#38 Nuremberg Chronicle
This item is one of the most impressive – and biggest! – early printed books, usually known as the Nuremberg Chronicle. There are several copies around the University, but Pembroke’s seems to have a complicated ownership history.
1. The Liber Chronicarum (aka Nuremberg Chronicle) is a colossal chronicle, going from Creation to the contemporary world of 15th century Europe, and the coming of the Last Judgement. It was printed by Anton Koberger in 1493.
2. It measures 460 x 320 x 90mm and has 645 original woodcuts, used to produce over 1800 images through the book.
3. It was written in Latin by Hartmann Schedel on commission from Nuremberg merchants. The text is an almost unaltered rewriting of an earlier Italian chronicle.
4. Estimates suggest that up to 1,500 copies in Latin may have been printed, of which around 1240 copies survive.
5. Each section of the Chronicle includes successive Popes, amongst whom is a woodcut of a woman donning a triregnum (papal tiara) and holding a baby. More about her in comments!
6. The earliest owner we can see on our copy is Richard Pynson, a London printer originally from Normandy, who seems to have given the book to someone in 1498.
7. Above Pynson’s name is that of “Robert Minuty”, of whom this writer can find no other historical trace.
8. At some point, this copy belonged to John Whitgift, Archbishop of Canterbury (1583-1604). His arms are impressed in the front cover.
9. The final dedication reads “This book was given by Thomas Anyan, to his most cherished friend, Thomas Clayton, a most refined, successful and the best of doctors. May 18, 1629”. Thomas Anyan was the President of Corpus Christi College. He retired in 1629, which may be when he gave the book to Clayton. It must have been at Pembroke ever since.
10. A letter pasted into the front indicates that Philip Bliss, Registrar of the University in the second quarter of the 19th century, saw the book. He also suggested a swap of another item in Pembroke’s collection for an item in his. It is not clear if the exchange ever took place!
