DEL.ICIO.USThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 06/06/08
Come face to face — literally — with a volume of the first Mayan book made in 1,000 years at Kennesaw State University's new rare book exhibition.
The eerie face with hollow eyes appears on the cover of a book constructed in 1997 out of recycled and natural materials such as crushed marigolds.
 KAREN ROSEN/AJC | ||
| This 'fore-edge painted book' from the mid-1800s is part of an exhibit called 'Book Art; Art in Books; Books as Art' at Kennesaw State University through July 19. | ||
 KAREN ROSEN/AJC | ||
| The most valuable book in the Bentley Rare Books Gallery at Kennesaw State University is this version of Chaucer from 1542. It is one of five in existence and is worth $1.6 million. | ||
 KAREN ROSEN/AJC | ||
| This book made by Mayan villagers from natural products is too fragile to open. | ||
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It's too fragile to open, but visitors can peek inside other rare books in the exhibition "Book Art; Art in Books; Books as Art," at the Sturgis Art Gallery.
The display examines typography, illustrations and bindings in about 300 items from the Bentley Rare Book Gallery. It opened Thursday and will run through July 19 in the lower level of the Sturgis Library.
"One of the great pleasures for all of us was rolling up our sleeves, getting into the collection and finding these wonderful things," said Rita Impey-Imes, assistant curator.
Librarian Mary Platt, an expert on typographic printing, said her favorite is a Nuremberg woodcut from 1493.
"The fact that we have this makes my heart go pitter-patter," she said.
Books are displayed behind glass, but pages have been scanned and prints mounted on the walls.
"Then, you can get your nose up to it," Impey-Imes said.
Yes, there's a Gutenberg Bible, but it's a facsimile reprint produced in 1985. It's still worth about $100,000, Impey-Imes said.
The huge volume is such a faithful reproduction of the Mazarin Library Copy from the 1450s that each page has a microdot to differentiate it from an authentic page worth $70,000.
In about 200 years, it'll be hard to tell the difference without the microdot, Impey-Imes said.
Robert B. Williams, curator of the rare book gallery, was taken aback by a print from one of gallery's treasures.
"I said, 'Who tore that out of the book?" he said. "The copies are so good."
The items on the wall behind glass are originals.
The most valuable book is in the temperature-controlled Bentley Rare Book Gallery, which is just across the hall from the exhibition.
It's titled — in Middle English — "The Woorkes of Geffrey Chaucer" and is worth $1.6 million, Impey-Imes said.
The volume from 1542 is one of just five copies of this Chaucer version in existence. The others are at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Wellesley College.
It's worth more than three times the value of the $500,000 collection donated in 1988 to KSU by Marietta's Fred D. and Sara Bentley.
The Chaucer can be seen by appointment. So can the oldest item in the collection, a colorful page of parchment from a woman's prayer book dating back to the year 900.
Visitors to the art exhibit will be more familiar with illustrations, including those from books by Charles Dickens, organized by Dewi Wilson; and children's books, assembled by Rita Spisak, that include "The Wizard of Oz," "Gulliver's Travels" and "Alice in Wonderland."
Examples of "fore-edge painting" books from the 1800s are rolled, so you can see the hidden painting on the edge.
Some of Impey-Imes' favorite books are bound with leather that has gold-tooled engraving that makes them look like Oriental rugs.
KSU students visit the rare book gallery during classes and are allowed to handle some of the books.
"We use 500-year-old books for our demonstrations," Impey-Imes said, "because they're better made. They can stand all that handling."
The students do wear gloves.
"That's because," she said, "I can't line them all up and have them wash their hands — and keep it within class time."
They get more than a tactile sensation, too. When Impey-Imes opens a Shakespeare folio from 1688, students get a strong whiff of the London of the time.
"The air in London was very dirty, and the pages of the book soaked it up," she said.
The Mayan book, "Conjuros y ebriedades," is so brittle that it has to stay closed.
Impey-Imes did have to move it from its former place on a shelf in the rare book room.
"I have to come in there in the dark to undo the alarm system," she said. "and it would always give me the willies."
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