Early Books at the Beinecke Library
The Digital Shailor Medieval Book
This site provides high resolution black and white and color images of the plates that appear in Barbara A. Shailor's The Medieval Book, first published by the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University, 1988, currently published by The University of Toronto Press in association with the Medieval Academy of America. The book was originally an extended exhibit catalog, but because of the the originality of its material and the outstanding examples taken from the Beinecke's collections, it has proven itself a medieval bestseller. To fascilitate its use in the classroom, the images are provided here so that they can be projected or otherwise manipulated for teaching purposes. Links are provided to the original catalog records, from which you can access the printed catalog (also written by Barbara Shailor). These images, like all images of medieval materials in the Beinecke's collections, can be reproduced without charge. Emma Fallone, Yale class of 2016, scanned and made availabe the materials here. Thanks to Barbara Shailor for her work in the collections and for supporting this site. Copes of her book can be ordered here or from Amazon.
The (Digital) Medieval Book
 1. P.CtYBRinv. 8.jpgHomer, Iliad 22.254-99, 350-55, 358-62, 364-65. Egypt, 1st or early 2nd century. |  31 Beinecke Marston MS 155, f. 70vRound Gothic bookhand from Italy. |  31 Beinecke Marston MS 155 (color)Round Gothic bookhand from Italy. |
|---|---|---|
 32 Beinecke MS 286, f. 42rCalligraphic Gothic bookhand from England. |  32 Beinecke MS 286, f. 42r (color)Calligraphic Gothic bookhand from England. |  21. P.CtYBR inv. 1253Schoolboy's writing exercise on the back of a papyrus document from Egypt. |
 23 Beinecke MS 391, ff. 6v-7rRoman square capitals on simulated marble stele. |  23 Beinecke MS 391, ff. 6v-7r colorRoman square capitals on simulated marble stele. |  24. P.CtYBR inv. 2125Roman cursive in a papyrus document from Ravenna. |
 25 Beinecke MS 481, Box 2, no. 1.Latin unical. |  26 Beinecke MS 481, Box 1, no. 2Luxeuil minuscule |  27 Beinecke MS 482, Box 1, no. 3Visigothic. |
 28 Beinecke MS 413, f. 83rText in Carolingian minuscule, heading in rustic and square capitals. |  28 Beinecke MS 413, f. 83r (color)Text in Carolingian minuscule, heading in rustic and square capitals. |  30 Beinecke MS 81, f. 214rCompact Gothic bookhand. |
 22. Beinecke MS 439, ff1v-2r (color)Letterforms written stroke by stroke. |  22. Beinecke MS 439, ff. 1v-2rLetterforms written stroke by stroke. |  20. Beinecke MS 214, f. 3v (color)Petrus Comestor as scribe. |
 20. Beinecke MS 214, f. 3vPetrus Comestor as scribe. |  19. Beinecke MS 150, vol. 2, f. 3vLuke the Evangelist as scribe. |  19. Beinecke MS 150, vol. 2 (color)Luke the Evangelist as scribe. |
 15. Beinecke Arabic MS 198Ruling Board. Arabic MS 198. |  14. Beinecke MS 154, f. 72rCrayon rulings in MS 154, f. 72r. |  12. Beinecke MS 27, f. 88v (color)Prickings in MS 27, f. 88v. |
 12. Beinecke MS 27, f. 88vPrickings in MS 27, f. 88v. |  11. Beinecke MS 401, f. 12r (color) |  11. Beinecke MS 401, f. 12r |
 6. Beinecke MS 262, f. 23r (color)Palimpsest photographed under ultra-violet light. |  6. Beinecke MS 262, f. 22v (color)Palimpsest photographed under ultra-violet light. |  6. Beinecke MS 262, f. 22v-23rPalimpsest photographed under ultra-violet light. |
 2. P.CtYBR inv. 2753 (color)Contents unknown. Egypt, date unknown. |  2. P.CtYBR inv. 2753Contents unknown. Egypt, date unknown. |  3. P.CtYBR inv. 1788.jpegApocryphal story about Mary, mother of Jesus (in Coptic). Egypt, 9th? century. |
 3. P.CtYBRinv.1788 (color)Apocryphal story about Mary, mother of Jesus (in Coptic). Egypt, 9th? century. |  4. Beinecke MS 125, f. 14rFlesh side of parchment. |  4. Beinecke ms 125, f. 14vHair side of parchment. |
 33. Beinecke MS 328, f. 5rGothic cursive script from Italy. |  34. Beinecke Marson MS 52, f. 83vHumanistic bookhand and vine-stem initial. |  34. Beinecke Marson MS 52 (color)Humanistic bookhand and vine-stem initial. |
 35. Beinecke MS 382, f. 2rCarolingian model for humanistic script and decoration. |  35. Beinecke MS 382, f. 2r (color)Carolingian model for humanistic script and decoration. |  36. Beinecke Marston MS 39, f. 121vHumanistic cursive. |
 36. Beinecke Marston MS 39 (color)Humanistic cursive. |  37. Beinecke MS 315, f. 117vInstructions to the rubricator, perpendicular to text, and guide letters for decorative initials. |  37. Beinecke MS 315, f. 117v (color)Instructions to the rubricator, perpendicular to text, and guide letters for decorative initials. |
 Beinecke MS 400, f. 102vSigned line-filler. |  Beinecke MS 400, f. 102v (color)Signed line-filler. |  39. Beinecke MS 111, f. 52vFlourished initial. |
 40. Beinecke MS 589, f. 256vFlourished initial. |  40. Beinecke MS 589, f. 256v (color)Flourished initial. |  41. Beinecke MS 492, f. 16vFlourished initials, line-fillers, and historiated initial. |
 41. Beinecke MS 492, f. 16v (color)Flourished initials, line-fillers, and historiated initial. |  42. Beinecke MS 387, f. 122vFoliate initial. |  42. Beinecke MS 387, f. 123rHistoriated initial of Adam and his descendants. |
 42 Beinecke MS 387 f 122v-123r color |  45. Beinecke MS 436, ff. 53v-54rWild men at war. |  45 Beinecke MS 436 ff. 53v-54r colorWild men at war. |
 46. Beinecke MS 390, f. 12vChrist tempted by the Devil. |  46. Beinecke MS 390, f. 12v (color0Christ tempted by the Devil. |  47. Beinecke MS 438, f. 3rTriumph of Love. |
 49. Beinecke MS 493, ff. 97v-98rDecorated catchwords |  50. Beinecke Arabic MS 321Simple leather wrapper. |  51. Beinecke Ethiopic MS 5Chain stitching. |
 53. Beinecke MS 4Sewing supports in a 15th-century binding. |  53. Beinecke MS 4Sewing supports in a 15th-century binding. |  54. Beinecke MS 494Chevron design in sewing pattern |
 54. Beinecke MS 494 (color)Chevron design in sewing pattern |  55. Beinecke Marston MS 24Parchment binding with support straps, turn-ins, and spine lining. |  55. Beinecke Marston MS 24 (color1)Parchment binding with support straps, turn-ins, and spine lining. |
 55. Beinecke Marston MS 24 (color2)Parchment binding with support straps, turn-ins, and spine lining. |  58. Beinecke MS 3, no. 34Pasteboards made from discarded leaves of a 15th-century paper manuscript. |  59. Beinecke Marston MS 141Headband and painted edges. |
 59. Beinecke Marston MS 141 (color)Headband and painted edges. |  62. Beinecke MS 246.Panel stamp. |  62. Beinecke MS 246. (color)Panel stamp. |
 61. Beinecke MS 392. (color)Pictorial binding stamps: roses, fleurs-de-lis, and two-headed eagles. |  61. Beinecke MS 392.Pictorial binding stamps: roses, fleurs-de-lis, and two-headed eagles. |  63. Beinecke Marston MS 268.Fastening straps. |
 63. Beinecke Marston MS 268. (color)Fastening straps. |  64. Beinecke MS 393.Metal Bosses. |  65. Beinecke Marston MS 287.Chained book. |
 67. Beinecke Marston MS 262.Plain student binding. |  67. Beinecke Marston MS 262. (color)Plain student binding. |  68. Beinecke MS 84.Girdle book. |
 68. Beinecke MS 84 (color)Girdle book. |  70. Beinecke MS 516. (color)Gregory's Moralia from Wearmouth-Jarrow (fragment). |  70. Beinecke MS 516.Gregory's Moralia from Wearmouth-Jarrow (fragment). |
 71. Beinecke MS 481, Box 1, no. 5.Carolingian Bible from Tours (fragment). |  72. beinecke MS 482, Box 1, no. 3.Lectionary from Freising (fragment). |  73. Beinecke MS 625, f. 12v.Copres narrates the life of Patermuth. |
 73. Beinecke MS 625, f. 12v. (color)Copres narrates the life of Patermuth. |  74. Beinecke MS 41, ff. 7v-8r (colorCarmelite breviary from Mainz. |  74. Beinecke MS 41, ff. 7v-8r.Carmelite Breviary from Mainz. |
 75. Beinecke MS 205 ff i-1r (color)Processional from a Dominican house of nuns. |  75. Beinecke MS 205 ff i verso -1rProcessional from a Dominican house of nuns. |  76. Beinecke Marston MS 213, f. 6or.Austrian Missal. |
 Missing leaf from MS 42Now in the private collection of Jean Preston. |  77. Beinecke MS 42, f.126v (color)Florentine Gradual. |  77. Beinecke MS 42, f.126vFlorentine Gradual. |
 78. Beinecke MS 604, f. 3v"Vie de Saint Denis" Bible. |  78. Beinecke MS 604, f. 3v (color)"Vie de Saint Denis" Bible. |  82. Beinecke MS 404, ff. 65v-66rThe "Rothschild Canticles." |
 86. Beinecke MS 674, f. 1vBiblical scenes from Petrus Comestor's Historia Scholastica. |  86. Beinecke MS 674, f. 1v (color)Biblical scenes from Petrus Comestor's Historia Scholastica. |  83. Beinecke MS 410.Indulgence roll. |
 84. Beinecke MS 281, ff. 5v-6r.Deluxe copy of Lydgate's Lyf of our Lady. |  87. Beinecke MS 129, vol. 1, f. 8vGod creates Eve from Adam. |  87. Beinecke MS 129, vol. 1 (color)God creates Eve from Adam. |
 88. Beinecke MS 229, f. 272v.The life and times of King Arthur. |  89. Beinecke MS 427, f. 72r.Reason, Righteousness, and Justice speak to an audience of women. |  90. Beinecke Marston MS 242.Kings of England: a genealogical roll. |
 90. Beinecke Marston MS 242 (color)Kings of England: a genealogical roll. |  91. Beinecke Marston MS 180.History of Europe, in roll format. |  93. Yale Medical Historical MS 12Works of Aristotle for the university student. |
 92. Beinecke Marston MS 67, ff9v-10rAnnotated grammar text. |  95. Beinecke MS 338, f. 45r.Corrector's notes in a Bolognese canon law text. |  95. Beinecke MS 338, f. 45r. (color)Corrector's notes in a Bolognese canon law text. |
 94. Beinecke MS 207, f. 46rComments by an irate scribe. |  94. Beinecke MS 207, f. 46r (color)Comments by an irate scribe. |  96. Beinecke MS 648, ff. 11v-12r.Coats of Arms. |
 96. Beinecke MS 648, f 12r. (color)Coats of arms. |  96. Beinecke MS 648, f 11v. (color)Coats of arms. |  97. Beinecke MS 163, ff. 122v-123rWine recipes. |
 97. Beinecke MS 163, f 123r (color)Wine recipes. |  97. Beinecke MS 163, f. 122v (color)Wine recipes. |  99. Beinecke MS 454, f. 1r.Signs of the Zodiac and the horse. |
 99. Beinecke MS 454, f. 1r (color).Signs of the Zodiac and the horse. |  100. Beinecke MS 171, f. 85v.Instructions for making a fishing float. |  102. Beinecke MS 450, ff. 1v-2r.Left: 12th-century text of Juvenal. Right: 15th-century replacement leaf by an Italian humanist. |
 105. Beinecke MS 321, f. 1r.Poggio's Historia Florentina. |  105. Beinecke MS 321, f. 1r (color).Poggio's Historia Florentina. |  106. Beinecke Zi +4243Incunable edition of the same work, based on Beinecke MS 321. |