(R151) Review of Grafton, New Worlds, Ancient Texts

Dr Vartan Gregorian, now president of Brown University, during his memorable tenure of the directorship of the New York Public Library asked Professor Grafton to see if the library’s resources would support an exhibition to display the cultural effects of the discovery of the Americas, to be celebrated on the occasion of the five-hundredth anniversary of the expedition of Columbus. That he could have found no better counsellor is amply demonstrated by this valuable and attractive book; its learning is worthy of its splendid production. The volume is illustrated by numerous reproductions of relevant maps and of the title pages of relevant books; the maps help to show the gradual progress of geographical knowledge, and the title pages by the calculated symbolism of their illustrations often throw light on the central significance of the works they introduce. The book is beautifully printed, on handsome paper, and readers who wish to add their own notes will be grateful for its spacious margins, a feature which one wishes other publishers of learned books would imitate.

Art · Classical Antiquity Studies