Hornbooks collection
Overview
Two hornbooks, one made of ivory and the other made of horn, dating from the 17th and 18th centuries and displaying the alphabet.
Dates
- Creation: 17th, 18th centuries
Conditions Governing Access
No access restrictions.
Conditions Governing Use
Spencer Research Library staff may determine use restrictions dependent upon the physical condition of manuscript materials.
History of hornbooks
Hornbooks were tools used to assist children in learning to read between the late 15th and 18th centuries. These “books” typically consisted of a tablet with a handle, to which a sheet was affixed that contained an alphabet, a syllabary, and often a prayer. The name comes from a measure used to protect the object against rough handling by its child readers: it often included a thin sheet of translucent horn (or sometimes a layer of varnish) to shield the printed leaf beneath. The two hornbooks in this collection represent a simplified version of the genre, consisting only of the alphabet.
Extent
.75 Linear Feet (1 box) : Alphabet on ivory, circa 18th century and alphabet on horn, circa 17th century. ; Ivory hornbook measures 12.5 cm x 6.5 cm. Horn hornbook measures 8.5 cm x 3.5 cm. Box in which both items are housed measures 20 x 20 cm.
Language of Materials
English
Physical Location
MS C315
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Acquired by KU Libraries, May 1966?
- Title
- Guide to the Hornbooks Collection
- Subtitle
- Hornbooks collection
- Author
- Finding aid prepared by eh, mwh. Finding aid encoded by mwh.
- Date
- 2018-06-11
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Finding aid written in English.
- Finding aid permalink
- http://hdl.handle.net/10407/6245733833
- Preferred citation
-
Hornbooks collection, MS C315, Kenneth Spencer Research Library, University of Kansas.
Repository Details
Part of the University of Kansas. Kenneth Spencer Research Library Repository