by 
A Curator’s Talk with Kyle Lincoln, Department of History, for the Exhibit
With Quill and Knife:
Manuscripts for Study and Learning
Vatican Film Library
Pius XII Memorial Library, Rm 105
19 November 2014, 3:30 p.m.
Curated by Kyle Lincoln, doctoral candidate in the Saint Louis University Department of History, this exhibition focuses on complex texts and illustrates the various methods used to impart difficult information. In the medieval world, the program of study for most students was strictly standardized. They undertook a seven-year-long course covering logic, grammar, rhetoric, arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, and music; all to earn a simple bachelor’s degree. Beyond these studies, especially promising students could pursue law or theology, or, at certain schools, medicine or the sciences. The production of books was a major industry, and texts on advanced subjects were particularly prized by students and scholars.
The manuscripts and manuscript fragments on display cover a broad range of genres, including law, military science, poetry, and exegesis. Regardless of the subject matter, the manuscripts were produced for utility and functionality, and were explored by professional scholars and erudite amateurs alike.
The curator’s talk will be followed by a reception. The exhibition will be on display Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, through 31 Jan 2015 in the Vatican Film Library of Pius XII Memorial Library (Room 105). For further information, contact Susan L’Engle, Assistant Director of the Vatican Film Library, at 314-977-3084, lengles@slu.edu.
