‘A hideous book’ at Cambridge University Library

Historian of alchemy and Type & Forme partner Dr Anke Timmermann has contributed a new introduction to Cambridge University Library’s Digital Collections. Described by the famous Cambridge bibliographer M.R. James as ‘a hideous book’ about a century ago, this miscellaneous early modern alchemical manuscript (CUL MS Kk.6.30) looks back upon a rather interesting history that ensured its survival and led it to be part of ‘the greatest benefaction which Cambridge ever yet received’.

Anke’s introduction provides more detail on this manuscript’s fascinating history, and is now available alongside the full digitisation of the manuscript.

Anke first worked on CUL manuscript Kk.6.30 when she held the Munby Fellowship in Bibliography in 2013-2014. Her fellowship resulted in the publication of the bibliography  Alchemy in Cambridge: An Annotated Catalogue of Alchemical Texts and Illustrations in Cambridge Repositories (published in Nuncius (Brill) in 2015).