One of the biggest positives of the Kindle e-reader, or for that matter all e-readers out there, is their ability to carry along almost an entire library with you. Any attempt to carry that many physical books with you on your next vacation can be a logistics nightmare unless you are in dire need of the particular titles and are ready to make special arrangements for their transportation.
However, with e-readers such as the Kindle or the Kobo being a 21st-century development, guess how multiple books used to be carried in earlier times. An image dating back to the 17th century has come to light courtesy of OpenCulture that reveals a case likely made of wood and specifically designed to carry lots of books. The case again is designed to mimic a big book which when opened will reveal a cluster of books neatly arranged in three racks.
Named the Jacobean Travelling Library, the case can hold around 50 or so books at a time. That said, the books must comply with specific measurements to ensure they fit into the case easily. Further, the books have been found to be ‘bound in limp vellum covers with coloured fabric ties.’ The choice of books meanwhile is found to be as varied as ever, with topics ranging from theology, philosophy, classical history and poetry and have been written by the likes of Ovid, Seneca, Cicero, Virgil, Tacitus, and Saint Augustine.
Specifically, the library is believed to have its origins around 1617 and was developed by an English lawyer and MP William Hakewill, claimed the library at the University of Leeds. With the books arranged in a single big case, it would have been easier for the nobleman to carry that many books while on the move. Several of the books are now part of The Harvard Classics and are also available online as well.
What has also come to the fore is that there has been a total of three such Jacobean Travelling Libraries that were made during the time. Those now occupy pride of place at the British Library, the Huntington Library in San Marino, California, and the Toledo Museum of Art in Toledo, Ohio.
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
