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The Stuart and Mimi Rose Collection /

William Caxton

Item 10D

Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye

1472
First Edition
Incunabula
First Appearance in Print

This is the first book printed in the English language. William Caxton was an English merchant working in Bruges, Belgium who decided to create a book using the new craft of printing. He chose his own translation of a medieval romance—Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye—and in 1473, printed this, the first printed book in English. As Caxton shifted his career to focus on printing, he moved back to England, eventually setting up England’s first print shop. You can see another example of his printing, The Canterbury Tales, in the Out of the Vault gallery in this exhibition hall.

A page of old manuscript written in English with light brown ink. The text is in a Gothic script and densely covers the entire page. A large red decorative capital
The image depicts an old, worn, leather-bound book. The leather cover is heavily scuffed and shows signs of significant wear and age, with many scratches, patches, and discolorations. The edges of the cover are frayed, and the spine appears cracked in multiple places.

What will you discover next?

James Joyce Ulysses
A close-up of the text describing a limited edition copy, noting 1000 copies: 100 copies (signed) on Dutch handmade paper numbered 1 to 100; 150 copies on Vergé D'Arches numbered from 101 to 250; 750 copies on handmade paper, numbered 251 to 1000. Below the text is a hand-written number

Another book inspired by Homer?

Go To Item 3D

Isidore of Seville Etymologiae
An old, open book showing a page with text in Latin. The text is in brown ink and includes large, ornate initials in red and blue. The letter

Another first printing of an ancient work?

Go To Item 5A

Return to Rose Collection
A vibrant, symmetrical collage features historical black-and-white photographs of three individuals encircled with colorful floral patterns. The background is filled with intricate designs of butterflies and geometric shapes in shades of teal, coral, and beige.

Return to the Rose Collection

Visit the Folger to see this object on exhibit

Imprints in Time

Imprints in Time

This special exhibition at the Folger features rare books from the collection of Stuart and Mimi Rose that present literary, cultural, and historical high points.
Fri, Jun 21, 2024 – Sun, Jan 5, 2025
Plan your visit
Rose Exhibition Hall