The Reynolds-Finley Historical Library holds seven medieval and Renaissance manuscripts dating from the mid-14th through the 16th centuries, all of which have been digitized and are now available online through the UAB Digital Collections. All of the manuscripts were given as part of the original donation of over 5,000 books from Dr. Lawrence Reynolds to found the library in 1958. With the exception of a two-volume Book of Christian Prayers in Syriac, dated 1589 (Vol. I Vol. II), the works are primarily medical and scientific tracts, reflecting the major trends in medicine and scholarship of the period, and including treatises by leading thinkers of the period such as Arnold of Villanova, Petrus Peregrinus, and al-Razi (Rhazes). The objective of this exhibit is to provide historical context to the digital collection and to further explain the processes that went into making medieval manuscripts. In-depth information regarding a few of the individual manuscripts is also available here.
Included in this collection:
Online Exhibit
- The Context: Arab Medical Knowledge
- The Context: Scholastic Medicine
- The Making of Manuscripts: Texts
- The Making of Manuscripts: Materials & Illustrations
- Bibliography