James Ford Bell Library

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Minneapolis, MN
James Ford Bell Library

A collection of rare books, maps, manuscripts, and other documents, created prior to ca. 1800 CE, the

Documenting the history of trade and cross-cultural contact before ca. 1800 CE through books, maps, and manuscripts.

04/17/2026

-"The Worlds of William Shakespeare"-
Join Archives & Special Collections for a pop-up exhibit on the occasion of Shakespeare Day - April 23! We'll feature items honoring the life and legacy of William Shakespeare, including stage architecture, costume design, theatrical scrapbooks, and modern and historical interpretations of his plays and poetry.
libnews.umn.edu/event/the-worlds-of-william-shakespeare-pop-up-exhibit/

03/31/2026

From the English version of Giambattista della Porta's "Natural Magic" (1669) : various "secrets" for the beautification of women, plus one set of recipes to be used for "sport" ! Although pictures of pages full of words don't generally make exciting posts, take a closer look at the ingredients and purposes for these recipes. They do not disappoint!
"Magiae Naturalis" was originally published in Italy in 1558, and became immensely popular over the course of the 16th and 17th centuries.

03/26/2026

Images from the "Margarita Philosophica" by Gregor Reisch (d. 1525). Published in Freiburg I'm Breisgau in 1503, it is an early encyclopedic work. Bell call # 1503 Re.

03/25/2026

Chinese women as depicted in various European travel narratives between 1599 and 1750.

01/23/2026

So cold in Minneapolis today!! -20 F before the windchill factor! Stay safe, Everyone!

01/22/2026

Arctic cold in 1819!
(From John Ross's narrative, Bell # 1819 Ro)

01/21/2026

It's snowing again in Minneapolis - nice weather for taking the babies out to play! Rococo images from Abbe Chappe d'Auteroche's account of a journey to Siberia in the 1760s (Bell Call # 1768 fCh).

01/20/2026

Polar vortex weather in Minnesota! I'm thinking of ships trapped in ice, polar bears, and how I am not cut out for polar exploration!
These images are from Gerrit De Veer's narrative of the Barentsz Expedition of 1596 (Bell Call # 1602 Hu).

01/15/2026

Rhinos in the library!

01/14/2026

An inventory project in the caverns beneath Elmer L. Andersen Library revealed this beauty: an extra-large format magazine from 1907 celebrating Minnesota.

01/12/2026

A colorful figure of the French and German Enlightenment, Antoine-Joseph Pernety (1716-1796) began his rise to fame as a naturalist on Bougainville's voyage to the Malouine (or Falkland) Islands in 1763-64. These images of seals and Patagonian giants accompanied his 1771 account of the voyage. Bell Call # 1771 Per.

12/11/2025

Pop-up exhibit on 16 December, 11:30am-1:30pm!

Address

222 21st Avenue S
Minneapolis, MN
55455

Website

http://lib.umn.edu/bell

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