Benjamin Albritton
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blalbritton.bsky.social
Benjamin Albritton
@blalbritton.bsky.social
3.2K followers 3.2K following 68 posts
Rare books and manuscripts. Measurer of shelves.
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blalbritton.bsky.social
A day of archival fun with @etreharne.bsky.social and colleagues. Pulled out a selection of medieval and early modern documents and all agree we wish we knew more about seals - like these in various states of covering.
A medieval document with one or two lines of handwriting visible at top, dark colored wax seal attached to a strip of parchment at the bottom of the document Medieval document with seal attached to bottom of document by a parchment strip, fully covered by a piece of cloth tied at top and bottom with red ribbon Medieval document with handwriting in black ink visible at top right, dark colored wax seal attached to bottom of document by a parchment strip, partially obscured by a cloth covering that has come loose, with two pieces of green ribbon once used to secure it. Early modern document with cursive handwriting visible. A magnifying glass enlarges a small black wax seal on the document.
April 30, 2025 at 12:40 AM
blalbritton.bsky.social
Small sticker placed on a green door above a large doorhandle. Sticker, with orange background, depicts Pope Francis as a superhero flying toward the viewer while clutching a satchel with the word 'valores' on the side.
April 23, 2025 at 7:19 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
A brief moment of quiet last Friday before our "Manuscripts by Candlelight" event in @stanfordulibraries.bsky.social (all candles electric, of course, no open flames near our books) - the reflection of warm light on gold a perfect way to end last week. (thanks @etreharne.bsky.social for co-hosting!)
In the background, 8 electric candles of various sizes on a dark background, int he foreground, a book lies open on a foam book cradle, the light from the candles is reflected by the gold decorations on the open pages of the book.
January 27, 2025 at 9:15 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
I love a good frilly cuff on a manicule!
Close up detail of an ink drawing of a disembodied hand with a frilly cuff, with index finger extended, pointing toward the right.
January 14, 2025 at 7:27 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
To a New Year.

Manuscript of John Blow's New Year's Day Ode for Charles II, "My trembling song awake", signed and dated by the composer. Stanford MLM/2/107 (searchworks.stanford.edu/view/11932704 - fully digitized).
A page of handwritten music for four voices with text beginning "My trembling song awake" (repeated in all four voices) A page of handwritten music and text. At bottom of page is written "Dr. John Blow 1683".
January 1, 2025 at 5:44 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
Season’s greetings to all.

(From Stanford MSS M1778 searchworks.stanford.edu/view/8659479)
elaborate penwork decoration including a very large initial "P" (Puer) in red penwork with some black.
December 25, 2024 at 2:31 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
Would love to have a database of medieval vellum sutures to see the variety of approaches to repair taken during preparation. This from an as-yet unprocessed collection (coming soon).
Detail of a hole in medieval vellum that was sutured shut during preparation. Writing shows through faintly from the other side of the leaf.
December 1, 2024 at 5:09 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
Hedgehog Time!

Marginal illustration from a 16th-c. Book of Hours (searchworks.stanford.edu/view/14155302).
medieval drawing of a hedgehog in foreground, background brownish gold, with pink and purple flowers on green stems, fragment of German text in the top left-hand corner.
November 20, 2024 at 1:12 AM
blalbritton.bsky.social
An absolute pleasure to see that Volume 2 of a special issue of Digital Philology on manuscript fragmentology is now live at muse.jhu.edu/issue/53571.
The cover image of a scholarly journal with text reading Digital Philology, A Journal of Medieval Cultures, Fall 2024, Volume 13, Number 2. Purple background. With below that an image of assorted medieval and early modern leaves with a magnifying glass highlighting a section of foliate border with red blue and gold leaves.
October 26, 2024 at 12:26 AM
blalbritton.bsky.social
Nota! A few long-fingered manicules drew student interest in this quarter's first class visit to Special Collections yesterday afternoon. I love how these signs of reading prove to be perennially fascinating. (Source: searchworks.stanford.edu/view/12858519)
A small hand with long pointing finger, a manicule, pointing toward an area of early printed text (with another faint manicule showing through from the other side of the paper) A small hand with long pointing finger, a manicule, pointing toward an area of early printed text. Above that, handwritten marginalia commenting on the printed text.
September 25, 2024 at 6:07 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
"In Special Collections, I became a detective of history." -- Helen Katz.

Nice to see something in the Stanford Daily about finding joy in Special Collections research. stanforddaily.com/2024/09/23/g...
Beginning of an article entitled The Grind: Green Library Special Collections: The magic of medieval manuscripts above a photo of a single leaf of a medieval manuscript written in two columns with black and red ink, penned decoration along the bottom margin, decorated initial "d" on the left hand side, header in Latin for the Book of Wisdom.
September 24, 2024 at 3:52 PM
blalbritton.bsky.social
For this Jan. 6, the Adoration of the Magi from the Burke Collection at Stanford Libraries. (exhibits.stanford.edu/burke_mss/ca...)
Inhabited initial E (beginning "Ecce" from the Introit for Epiphany), with the three magi before Mary and Jesus. Initial in blue, red and green, with foliate decoration and small butterfly to left, with gold surround.
January 7, 2024 at 3:27 AM