The publication of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus’s De revolutionibus orbium caelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres) caused a stir among both scientific and religious communities in the mid 16th century. Postulating that the earth turned on its axis and with the other planets orbited the sun, Copernicus’s work challenged the long-held theories of Ptolemy that claimed the earth was the center of the universe. Likewise, De revolutionibus was condemned by the Church for challenging the centrality of man and the literalness of the Bible. Haverford’s copy includes underlinings and marginal annotations in two hands, including passages to be censured. This volume is part of the William Pyle Philips Collection of Rare Books, which contains many fine volumes representative of Western humanistic thought.

The first printing of Shakespeare’s complete plays of 1623 is known today as the “First Folio” and it might rightly be considered the Holy Grail of rare book collecting. Haverford owns a copy of the First Folio as well as each of the three subsequent printings of 1632, 1663/64, and 1685. In addition to the texts of the comedies, histories, and tragedies, the First Folio contains what many consider to be the most authentic engraved portrait of Shakespeare. Originally selling for £1, surviving copies of the First Folio have set record prices at auction in recent years. Haverford’s four Folios were purchased at auction in 1946 by William Pyle Philips HC ‘02 and together with over 100 other titles form the core of the William Pyle Philips Collection of Rare Books. The collection reflects Philips’ life-long interest in Shakespeare as it contains many of the poet’s works, texts that inspired him, texts of his time, and works inspired by him.