In Pictures: the Amazing Collection of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library

The Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library’s extraordinary holdings include many items from world and Canadian literature, including a first edition of Newton’s Principia Mathematica (1687), the literary papers of Leonard Cohen and Sir Frederick Banting’s original experiment notes. Here is a peek at some rare and intriguing items from the library’s digitized treasure trove:

This letter, addressed simply to “the Dr. who cures diabetes,” made it to Frederick Banting at U of T all the way from Saskatchewan in 1922. From the Discovery and Early Development of Insulin collection.

A scrap of 2,000-year-old Egyptian writing from the Papyri fragment collection. U of T acquired five boxes of fragments, dating from the 3rd century BC to the 3rd century AD, in 1904. The pieces include marriage contracts, letters and tax receipts.

This early (1854) example of a coloured print, by Nicolas Henri Jacob, shows the nerves in the head and neck. From the Anatomia collection: history of medicine illustrations from 1522 to 1867.

Toronto’s official 1901 programme for a royal visit from the Duke of Cornwall and York, later George V. From the Canadian Pamphlets and Broadsides collection.

Asarum canadense l. (wild ginger) from the Agnes Chamberlin (1833–1913) collection of botanical paintings. The paintings are linked to Canadian literary tradition: they were published in Catharine Parr Trail’s book Canadian Wildflowers and Chamberlin herself was Susannah Moodie’s daughter.

Born in 1607 and blind in one eye, Czech native Wencelaus Hollar grew up to become one of the most skilled etchers of 17th-century England, most famous for his depictions of London after the fire of 1666. This image from the library’s Wenceslaus Hollar (1607-1677) collection shows a peasants’ dance.

All images courtesy Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library