Introduction

This exhibit displays medical texts in facsimile from the Falk Library collection, including rare books from Special Collections. Facsimiles are reproductions of materials of historical significance, with special care to recreate the source material as closely as possible. While more contemporary facsimiles can also contain editorial notes, some facsimile creators will create near-exact replicas of their texts— including full-color illustrations and pages that resemble aged paper. Facsimiles enrich library collections by making significant but rare texts accessible to broader audiences. Put simply, acquiring or lending a significant number of 13th-century or limited-run books would quickly become problematic. Instead, our facsimile collection allows patrons to gain a greater context on medical history through reproductions of the original texts written and used throughout the centuries.

Our exhibit highlights physician manuscripts, medical and anatomical atlases, and field guides to beneficial plants known as herbals— among other unique texts in facsimile held by the Health Sciences Library System. It also includes two new acquisitions to the Falk Library collections: both 14th-century manuscripts in facsimile, with remarkable full-color illustrations.

Credits

Rare Books and Special Collections, Health Sciences Library System, University of Pittsburgh