March, 2025

Palaeography is the study of ancient writings and manuscripts

 John Obadiah Westwood was a pioneer scholar in this art, organising and reproducing old English texts and their artwork, such as the Book of Kells to show to the general public.

 In 1843, he published the beautiful Palaeographia Sacra Pictoria, which included a series of illustrations from ancient bibles and religious manuscripts. We have a finely bound copy for sale. a monumental work, full of rich highly coloured chromolithographic  reproductions.

 Westwood, along with his palaeographical studies, was a noted entomologist, holding a chair in invertebrate zoology at Oxford in 1861. His interest in the artwork of books flowed into his publication of insects which was also applauded.

 Words and pictures come happily together in both the arts and sciences.