Great and Manifold: A Celebration of the Bible in English | University of Toronto Libraries (original) (raw)
Credits
Catalogue and exhibition by Pearce J. Carefoote
with contributions by
The Most Reverend Thomas Collins
The Reverend Dorcas Gordon
The Most Reverend Colin Johnson
The Reverend Michael Kolarcik, S.J.
The Right Reverend Mark MacDonald
The Very Reverend Bruce McLeod
The Reverend Harvey Self
Rabbi Jonah Chanan Steinberg
The Very Reverend Douglas Stoute
General Editors–Anne Dondertman and Philip Oldfield
Exhibition installed by Linda Joy
Digital photography by Paul Armstrong
Catalogue designed by Stan Bevington
Catalogue printed by Coach House Press
Website design by Maureen Morin
About
This website is an online version of an exhibition catalogue, published by the Library to accompany the exhibition Great and Manifold: A Celebration of the Bible in English which was on display at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library 7 February– 19 June 2011. The website will remain accessible as a permanent record of the exhibition and as a resource for study.
Foreword
The occasion of this celebratory exhibition and catalogue of the English Bible is, of course, the four-hundredth anniversary of the first edition of the King James Bible in 1611. It has often been described as ‘the only literary masterpiece ever to have been produced by a committee’, but while its influence has been profound and wide-ranging on all the literature written in English since 1611, its importance has reached into and affected the lives of everyone who has come into contact with it. The history of the Bible in English is much longer than four hundred years, as P.J. Carefoote has cogently demonstrated throughout the catalogue, and has involved many languages other than English. The original title-page, and those of all the thousands of later editions, said ‘Appointed to be read in Churches’ and this admonition, as has been astutely noted by Bruce McLeod, was meant by the translators to be taken literally; pronounced from a lectern or read aloud from an armchair for the full effect of the beauty of this language.
The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library is privileged to be able to present this exhibition primarily from its own collections and those of the other special collections at the University of Toronto. The reason that our collections are so richly endowed with Bibles is part of the history of the University, which was founded as an amalgamation of theological colleges (with the exception of University College), beginning in 1827. The faculty, students, and supporters of the colleges naturally had many Bibles, which were avidly collected then, as they still are, and many of them have made their way into our collections. The Fisher Library copy of the first edition of the King James Bible was donated by Louis Melzack, a nice ecumenical touch.
Design binding by Michael Wilcox for a leaf of the Gutenberg Bible.
From a private collection.
This exhibition and catalogue have been enthusiastically supported by the major representatives of all the denominations who conduct teaching programes in the Toronto School of Theology at the University of Toronto and I wish to thank the nine eminent divines who have contributed to the catalogue. A special acknowledgement is due to a private collector in Toronto for the loan of a leaf from the Gutenberg Bible, the first to be printed from moveable type in 1455.
Support for the printing of this catalogue has been generously given by Janet Dewan and Barbara Tangney in memory of their parents, Marian and Harry Ade who were enthusiastic longtime supporters of the Fisher Library. As always, the Friends of the Fisher Library have been of great assistance with their funding as well. The greatest acknowledgement is, of course, to P.J. Carefoote for his many hours of scholarly research and his writing of this catalogue. Amen.
Richard Landon, Director, Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library
