Rare Early Edition of Renaissance Poetry Donated to Gumberg Library

A rare and valuable edition of Edmund Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, a landmark work in English literature, now resides at Gumberg Library, not just to be viewed under glass, but also to be used as a learning tool for students studying English Renaissance poetry.

This 1611 first-edition of The Faerie Queene and Shepheards Calendar was printed in London for the bookseller Matthew Lownes. In addition to its age, this edition also is exceptional in that it marks the first time that Spenser’s primary works were printed together.

Dr. Greg Barnhisel, chair and professor of English in the McAnulty College and Graduate School of Liberal Arts, called it a beautiful, well-preserved example of English Renaissance bookcraft.

“Students and faculty will now be able to study The Faerie Queene in an edition printed just after Spenser’s death,” said Barnhisel. “They will also be able to see for themselves how much effort and craftsmanship went into putting together a book in the second century of printing.”

Dr. Robert Giannetti, who earned his Ph.D. in English at Duquesne in 1979, donated the book in honor of his late dissertation advisor, Dr. Foster Provost. Giannetti is a poet and the former owner of Bob’s Olde Books, an antiquarian bookstore in Lewiston, NY. In the past, he has shown support by giving to the Gumberg Library Endowment and to the Dr. Albert C. Labriola Memorial Library Fund in recent years. After reconnecting with representatives from Duquesne and visiting campus for Homecoming, Giannetti wanted to do something special for the University and worked with the library and the English department to donate The Faerie Queene and Shepheards Calendar. 

The book is housed in the University archives—located in the Gumberg Library building, and the staff there is excited to have such a unique artifact in their care.

“In an age of digital texts and online reading, it’s especially important for scholars and students to experience this work as its original readers would have,” said University Librarian Dr. Sara Baron.

To see The Faerie Queene and Shepheards Calendar, contact Tom White, University archivist and curator, at whitet@duq.edu or 412.396.4870 to make an appointment.