EXHIBITS

Different garden layouts from Paradisi

 

Seeds of a tree from the Discorsi

The Maggiore plant from the Discorsi

This presentation is part of a larger project using items from the Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library’s Special Collections and Archives to promote the types of materials available. This particular project is from a History 3250 class specializing in recipe, medical, and botanical books from the Renaissance.

This exhibit is a comparative analysis of two herbal guides, Paradisi (1629) (also known as Garden of Pleasant Flowers) and a reproduction of Mattioli’s Discorsi (1568). Garden of Pleasant Flowers is dated to 1629 and originates in London, England and is published in English. Alternatively, Discorsi was initially published in Venice, Italy and is written in Italian and thus affects the process of working on this project. The comparison can aid students who are intimidated by research projects, let alone approaching the library. The resources available assisted in interpreting these materials.

This project views the illustration styles and how each impacts the intended purposes of the books. Also discussed is the effects of printing on the study of these books, contrasting using a reproduction and original of a book. The overall exhibit examines the history of the authors, how they impacted Europe and the way the authors were influenced to write the herbal guides. This exhibit is to show the variety of things you can learn about an item regardless of its language, printing style, and background.