Francis Bacon on Gardens

In honor of our current exhibit on Francis Bacon and Professor Coquillette, we recently acquired this beautiful edition of Bacon's essay Of Gardens.  This gorgeous book was printed in 1902 at the Eragny Press, an English press owned and operated by Lucien Pissarro (son of the great impressionist Camille) and his wife, Esther.  It is a stunning little book, printed on handmade paper with beautiful type and borders.

Two-hundred twenty-six copies were printed, and two-hundred of those were offered for sale.  This copy once belonged to Leonard Baskin (1922-2000), the American sculptor, art professor at Smith College, and founder of the Gehanna press, which printed its own edition of Of Gardens in 1959. 

New exhibit on Francis Bacon in the Rare Book Room

I am happy to announce a new exhibit, Francis Bacon: Of Law, Science, and Philosophy, at the Boston College Law Library in the Daniel R. Coquillette Rare Book Room.  The exhibit features works by Francis Bacon from a magnificent gift by our own Daniel R. Coquillette, J. Donald Monan Professor of Law.  

 Especially notable titles include a pristine first edition of Bacon’s groundbreaking work The Advancement of Learning (1605); a 1639 printing of his infamous and controversial The New Atlantis; and a beautiful first edition of The History of the Raigne of Henry the Seventh (1622), which is often a focal point of theorists who believe that Bacon wrote Shakespeare’s plays. 

We welcome visitors to view the exhibit any time the room is open, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.  This exhibit will remain on display through January 2014.