Recent acquisitions

This book is a catalog of the museum founded by Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680). Kircher had a wide range of interests, including antiquities, natural history, and musicology, and his private museum included numerous specimens and curiosities. Many of the items in the museum were given to Kircher by fellow members of the Jesuit order, who picked up items during their missionary travels around the globe.

The library has a strong collection of works by and about Kircher. This latest acquisition is especially important since it documents Kircher’s work as a collector and scholar. This volume includes many illustrations of the items in Kircher’s collection.