Nature and the natural sciences in the collection of early prints in the Elbląg Library
The Elbląg Library houses many valuable early printed books on nature and the natural sciences. Some are fanciful and fantastic. Some are industrious descriptions of animals and plants from the authors’ homelands. Others are ambitious attempts to describe and classify wildlife in the far corners of the world.
The books entered the collection of the Elbląg Gymnasium (which forms a core of today’s Special Collections) through various donations and purchases. They shaped the scientific knowledge of the gymnasium’s students and the town’s citizens. The descriptions of local nature enabled them to appreciate its beauty and value, while the texts on exotic animals and plants stimulated their imagination and broadened their horizons.
Authors of the exhibition:
Texts: Marta Szada, Radosław Kubus, Piotr Paluchowski
Selection and edition of the images: Marta Szada, Joanna Sroka, Ewa Chlebus
Translation to English: Marta Szada
Graphic design: Adriana Ronżewska-Kotyńska
All images are from the special collections of the Elbląg Library.