Why So Small?

While miniature books are most definitely cute, they are also so much more than that. Miniatures have existed since the earliest forms of writing on clay tablets and the format has endured through time. Medieval manuscript books of hours were created in miniature for portability, early printers and binders experimented with bookmaking techniques to test the limits of production, and the 19th century saw improvements in technologies that allowed for a smaller and smaller typeface.

Cassie Brand, the curator of the Rare Book Collection, organized this exhibition.