Do you remember the old children's game of "secrets"? The players make tiny hiding spaces in the ground, put various small "treasures" under a glass, and then reveal them, but only to their best friends.
You can also find "secrets" in books. The Bibliology Research Department has gathered a collection of special discoveries during the study of some publications. We are excited to share some of them with you.
So what are the “secrets” hiding in between the book pages?
Most are the things that served as bookmarks. Among them, you will find photographs, postcards, notebook pages with drawings, flyers, souvenir ribbons, church notes with ordered services, money and much more. Sometimes people leave something that they want to keep or something that is directly related to the work or publication itself.
Among our “secrets” there is a home-made silk bookmark found in a handwritten copy of "Oktoikha" of the 1st half of the 19th century, dried flowers from the Venetian publication “Commentaries on M.T. Cicero” of 1755 or a feather from a manuscript lithograph of lectures on the Russian literature by A.K. Borodina of the 19th century.
A find from Shakespeare's play “A Midsummer Night's Dream” which was released in London in 1924, can tell a curious story. The publication goes with a foreword by the famous English playwright, historian and theatrical figure Harley Granville-Barker. The book was illustrated by Paul Nash, English artist, designer and critic. The copy was printed on special handmade paper and has a number indicative of its rarity and limited edition. The copy contains a letter written on a form of the British Embassy in Paris written by diplomat Baron William Tyrrell and addressed to Baron Edward Rothschild (Paris, July 14, 1930). It becomes apparent from the content that the publication was a wedding gift to the Baron's daughter Jacqueline. This letter is a solid proof of the old saying that a book is the best gift!
Unexpected finds in books have their own interesting story and reveal some of the "secrets" of book pages.
Bibliology Research Department
