Friends of Library helps restore rare, 16th century Bible

Erasmus Bible shows the ravages of time

By Tom Howard

A group of volunteers set out to save a rare Bible, a page at a time.

The Friends of Boatwright Memorial Library undertook the restoration of a rare book known as the Erasmus Bible and conducted a fund-raising campaign offering donors a chance to contribute to save one or more of the pages for $5 a page.

The Bible saw its best days four centuries ago. It was printed in Switzerland in 1570, and the years have taken their toll. Mold and mildew cover a large portion of the book. The cords that bound the book have rotted.

The Bible was in use by students and scholars until its condition deteriorated too much for continued handling.

The Friends of Boatwright Library is a volunteer group of supporters of the University’s library, offering financial and other assistance to projects and programs not funded by the University. Dr. Ned Peple, president of Friends, said because there were no funds available to the library for the work, the group decided to undertake the restoration project as a gift to the University. The book is 1,619 pages and restoration was estimated to cost $8,000, or about $5 a page.

The University’s Chapel Guild kicked off the campaign with a contribution of $2,500, contingent on the Friends raising the rest. They were able to call off the campaign in mid-April when the goal was met.

The University’s Boatwright Memorial Library acquired the Bible when Dr. J.L.M. Curry, a former Richmond College faculty member and later United States Minister to Spain, gave his collection of rare books to the University’s library.

Officially known as the Novi Testamenti Catholica Espositio Ecclesiastica, or the Catholic New Testament, the Bible is referred to as the Erasmus Bible because the text was first translated into Latin from the Greek by Erasmus of Rotterdam, one of the great humanists of the 16th century. The text includes Erasmus’ noted commentaries on the gospel.

The University’s copy was edited by Augustin Marlorat and printed in Switzerland in 1570 by the famous Swiss printer, Henri Stephani. Richmond’s copy is one of only four known copies by Stephani.

The ravages of time, centuries of poor storage conditions, and heat and humidity have taken their toll on the venerable text. The introduction of modern climate systems, including air conditioning and humidity controls, and new conservation practices in the 1980s by the Boatwright Library, slowed further deterioration, but no repairs were made.

The ancient binding cords that held the text together have separated, causing the binding to come apart in large sections. Only a portion of the once beautiful vellum cover remains.

Last spring Boatwright Library sent the Bible to Etherington Conservation Services in Browns Summit, N.C., for evaluation. The firm is known internationally for book preservation and will undertake the restoration. The work must be done by hand, and only a master bookbinder can do the majority of the work.