Reading Month
Reading can take many different forms. This exhibit invites you to explore four very different books: a historic Bible, a vintage comic, an old cyclopedia, and a classic cookbook.
They highlight the diverse reasons we read: for faith, for fun, for knowledge, and for daily life. Whether sacred, educational, or entertaining, each book reflects how reading shapes our world.
Curator: August Stein
The Life of Our Lord & Saviour, 1858
This is one of the oldest books in our collection: The Life of Our Lord and Saviour, published in 1858. The spine bears the title The Life of Christ. Its cover is comprised of black leather, which has aged over time, and the volume contains 992 pages.
The book was published by Thomas Kelly of Paternoster Row—an area of London, England known as the centre for the city’s book publishing trade—and printed by William Clowes and Sons. Written by Rev. I. Fleetwood, the work interprets the Bible and the teachings of Jesus in a variety of ways for a general audience.
971.4.2
Science in the Kitchen, 1892
Here we have a cookbook by a Mrs. E. E. Kellogg from 1892.
Recipe books from the nineteenth century are significantly different than modern recipe books. They often don’t have exact measurements, and our definitions for cooking terms are different than what they once were. Oftentimes, old recipes are vague! For example, you may have a different idea of what “thin cream” is in a recipe.
Science in the Kitchen makes an effort to provide some of these measurements, but forgoes others you may expect to see such as oven temperatures.
976.1.29
The Century Cyclopeida of Names, 1900
This is the Century Cyclopedia of Names, a book produced at the turn of the twentieth century. It lists the names and definitions of several thousand prominent people, places, and things.
This book offers a fascinating glimpse into the past, allowing us to compare its contents with what we know today to better understand how its authors saw the world. It reveals who and what they considered important, as well as which places held significance at the time. Notably, the absence of certain people, events, or regions we might expect to see can be just as revealing. Highlightings how cultural values and global perspectives have shifted over the past 125 years.
974.55.1
Adventure Magazine, 1936
Earlier books were not limited to practical guides or histories; many, like those in our collection, were works of fiction. This early issue of Adventure magazine from August 1936 is a great example. It features a collection of short to medium-length stories centered around themes of fantasy and adventure. The stories in this edition span a range of topics, including sailing, whale hunting, and what was considered modern warfare at the time.
Fiction offers a unique lens through which to view the culture of the past, and this nearly 90-year-old magazine gives us valuable insight into the kinds of stories that captivated readers of the era. At just 15 cents—roughly $3.35 today—it was an accessible window into an imaginative world.
978.19.10
