muspeccoll:Earlier this semester, I got this book out for a class on the material culture of Christi
muspeccoll:Earlier this semester, I got this book out for a class on the material culture of Christianity. It’s a beautiful Bible bound in purple velvet, with gold embellishments, edges, and clasps. It originally came in a leather case lined with silk, which has since fallen to pieces at the joints, but the same silk features on the gilded endpapers. The clasp is even engraved with the initials of the book’s first owner, Josephine Bonaparte Bolton.This book is beautiful, but it’s even more interesting after reading the note that came with it from its donor, Josephine’s granddaughter:When Josephine Bonaparte Bolton was sixteen years old, she taught three negro women to read and write. Her mother, Mrs. Wm. Bolton, was so proud of her daughter’s achievement, that she gave her this little Bible as a memento. The Boltons lived in Jefferson City, Missouri.Josephine Bolton Kerns(Granddaughter)June 1, 1977The clasp is dated 1851, which means that the original Josephine broke Missouri law by giving reading and writing lessons to the three African American women mentioned in the note. Missouri law in 1847 stated that “No person shall keep or teach any school for the instruction of negroes or mulattos, in reading or writing, in this State.” Teaching a person of color to read was punishable by a fine of not less than $500 and up to six months in jail. I could not find any information about either Josephine, but for the most part, the Bolton families of Cole County and Jefferson City seem to have been Confederate sympathizers. Dr. William Bolton, who may have been Josephine’s father, was a prominent Jefferson City physician and a known slave owner. I’d love to know more about Josephine, her mother, and the story behind this beautiful book. Wouldn’t you?- KelliThe Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments : translated out of the original tongues, and with the former translations diligently compared and revised, by His Majesty’s special command, appointed to be read in churches. London : Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1848. Rare BS185 1848 .L6 -- source link
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