Taylor Institution Library
Libraries Posts

Introduction to Special Collections at the Taylorian

Welcome to the Taylor Institution Library!  The Taylor Institution is the University of Oxford’s library for Modern Foreign Languages.  It was funded by Sir Robert Taylor in a codicil to his will in 1788. Due to his will being contested, the University didn’t have access to the funds until 1834, when it was also considering …

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History of the Book students presenting their editions
Editions Taylor Reformation

Hans Sachs in Oxford 4: The Edition

By Henrike Lähnemann Preface to the Edition 2024 marks the 500th anniversary of Hans Sachs publishing in quick succession four prose dialogues which became bestsellers, particularly the first one where he has his alter ego, Hans the cobbler, debate a pompous priest – and win the day, of course. That the Taylorian was aware of …

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Palaeography

History of the Book meets Palaeography!

Of making many books there may be no end, but studying the boundless treasure of manuscripts held in the Weston Library is anything but a weariness of the flesh. That was, at least, the experience of the MML History of the Book students on Wednesday of 2nd week as they ventured up to the Horton …

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About HoB Around Oxford Hands-On Libraries Posts Student Projects

Of a Certain Type: Dialogues and Dancing Death in the Bodleian Bibliographical Press

By Molly Bray (MSt in Medieval Studies) For our first session as book-historians-in-training, we asked the question, ‘what is a book?’ Is it the form, the function? Now, for our second session, we get to see and, indeed, operate the mechanics that make one. Held behind a large wooden door and the once-accurate waymarker of …

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Around Oxford Editions Taylor Reformation

Hans Sachs in Oxford

On the 500th anniversary of their first publication, the first of the four hilarious, successful and witty Reformation Dialogues by Hans Sachs is reissued in a new edition. This includes a new English translation, a historical introduction, linguistic footnotes, and also the 15th century Dutch and English translations. The launch event comes in three parts, …

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