Guide to the Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty collection of Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts, circa 1250-1500
Special Collections, James P. Adams Library
Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Ave
Providence, RI, 02908
Tel: 401-456-8380
email:digitalcommons@ric.edu
Published in 2023
Collection Overview
| Title: | Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty collection of Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts |
| Date range: | circa 1250-1500 |
| Creator: | West, Leonard. |
| Extent: | 0.25 cubic feet. |
| Abstract: | Original Medieval and Early Modern manuscript leaves collected by Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty. |
| Language of materials: | Latin; Dutch. |
| Repository: | Special Collections, James P. Adams Library |
| Collection number: | MSS-0050 |
Scope & content
The collection contains original Medieval and Early Modern manuscript leaves written mainly in Latin. The leaves derive from manuscripts of a Franciscan Gradual, Augustinian Breviary, German Breviary, the Book of Hours, and Holy Bible.Access Points
Subject Names Subject Topics Geographical Names Document TypesArrangement
The collection is arranged in the order in which it arrived in the Rhode Island College Special Collections.
Biographical/Historical Note
Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty graduated from Warwick Veterans Memorial High School and served in the United States Coast Guard International Ice Patrol. He also taught college at the University of Wyoming, University of Connecticut, and Rhode Island College and published books under the name “Leonard West.” He died in 2021.Access & Use
| Access to the collection: | The collection is open for research. |
| Use of the materials: | Researchers are advised to contact Rhode Island College Special Collections for questions regarding permissions to reproduce, distribute, or otherwise publish material from this collection. Although Rhode Island College has physical ownership of the collection, it does not necessarily hold literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them. |
| Alternate form: | This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections. |
| Preferred citation: | Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty collection of Medieval and Early Modern manuscripts, MSS-0050, Special Collections, James P. Adams Library, Rhode Island College. |
| Contact information: | Special Collections, James P. Adams Library Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Ave Providence, RI, 02908 Tel: 401-456-8380 email:digitalcommons@ric.edu |
Administrative Information
| ABOUT THE COLLECTION | |
| Acquisition: | The collection was donated by Nic Hardisty in 2022. A deed of gift was signed at the time of donation. |
| Custodial history: | The materials in this collection were purchased by Dr. Leonard West-Hardisty from various sellers of manuscripts. |
| Processing information: | The collection was described by Special Collections intern, Melissa Moniz, in 2023, under the supervision of Digital Archivist and Special Collections Librarian, Veronica Denison. |
| ABOUT THE FINDING AID | |
| Author: | Finding aid prepared by Melissa Moniz and Veronica L. Denison. |
| Encoding: | This finding aid was encoded by Veronica L. Denison, 2023 |
| Descriptive rules: | Finding aid based on Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS) |
Additional Information
| Location/Existence of copies: | This collection has not been digitized. For information about obtaining digital copies, please contact the Rhode Island College Special Collections. |
| Other information: |
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Inventory
| Box 1, Folder 1 | A leaf from a Franciscan Gradual (liturgical book of texts and music of chant sung by the choir in response to the celebrant of the Mass), Italy, on vellum. Written in a Gothic hand in black ink with rubrics and four four-line staves in red. Large initial “L” painted in red. Latin |
circa 1400-1500 |
| Box 1, Folder 2 | A leaf from a medieval manuscript Augustinian Breviary, Italy, Use of Rome, on very thin vellum. There are two columns of twenty-eight lines written in brown ink in two sizes of a very small, rounded Gothic liturgical hand. This is the text of a ferial Psalter. Latin |
circa 1450-1500 |
| Box 1, Folder 3 | A leaf from an illuminated manuscript Book of Hours, Use of Utrecht, the style of decorations and the litanies point to eastern Netherlands, most likely Liège. The manuscript evidently belonged to a convent of Augustinian nuns. St. Augustine leads the confessors in two litanies and the prayers for the dying are only used for female nuns. Latin; Dutch |
circa 1450 |
| Box 1, Folder 4 | An incunabula leaf from the Holy Bible. Reynaldus de Novimagio with Theodorus de Reynsburch printed it in Venice, Italy. The leaf contains fifty-three lines of unadorned text (versal indents with guide letters) printed in double columns on paper. Latin |
1478 |
| Box 1, Folder 5 | A leaf from a medieval manuscript Bible on vellum, Paris, France. There are fifty lines of double text in microscopic-miniscule Gothic script. Book headings, chapter numbers, one versal initial “E” in blue and red pen work with a large dragon. The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 26. Latin |
circa 1250-1275 |
| Box 1, Folder 6 | A leaf from medieval manuscript Breviary. Germany, Use of Cologne. Thirty-one lines in small gothic script written in double columns with dark brown and red ink. Two two-line illuminated initials alternating in deep blue with delicate red penwork, and red with delicate violet penwork; thirty-five one-line illuminated initials alternating in deep blue and red. Latin |
circa 1375 |