The trajectories of a sixteenth-century physician’s books

Upon opening a copy of the 1572 Venetian edition of Natale Conti’s Historiarum sui temporis libri decem, the ex-libris caught the attention of Dr. Nina Lamal. Opposite the title page of the book there was an engraved portrait of Alvarus Nonnius by Jan Wierix, dated 1586. In the following weeks, she came across the same portrait pasted in several other books in the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. Her interest was piqued: she wanted to reconstruct Nonnius’ library and investigate how his books became part of the collection of the Conscience library. This short blog offers the first results of that quest.

Provenance research in the Conscience Library

Some books contain traces of earlier owners or users. These provenance marks can be used to research the way a book or text functioned in society, or to reconstruct the reading behaviour or book ownership of a person or a group of people.

Many marvellous histories

An anonymous 18th century manuscript has popped up

At Van De Wiele Auctions a remarkable eighteenth-century anonymous manuscript turned up earlier this year. It bears the title ‘Hier worden verhaelt veel wonderbaere gheschiedenissen’ [Herein many marvellous histories are told]. At the last minute, we were able to look into this manuscript and acquire it later on.

Porn, pulp & literature

Online exhibit

In December 2019, the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library presented an unknown and long-hidden part of Flemish literature and cultural history: pornographic literature with the exhibition "Porn, pulp & literature". View the online exhibition here.

New acquisition: Albertanus de Brescia, Liber de arte loquendi et tacendi

In December 2018 the Endowment Fund for Books and Literature acquired a rare Antwerp incunable, which it donated to the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library. The Liber de arte loquendi et tacendi by Albertanus of Brescia was printed in Antwerp in 1485 by Gerard Leeu.

Podcasts Miraeus Lectures

Together with the Flanders Book Historical Society and the Antwerp Bibliophile Society, the Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library organizes book-historical lectures that place book history in the Netherlands in an international perspective. Browse our archive of a few past lectures and listen to the podcasts.

I found my Holy Grail

Marianne C.E. Gillion has a PhD in musicology. In her Miraeus Lecture on 27 March 2019 she will talk about the liturgy of the Antwerp Cathedral of Our Lady and St. James’ Church. In this interview she gives us a preview.

You suggest, we digitize

Can we support your research by scanning one or more publications from our collection? Submit your request here.

Miraeus lecture Margriet Hoogvliet

On 15 May Dr. Margriet Hoogvliet gave a Miraeus Lecture on the religious reading culture of lay people in the region between Paris and Antwerp in the fifteenth century. The lecture (in Dutch) is now available.

The collection of broadside ballads

The Hendrik Conscience Heritage Library holds a large collection of broadside ballads, ranging from the seventeenth century to the 1950’s and mostly printed in the Southern Netherlands and Belgium. Ballad singers often performed on public markets, hence the Dutch name ‘marktzangers’ and ‘marktliederen’. The last traditional ballad singers performed in the 1950’s.