From a calendar (November / December). A characteristic late French Gothic batarde minuscule.

Box 1

Insular Minuscule, late 15th century.

England.

Box 1

Humanistic Minuscule, 15th century.

Italy. Cicero, De amicitia. Double leaf.

Box 1

Printed Gothique Batarde, 15th/16th century.

Paris. Two characteristic leaves, printed on vellum, from a Livre d'Heures. Unidentified but probably Paris, ca. 1500. The initials are entered by hand, the surrounding decoration is metal-cut.

Box 1

Roman Type, ca. 1518.

Paris: Hardouyn. The use of this Roman type was rather unusual for Livres d'Heures. This one, too, is printed on vellum and has the initials filled in by hand.

Box 1

Gothic Type, 15th/16th century.

Germany. Unidentified printed fragment, on vellum, which at first sight could be taken for a manuscript.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, ca. 1400.

Italy? From a service book. Antoher example of Gothica Textualis formata.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Germany? Lectionary? Note the resemblance to printing type of the same period.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Liturgical text. Humanistic influence is evident in the script.

Box 1

Humanistic Gothic, 15th century.

Italy. Liturgical text. Humanistic influence is stronger in this script than in the preceding one.

Box 1

Text Minuscule, ca. 1400?

Italy? Pontificale (Benedictio cevrei Paschalis). The script is very difficult to date and could be earlier. Note the use of ... above abbreviated words.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, ca. 1400.

Italy. Breviary? Double leaf.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

France. Livres d'Heures, in French. Very characteristic for the standard type of prayer book as oposed to the deluxe illuminated kind.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Probably Germany. Commune sanctorum (from a Breviary?). Double leaf.

Box 1

Batarde Minuscule Cursive, 15th century.

Lowlands? Prayer Book. Double leaf.

Box 1

Cursive, 15th century.

Italy? Sermon on old age. On paper. There is little, if any, humanistic influence on this script.

Box 1

Various scripts, 15th/16th century.

Probably Poland. Two calendar leaves, containing numerous names and obits. The calendar leaves are 15th century; the entries are from the 15th century to about 1575. The names all point to Poland as the place of origin. The scripts range from an accomplished Gothic minuscule to a hasty cursive.

Box 1

Text Cursive, 15th century.

Italy. Unidentified mathematical text on paper.

Box 1

Late Cursive, 15th/16th century.

Italy. Two paper leaves from a scientific manuscript: wind rise and astronomical diagrams.

Box 1

Humanistic Text Cursive, 15th century.

Italy. Unidentified schema, apparently related to commercial topics.

Box 1

Gothic Cursive, ca. 1500.

Germany. Latin grammar, 6 leaves. A characteristic, neatly written German cursive. Probably the grammar was written by a student for his own use.

Box 1

Papal document, signed "Spinola," 1618.

Rome. Part of the seal box intact.

Box 1

Papal document, 1767.

Box 1

Cursive, 1419.

Italy. Inventory ... mostly clothes and household articles ... hastily drawn up by a notary, probably for probate.

Box 1

Papal Chancery Minuscule, 1443.

Siena. Papal bull addressed to the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of Scalocchio, Città di Castello. Issued by Pope Eugene IV while at Siena. Without the seal.

Box 1

Insular Minuscule, ca. 1475.

England. Missale. Double leaf. A traditional English liturgical hand, based on 13th-century models.

Box 1

Humanistic Cursive, 15th century.

Italy. Unidentified Roman history (the Civil War). Double leaf, with mirror offset of the incunable it served as binding. The script is a cursive textualis.

Box 1

Roman Type, 15th century.

Italy. Classical poem. The leaf clearly illustrates the influence of the humanistic hand on type design.

Box 1

Gothic Liturgical Type, 15th century.

Germany. Missale (Kanon), printed on vellum. Unidentified edition, ca. 1500. A striking example of the influence of gothic script on early type design.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Italy. Antiphonale, with music on 4-line staves. Note the intricate penwork in the initial F.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Schedel, Hartmann, Liber chronicarum, 1493.

Nuremberg: Koberger. A leaf (fol. 282) from the famed Schedel chronicle (Goff S-307).

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Liturgical type and music, 16th century.

France. Unidentified edition of an Antiphonale, printed on vellum, the music on 5-line staves. With anthropomorphic initials. A striking example of the survival of much earlier models. Double leaf.

Box 1

Gothic Minuscule, 15th century.

Italy. Missale, with neumes. Double leaf.

Box 1

Gothic Type, 15th century.

Germany. Missale? Printed on vellum; the similarity to contemporary manuscripts is enhanced by some of the red initials; printed or manuscript? Double leaf.

Box 1

Humanistic Gothic, 15th century.

Italy. Epistola in evengelistis. The script, though basically Gothic, shows marked humanistic influence.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Cursive, mid-15th century.

Ferrara. Legal contract involving one "Dominus Raynaldus de Ariostis" -- perhaps an ancestor of the poet. Very characteristic script used in this type of transaction; date unfortunately cut off.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Batarde Minuscule, 15th century.

France. XX. Comment le roy doit estir doctible en persuasion (Du regimes des princes?). Text in French. A highly developed and elegant batarde.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document, 1507.

In French.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document, 1531.

In French.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document, 1564.

In French.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document (real estate transaction), 1555.

Padova. Note that the script is very close to Cancelleresca.

Box 1

Notarial document, 1522.

Nice (S. France).

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document: last will, 1521.

Prato (Italy).

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document: sale of land, 1548.

Barcelona. This item is also available on microfilm reel M-205.

Box 1

Notarial document, 1538/40.

England. With seal intact.

Box 1

Latin bond, 1547-1548.

With seal intact.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial document, 1626.

England.

Box 1

3 specimens of "Common law hand," 1667-1696.

Westminster.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Cursive, 1466.

Italy (Siena). Very long legal document detailing the purchase of several pieces of land. Three pieces of vellum pasted together.

Box 1

Notarial document, 1471.

Bologna. Four-page legal document; very characteristic notarial cursive.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Cursive, 1426.

Spain (Teruel). Legal document, in Spanish. Note the resemblance to French batarde. This item is also available on microfilm reel M-205.

Box 1

Notarial Documents, 1405 to late 15th century.

England. This is a series of 11 English notarial documents, in notarial cursive, most of them with one or more seals intact. The documents date from the reign of Henry V to that of Edward IV.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Batarde Cursive, 1469.

France (Paris). Legal document, in French.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Batarde Cursive, 1481.

France (Paris). Legal document, in French.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Notarial Cursive, 1437.

Castelnuovo, near Fermo. Last will of one Vanni Pucciarelli. With some (later) endorsements. Drawn up buy the imperial notary "Magister Antonellus."

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Scroll.

OS Box Oversize: V-1

Scroll.