The Closed Book

May 07, 2005–September 18, 2005

Before you open a book at the Walters, you can often find clues from its binding about its past as a prized item in a collection. From the medieval period, when entire manuscripts were handmade, to the 20th century, bindings were created or altered to reflect the interests, heritage, wealth, and tastes of the owners. This exhibition explored how certain markings on or materials of bindings often reveal fascinating details about the people who once owned and used these 24 books.

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