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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Nonni. Excerpt from the childhood history of an Icelander. Own narrative
In Jón Sveinsson’s (Nonni) books, Nonni tells about his adventures together with his brother, Manni. The books are twelve and have been published in millions of copies in dozens of languages. Nonni is extremely popular outside of Iceland and is probably the Icelandic author who has been published in the most languages, until recently. Nonni’s…
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Perla Fáfnisdóttir – Miss All Iceland
A new website about the Redstocking Movement (1970–1982) has opened in Icelandic. The site is made from the movement’s documents preserved at the Women’s History Archives. Among the many items that have been preserved are large, handmade posters showing how playful the movement could be in its actions. The National Library’s highlight in November is a poster of…
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Hlaupvídd sex (Calibre six) by Sigurður Pálsson – a poster from the Student’s Theatre
The SÁL Theatre School operated from 1972-1975. At that time there was no performing arts school in Iceland after the National Theatre and the Reykjavík Theatre Company closed their school to pressure the state to open a state-run drama school. In the summer of 1972 a group of young people who had become impatient after the…
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Virkisvetur – Björn Th. Björnsson
On September 3, a century has passed since the birth of Björn Th. Björnsson, art historian and writer. Björn was the first Icelandiv Art historian and was a pioneer in the study of Icelandic art. He was a popular lecturer and taught many art history courses at the University of Iceland for over two decades.…
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Letters on Iceland
Uno von Troil (1746–1803) was a Swedish theologist who travelled to many countries in Europe around 1770 where he met well-known intellectuals of the Enlightenment such as Rousseau, Diderot and d’Alembert. He then arrived in London where he met his friend, the naturalist Daniel Solander. When Joseph Banks heard that Troil was interested in the…
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„Halldóra“ A Bible named after Bishop Guðbrandur Þorláksson of Hólar, a copy of his daughter, Halldóra
The National and University Library of Iceland preserves nine copies of The Guðbrand‘s Bible (Guðbrandsbiblía), which was first printed in 1584. It was was the first complete publication of the Bible in Icelandic and is named after Bishop Guðbrandur Þorláksson (1541–1627) of Hólar. It is estimated that 500 copies were printed. One of the copies…
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The travelogues of the geologist and writer Dr. Helgi Pjeturss
The travelogues of the geologist and writer Dr. Helgi Pjeturss were published in Reykjavík in 1959. The first part of the book contains a description of a research expedition to Greenland in 1897, during which the young geologist carries out his first independent research on glacial deposits. The second part is a collection of articles…
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Stúlkan frá Tungu (The Girl from Tunga) by Indriði Einarsson
The highlight of the month is the play Stúlkan frá Tungu (The Girl from Tunga) by Indriði Einarsson. The Reykjavík Theatre Company premiered the play in the Reykjavík Theatre, Iðnó, on the 26th of December in 1909 and directed by Indriði Einarsson. The script is hand-written by Einarsson and is the only known copy as it was…
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Flower drawings by Torfhildur Hólm, Lbs 3988 4to
Torfhildur Hólm was born at Kálfafellsstaður in Suðursveit, South-Iceland, on February 2, 1845. Her parents were Rev. Thorsteinn Einarsson and Guðríður Torfadóttir. She married the merchant Jakob Hólm, but became young a widow because her husband died after only one year of marriage. Torfhildur studied English and crafts in Reykjavík. She moved to Canada in…
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Lbs 36 4to – A Mirror for the Clergy – A textbook in preaching by Páll Björnsson in Selárdalur
„Who are you? I am a shouting voice in the desert, says the baptizer […] During the day I am the shouting voice of God. God shouts for me, now hard, now said, now sweet, now sour, sometimes he lures and comforts, sometimes he frightens and threatens, that is more than enough for me. I…
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Quid sentimus? Quid faciendum? (What do we think? What should be done?) by Gunnlaugur Briem
The highlight of the month of January is Gunnlaug Briem’s essay (1773-1834), Quid sentimus? Quid faciendum? (What do we think? What should be done?) Gunnlaugur compiled the essay following the coup of Jörundur Hundadagakonungur (1780–1841) in the summer of 1809. Jörundur arrived in Iceland in June 1809 as an interpreter with the soap merchant Samuel…
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Valgerður Jónsdóttir’s book of correspondence, Lbs 26.fol.
The manuscript Lbs 26 fol. is a large book, containing the correspondence of bishop Hannes Finnsson and his widow Valgerður Jónsdóttir. However, the book is usually referred to as Valgerður’s book of correspondence, as most of the letters are from her. The book was amongst almost 400 other manuscripts which Valgerður sold to the National…