Member Program: Field Trip to The James Ford Bell Library
The James Ford Bell Library (part of the Archives & Special Collections of the Andersen Library of the University of Minnesota) makes history come alive through its premier collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, archival collections, and other materials that document the history and impact of trade and cultural exchange prior to ca. 1800 CE.
Website: https://www.lib.umn.edu/collections/special/bell
Member, Janey Westin and manuscript librarian, Maggie Ragnow, will be our guide while at the James Ford Bell Museum.
Last season when we visited the library, we were awed by the many manuscript pages that Maggie curated for us. Janey guided us on analysing a historical hand and helped us to create our own exemplar based on that analysis.
Janey will once again lead us in the close analysis of a historical hand, exploring its design, lettering, and artistic features while drawing inspiration from original manuscripts on display.
As an added incentive, Maggie is organizing an exhibition at the library in fall 2028. The exhibition will pair an original manuscript page with a work created by one of our members in response to it. Your piece might be a faithful copy, a modern interpretation of the original, illuminated initials inspired by a selected page, or another work that is clearly influenced by the historical manuscript. The original and the contemporary work will be displayed side by side at the James Ford Bell Library.
Supplies to Bring:
We will be using chisel-edge markers. NO LIQUID INK is allowed in the room.
Please bring a 2.5mm calligraphy marker - brand does not matter, but Janey will have guide sheets available to coincide with a 2.5mm marker (suggestions in links below).
Paper - inexpensive drawing paper or even copy paper - as long as your marker does not bleed
Pencil and notepaper.
To support participants throughout the project, we will schedule several opportunities to meet, share progress, receive feedback, and refine work in preparation for the exhibition in fall 2028.
This is an exciting (and rare!) opportunity to train your eye and learn an essential calligraphy skill from original documents.
- Members: This is a free program
- Guests can attend one free in person program a season.