Every month the National and University Library of Iceland picks one item from its collections and tells its story: a manuscript, photograph, map, poster or letter that has lain untouched for decades. Some of the items are well known; others have never been shown in public.
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Women celebrate their suffrage
On the 7th of July 1915 Althingi (Parliament) assembled for the first time after the Danish king had confirmed with his signature the new proposal from Althingi which brought suffrage to Icelandic women and farm labourers, 40 years and older. The leaders of the women’s societies decided to assemble at Austurvöllur to express their gratitude…
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Gunnar Gunnarsson: Úr ættarsögu Borgarfólksins (The Story of the Borg Family)
The first novel of Gunnar Gunnarsson that raised awareness was Af Borgslægtens Historie (The Story of the Borg Family / Guest the One Eyed). In 1915 the first two volumes were published in Icelandic and the latter two volumes in 1918. At the age of 18 Gunnar Gunnarsson (1889-1975) moved to Denmark where he studied at Askov Folk High…
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Elka Björnsdóttir’s diaries
Elka Björnsdóttir (1881-1924), a working woman in Reykjavík, kept diaries during the years 1915-1923 which are a remarkable source material on the life of working class women, besides being a wealth of information on the various events that took place in Iceland at this time. Elka followed national affairs closely and was interested in matters…
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On the Diverse Natures of Iceland
JS 401 XI 4to. On the Diverse Natures of Iceland is a fragment of the most famous work of Jón Guðmundsson (1574-1658) the Learned, who despite the nickname was a self-educated man: On the diversity of Iceland’s Natures. This manuscript is an original was written sometime in the years 1640-1644 and has quite a number…
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Oddur Gottskálksson’s translation of the New testament
The translation of The New Testament by Oddur Gottskálksson (1514/1515 – 1556) was printed in Roskilde in 1540. It was the first book printed in Icelandic. Oddur had become acquainted with Lutheranism in his travels in Scandinavia and Germany. When he returned to Iceland he became a writer in Skálholt in the service of the…
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Five Hundred Years of Printing
Hafsteinn Guðmundsson (1912-1999) wore many hats: designer, bookmaker, teacher, printing house director, and publisher. In 1940, when still an apprentice at printer-publisher Ísafold, he was commissioned to work on a book that is unique in the history of books in Iceland and beyond: Prentlistin fimm hundruð ára (Five Hundred Years of Printing). On the title…
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Tryggvi Magnússon’s drafts for the Icelandic Republic’s Coat of Arms
A great number of drawings by Tryggvi Magnússon are kept in the Manuscript Department of the National and University Library of Iceland. Tryggvi was one of the best known artists in Iceland in the first half of the 20th century. Besides illustrating books and journal issues he designed playing cards with characters from the Sagas,…
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Helena Eyjólfsdóttir sings Silent Night
This 78 rpm record was published by Íslenskir tónar in 1954. It contains Helena Eyjólfsdóttir singing two Christmas carols, accompanied by organist Páll Ísólfsson. It is recorded in mono by the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service. The record was produced in Norway at AS Nera in Oslo. There are two songs on the record: Silent Night…
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Útsýn (View) – translations of American poetry
150 years have passed since the birth of the poet Einar Benediktsson. In 1892 Einar and Þorleifur H. Bjarnason undertook the publishing of a new journal which they named Útsýn (View). The journal was meant to increase the Icelanders’ knowledge of foreign literature and was scheduled to be published 6 times per year. However, only…
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Jón Bjarnason’s natural science manuscript
The manuscript ÍBR 69 4to is a part of the encyclopaedic collection of farmer Jón Bjarnason (1791-1861) from Þórormstunga in Austur-Húnavatnssýsla, which he collected in the middle of the nineteenth century. The collection, which is in 9 volumes (ÍBR 67-73 4to and ÍBR 69-70 8vo), includes detailed information about the fauna and flora, foreign cultures,…
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Beautifully illustrated Snorra-Edda from 1764
ÍB 299 4to The manuscript ÍB 299 4to is written in 1764 and includes various subjects, e.g. Snorra-Edda and a runic alphabet. It is written by Jakob Sigurðsson (1727-1779) who was a very able writer and often illustrated his manuscripts with beautiful drawings. The title page is decorated with persons and subjects from Norse mythology.…
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English Psalter ÍB 363 8vo
A beautifully decorated fragment of an English Psalter written (c. 1300) in Latin on vellum. The leaf contains the text of Psalms XXXVII, 14 – XXXVIII, 6. In the top left corner of the verso is an illuminated historiated initial D, burnt in gold, that shows Mary and Jesus receiving the Wise Men from the…