Books of Fables

Permanent URI for this collection

https://cdr.creighton.edu/handle/10504/72845

We have begun digitizing the books in this collection

The initial phase of the project is to digitize title pages, book covers, and other identifying information, though we will include a few complete books as we go. Samples of our work so far: Complete Books (pdf) --or-- Title pages, covers, etc. (pdf)

About the Annotations:

All annotations are written by Gregory I. Carlson, S.J..
The opinions expressed in these annotations are the personal views of Gregory I. Carlson, S.J., and are not those of the Society of Jesus.

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Materials and records in the Archives & Special Collections are historical in nature. As a result, they may contain stereotypes, such as those related to race, ethnicity, and gender, and other language and imagery that are inappropriate by today’s standards.

Materials and records are retained in order to fully represent the historical record and are presented in their original format, without context, for research in person or through online access. The materials and records are made accessible without endorsing any historical viewpoints.

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Now showing 1 - 5 of 10736

Raccolta di varie favole, Vol. V-VI (Reprint)
(Carlo Pecora/Skilled Books, 2022)
I bought this and a second two-volume reprint to complement the three volumes that we bought of the first edition from 1744. I notice that original volumes of Fossati's six are selling these days for about $1.750, and very few are available. So I am happy to complete our set with these high quality reproductions from Classic Reprints. Only the cover and the first page betray that these are reprints. Otherwise we get what the original has to offer. The illustrations are better done than in most reprints these days, though here many are too faint. It strikes me that not only the stories but also the visual framework of the illustrations is highly traditional, the latter coming strongly from Gheeraerts. Perhaps the most engaging illustrations here are, in Volume V, "Lion, Ass, and Fox" (20) and, in Volume VI, "Wolf and Woman" (4); "Oyster and Rat" (21); and "Cat on a Peg" (28). As in the original, illustration pages are not printed on the verso. There is a bilingual T of C at the front of each of the two volumes in this reprint. At the end of the last volume there are several pages of "allegories" in the first two volumes, "as promised in the preface to the third volume." 59 and 36 pages. 5⅜" x 8".
Raccolta di varie favole, Vol. 3
(Carlo Pecora, 1744)
This set of three volumes (out of 6) was a real find. Generally, Fossati volumes sell for much more. A quick look finds several volumes on sale through AbeBooks for $1750 apiece. I was lucky to happen upon a half-price sale. This volume, 7¾" x 10¼", presents 36 bilingual (Italian and French) fables on 77 pages. Illustration pages are not printed on the verso. There is a bilingual T of C at the front of the book. As in Volume 1, many illustrations include a small portion carefully colored in light red. The engravings are, as in the first volume, lovely. They are similar to the work of Oudry in their framing and their classical backgrounds. Among the best of the illustrations are "Stag and Horse" (17); "Wolf and Sculpted Head" (28); and WL (72). The man frustrated with a god but finding cash inside his statue is operating here in a temple with a long pole (36)! My sense is that a greater portion of the fables than in the first two volumes comes from outside the circle of La Fontaine's stories.
Tiecelijn 34: Jaarboek 14 van het Reynaertgenootschap
(Reynaertgenootschap, 2021) Daele, Rik Van
This annual of the Reynard Society has as its theme collecting. I am delighted that my own article stands first among those presented (13-83). A particular delight is the way in which various visuals are integrated into the presentation of twelve moments of surprise in my long collecting of fables. The two appendices are also richly illustrated: "Eleven Other Favorite Books in the Collection" and "Six More Surprising Objects." Paul Wackers invited me to create this long illustrated article and translated it into Dutch. Creating the article made for a pleasant stretch of the otherwise unpleasant time of the Covid pandemic.
Fables de La Fontaine (cover: La Fontaine: Choix de Fables)
(Librairie Gedalge, 1950) Jean de La Fontaine
Our collection already contains 33 versions of books illustrated by Romain Simon. When I saw this book advertised, I checked twice, thinking "We must already have it." We did have it, but I did not remember this cover. Our previous copy has a design of a fox on its cream-colored board cover. That book seems better put together. This copy has for its front cover embossed red boards with a picture of the ass climbing on its owner. I will include remarks made on the earlier copy. It presents 44 fables on some 93 pages, with a T of C at the end. Every fable has at least one black-and-white illustration. The size of these illustrations varies. This copy lacks the six full-page colored illustrations; it looks as though they were systematically removed. Not in Bodemann. One title-page contains the note "17e Série."
Raccolta di varie favole, Vol. III-IV (Reprint)
(Carlo Pecora/Skilled Books, 2022)
I bought this and a second two-volume reprint to complement the three volumes that we bought of the first edition from 1744. I notice that original volumes of Fossati's six are selling these days for about $1.750, and very few are available. So I am happy to complete our set with these high quality reproductions from Classic Reprints. Only the cover and the first page betray that these are reprints. Otherwise we get what the original has to offer. The illustrations are better done than in most reprints these days. It strikes me that not only the stories but also the visual framework of the illustrations is highly traditional, the latter coming strongly from Gheeraerts. Perhaps the most engaging illustration in Volume IV is of FM (21). As in the original, illustration pages are not printed on the verso. There is a bilingual T of C at the front of each of the two volumes in this reprint. 76 and 59 pages. 5⅜" x 8".

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