Musei, sive Bibliothecae tam privatae quam publicae Extructio, Instructio, Cura, Usus. Libri IV. Accessit accurata descriptio Regiae Bibliothecae S. Laurentii Escurialis: Insuper Paranesis allegorica ad amorem literarum. Opus multiplici eruditione sacra simul et humana refertum; praeceptis moralibus et literatis, architecturae et picturae subiectionibus, inscriptionibus et Emblematis, antiquitatis philologicae monumentis, atque oratoriis schematis utiliter et amoene tessellatum. Auctor P. Claudius Clemens Ornacensis in Comitatu Burgundiae e Societati lesu, Regius Professor Eruditionis in Collegio Imperiali Madritensi.
Lugduni [Lyon]: sumptibus Jacobi Prost, M.DC.XX.V [1635]. First edition. In contemporary limp vellum. Title lettered in ink to spine. [24] 552 [22] [2 (blank)] p. Possessor’s inscription on inner rear panel (Guillermo Ramon). Old shelf mark vignette on spine. Clasps missing. Partly renewed front endpapers. First and last leaves stained. Foxing throughout. Paper tanned. Minor notes and ink stains here and there. Overall in very good condition.
The first book advocating a pictorial access system intended to assist readers in locating relevant literature in the library.
Claude Clement’s Musei, sive Bibliothecae is a pioneering work advocating for the role of libraries in knowledge dissemination. A monumental work of profound insights into the organization and utilization of libraries, offering a proposal for a pictorial catalog to facilitate access to literary treasures, a concept ahead of its time.
The book elaborates on the architectural and aesthetic aspects of libraries, emphasizing their significance as centers of learning. Clement introduces a system of visual aids, including pictures and emblems, to guide readers to relevant literature.
A cornerstone of Clement's work lies in his pioneering concept of a pictorial catalog, where carefully chosen images serve not only to enrich the aesthetic ambiance of the library but also to guide readers towards relevant literature. This innovative approach, though initially underappreciated, eventually gained recognition and influenced library organization practices across Catholic territories, culminating in its adoption as the so-called French System and its integration into renowned institutions such as the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris. (Rovelstad 1991)
Rare on the market, RBH recorded the sale of only 1 copy within the last 45 years.
Provenance: Guillermo Ramon (1746–1824), episcopal librarian from Porreras (Mallorca). (Bover de Rosselló 1868)
Literature: Bover de Rosselló J. M. (1868). Biblioteca de escritores baleares. Imprenta de P.J. Gelabert. Vol. 2. p. 233.; Rovelstad M. V. (1991). Claude Clement’s Pictorial Catalog: A Seventeenth-Century Proposal for Physical Access and Literature Evaluation. The Library Quarterly: Information, Community, Policy, 61(2), 174–187.
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Price: €4,000.00