Miniature Books: 4,000 Years of Tiny Treasures

Miniature books, most of which are less than three inches (76.2mm) tall and some almost too small to see, have delighted readers for centuries. Popular because they were easily carried or concealed, these historic books range from tiny thumb bibles to illustrated nursery rhymes. They can be traced back to the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, before the invention of printing, when text was handwritten and pictures painted. With the development of the printing press, thinner paper and smaller typefaces, the number of miniature books published increased. Little books served very practical purposes: holding information in easily portable and compact spaces. Nobles, nuns, priests, students and lay persons found it easier to travel with miniature books tucked into pockets or attached to girdles and belts. Painters enjoyed the challenge of making them with extravagant bindings of tortoise shell, leather, sterling silver, embroidery and vellums. Napoleon had a miniature traveling set of Shakespeare's plays. The miniature books found with in this title are drawn from a private collection of over 15,000 books. It is published in association with the Grolier Club, New York.… (more)