De monstris

the long version

"De monstris is an exhibition about the European culture of writing on monsters and monstrosity from the Middle Ages all through the end of the Victorian era. The exhibition explores the textual and visual sources at the centre of the stories of monsters recounted in the pages of medieval encyclopedias, wonder books, cosmographies, compilations of travels, natural history volumes, medical texts, and other popular books. Beyond showcasing the remarkable collections of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library in the areas of history, medicine, science, and literature, the exhibition follows the main traditions in the history of monsters in the West. The manuscripts, printed books, maps, and ephemeral material on display reproduce the historical interpretations of monsters as natural errors, as warnings of future events, or as wonders of nature. Finally, the exhibition questions our knowledge and possible assumptions on the subjects of monsters and monstrosity by presenting a selection of textual and visual narratives which made notable contributions to the history of monsters in Europe over the course of eight centuries."--