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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Lbs 663 8vo – Oeconomia Christiana
Lbs 663 8vo contains Oeconomia Christiana, by rev. Jón Magnússon (1601–1675) in Laufás in Eyjafjörður. The manuscript was bound in 1776 for Rannveig Ólafsdóttir (1734–1814) in Sauðlauksdalur and most likely it was written around the same time, possibly especially for Rannveig. It is decoratively written, probably by rev. Björn Þorgrímsson (1750–1832), who served at Saurbær…
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Iceland creates a precedent by Björg C. Þorláksson
The Icelandic – Danish dictionary is mostly a collaborative project of the couple Sigfús and Björg Þ. Blöndal, which they started in Copenhagen during their first year of marriage in 1903. They worked so constantly on the dictionary for the next 17 years, but due to Sigfús’ regular work at the Royal Library, it is…
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Vídalínspostilla
HVSS-POSTilla, EDVR EINFALLDAR PREDIKANER Yfer øll Haatijda og Suñudaga Gudspiøll Aared Vmm Krijng Jón Vídalín (1666-1720), Bishop of Skálholt, wrote these sets of sermons that were published 1718-1720. Named after the author, Vídalínspostilla or Jónsbók, this book became one of the most widely read in Iceland over the following century and a half. Vídalínspostilla contained…
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Manuscript by Sölvi Helgason (1820–1895)
Sölvi Helgason, Sólon Islandus, is one of Iceland’s best known vagrants. He was born on August 16, 1820 at Fjall in Sléttuhlíð in Skagafjörður, northern Iceland and thus, now we commemorate his 200 years anniversary. As a child he was a pauper on various farms and then started wandering around the age of 16. In…
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Register of printed Icelandic books and manuscripts in the Reykjavik Stiptisbókasafn
In 1848, Jón Árnason was appointed librarian at the Reykjavik Stiptisbókasafn, later to be called the National Library, and held that position alongside other occupations until he retired in 1887. He was the first employee of the library, but previously he had been a member of the library’s board of directors. The library was formally…
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Engraving in the book Nýársgjöf handa börnum (New Year’s gift for children) 1841
The author, Jóhann Halldórsson (1809-1844) is one of the first Icelandic children’s book authors, but no doubt some of the stories in his books are translated, though not specifically mentioned. The first Icelandic translation of a story from the adventures of the Grimm brothers, the story Maríubarnið (Mary’s Child), appears in this book that was…
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70th anniversary of The National Theatre of Iceland
Cards and drawings by Thorbjørn Egner This year marks the 70th anniversary of the official opening of The National Theatre of Iceland. It took place on the 20th of April 1950, on the First Day of Summer, and truly marked a turning point in Icelandic history and culture. This year’s anniversary play is the popular…
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Icelandic-Danish dictionary
The Icelandic-Danish dictionary was published in 1920-24. The book contains 1052 pages and 114,000 headwords. The dictionary is a key piece of Icelandic dictionary history and is still the largest Icelandic explanatory dictionary ever written. All glossaries in the book are in Danish. The Icelandic-Danish dictionary is for the most part a collaborative project of…
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Ólafur Hvanndal’s collection of proofs from printplates (clichés) in the manuscript collection
Ólafur J. Hvanndal (1897-1954) established his first first printplate workshop (cliché anstalt) in Reykjavik in 1919 and, thereby, he in effect founded a new industry into the country. Ólafur J. Hvanndal’s printplate workshop was for a while in the Gutenberg printing house in Þingholtsstræti, but later it moved to Mjóstræti 6, where the printing press…
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Barking Water
The Icelandic surrealist group Medúsa published the magazine Geltandi vatn (Barking Water) in 1985. Only one issue was published. It included a manifest, one paragraph reads as follows: “Barking Water is published by Medúsa and is our advocate and the microphone of our passions. From here, we will crush everything that tries to stop us…
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Last wish of Hólmfríður Benediktsdóttir
from 1838 “Since my unforgettably precious daughter Hólmfríður, who was called away from this world on the 28th of November in the fourteenth year of her life, often beseeched me during the week long illness that took her life that I, along with other smaller gifts made by herself, “should for her sake do something…
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Elsa Sigfúss
Det kimer nu til julefest Elsa Sigfúss is probably the Icelandic musician who has sung on most albums, but it is confirmed that about a hundred and twenty albums are released with her singing. Likewise, they are likely to be more numerous, as Elsa worked throughout her singing career in Denmark, her albums were mostly…