Josh O’Driscoll
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jodriscoll.bsky.social
Josh O’Driscoll
@jodriscoll.bsky.social
1.5K followers 310 following 22 posts
Manuscript curator at the Morgan Library, among other things.
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Reposted by Josh O’Driscoll
larisag.bsky.social
5 more days to see the Marvels exhibition at the Morgan, brilliantly curated by @jodriscoll.bsky.social

www.nytimes.com/2025/05/20/a...
‘Book of Marvels’ at the Morgan, Oddities From Cannibals to Giant Snails
www.nytimes.com
May 20, 2025 at 6:02 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
This is so incredibly important to learn and a great way to start a manuscripts class!
sonjadrimmer.bsky.social Sonja Drimmer @sonjadrimmer.bsky.social · Jan 27
Getting ready to teach my medieval manuscripts class this semester. First week of class we learn...the beautiful, condensed language of catalogue entries. I made this annotated graphic of one to show everything we learn from this brief entry.
A screenshot of a catalogue entry from the Cambridge University Library illuminated manuscript catalogue. I have overlaid this with my annotations. Here I will describe the original text and then my annotation on it, which I will precede with the word, NOTE. It goes like this: 178. Note: number of the manuscript as it appears in this catalogue Add. 4086. Note: Shelfmark see also Pl. LIX. Note: "plate" means an image, usually in color, elsewhere in the catalogue Horae. Note: Contents or title of the text in this manuscript, in this case a book of hours Use of Sarum. Note: Use refers to the rites as practiced ina certain region; here Salisbury (Sarum is Latin) England, London. Note: place where the manuscript was made S. xiv with a superscript 4/4. Note: S means century from Latin for saeculum; xiv is the 14th century; and 4/4 means the fourth quarter of the century. This whole thing means the manuscript was made in the fourth quarter of the 14th century. Parchment. Note: the writing support (what the pages are made of) ii + 121 + 1 fols. Note: this manuscript starts with two flyleaves, has 121 folios, and ends with 1 endleaf. 165 x 122 mm (133 x 90 mm). Note: these two separate measurements refer, respectively, to the size of the folios and the dimensions of the area on each ruled for text. ruled in red ink, below top line. Note: below top line is a method for determining whether a manuscript was copied before or after c.1220. rubrics, catchwords, 2o folio ipse est. Note; Secundo folio means the first words on the second folio of the manuscript, often the way a manuscript was catalogued in the Middle Ages.
January 27, 2025 at 5:38 PM
Reposted by Josh O’Driscoll
librarycolleen.bsky.social
Belle da Costa Greene and Columbia (Story of a library theft is in there too). 📜
blogs.library.columbia.edu/rbml/2025/01...
Belle da Costa Greene and Columbia – News from Columbia's Rare Book & Manuscript Library
News from Columbia's Rare Book & Manuscript Library | Columbia University Libraries Blogs
blogs.library.columbia.edu
January 9, 2025 at 3:26 PM
Reposted by Josh O’Driscoll
mssprovenance.bsky.social
There's an interesting new blogpost by Ellie Jackson at the BL:
blogs.bl.uk/digitisedman...
#fragmentology #mssprovenance
An unknown leaf from the Poor Clares of Cologne
The involvement of nuns in creating beautiful medieval manuscripts is often underappreciated. It is very exciting, then, to discover a new example of their work. While searching for items to include i...
blogs.bl.uk
December 14, 2024 at 11:24 AM
Reposted by Josh O’Driscoll
ncrenic.bsky.social
Just had an idea
December 10, 2024 at 9:44 AM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
Checking this manuscript for work and was delighted to find a surprise owl, silver skies, and silly monkeys (Besançon, ca. 1470; MS M.28)
A marginal owl in the corner of a book of hours from Besançon, ca. 1470 (Morgan MS M.28) Silver and blue skies in the background of a miniature from the same book of hours. Monkeys playing in the margins of the same book of hours
December 9, 2024 at 11:09 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
A big surprise (for me) of the Medieval Women show at the BL was this 14th-c. leaf from the scriptorium of the Poor Clares of Cologne. It’s completely unknown to specialists on the topic. Thankfully curator Ellie Jackson recognized its importance 👏👏.
14th-century choir book leaf from the scriptorium of the Poor Clares in Cologne (London, BL, Add MS 35069, fol. 11). Detail of choir book leaf featuring a depiction of Isabella of Guelders
December 9, 2024 at 2:46 AM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
Imagine coming home late and this little guy gets out of bed, half asleep, and makes a noise that expresses both his disapproval of you and his desire for treats.
November 23, 2024 at 1:45 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
Blind Fortune turns her wheel. Painted by the widow artist/entrepreneur Jeanne de Montbaston (Morgan, MS M.503)
A personification of fortune as a blind woman turns her wheel. From a Roman de la Rose manuscript made in Paris, circa 1340.
November 23, 2024 at 12:59 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
WeTransfer links should be six months, minimum.
November 22, 2024 at 4:20 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
“Bachelor Girl” Belle Greene battling it out at auction (1911)
November 21, 2024 at 5:46 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
Love this scene from the Fool show at the Louvre. Jean Perréal showing us an artist being foolish and a fool being an artist.
A miniature showing an artist painting a fool, and a fool painting an artist from Pierre Sala’s Little Book of Love (British Library Stowe MS 955)
November 17, 2024 at 10:53 AM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
The fabulous King of Beasts by the Master of the Playing Cards at the BnF
King of Beasts, engraving by the Master of the Playing Cards (ca. 1430-50s)
November 13, 2024 at 12:06 PM
jodriscoll.bsky.social
It feels strange to be gaining followers while not actually doing anything for it, so here’s a) our cat Chester and b) some Renaissance tarot cards (now in Hannover). I could talk about either of these topics for hours.
Chester Page of Swords from a Renaissance tarot deck (ca. 1460-80) Ornamental design on the back of the Page of Swords card Page of Coins from a Renaissance tarot deck (ca. 1460-80)
November 11, 2024 at 4:03 PM