Incunables: Discovering the Origins of the Printed Book

This digital exhibit showcases a singular area of Raynor Memorial Libraries'  collections, incunables. Incunables represent the very first printed works created with a printing press in Europe.

The Latin word incunabula means “cradle” or “swaddling clothes.” In the history of printing, these early printed books came to be known as incunabula to indicate their place in the "cradle" period of book publishing. Incunabula are conventionally identified as having publication date prior to 1501.

Raynor Memorial Libraries' rare books collection now includes 28 examples of these exceedingly rare books.

This digital exhibition is a companion to an in-person exhibit by the same name at Raynor Memorial Libraries. That exhibit will be on display on Raynor Library's 3rd Floor when the library reopens.