Library’s stunning manuscript starts new year by the book

A devotional book which first became popular in the 13th-century among wealthy classes, the remarkable text was designed to help individuals keep up with a rigorous schedule of tasks and prayers while at home.

It will go on display at Leeds Central Library next week to mark the New Year along with a selection of historic calendars and almanacs from the library’s collection.

Rhian Isaac, special collections librarian at Leeds Central Library, said: “The Book of Hours is one of the most beautiful books in our whole collection, with the colours and intricate details still vivid after hundreds of years of reading.  

“Early books of hours would be owned or commissioned for nobility and royalty but a shift towards personal devotion, increased literacy and the manufacturing by professional scribes led to a growth in popularity and more people being able to have their own copy. They still would have been very expensive and beyond the reach of most people at the time.   

“While our priorities and how we structure our lives may have changed, it’s interesting to reflect on how people in the medieval period looked to develop their own routines and organise their daily lives.”

The library’s copy of The Book of Hours was donated in 1929 by Beryl Gott, who also bequeathed the botanical collection that bears her family name.

This particular manuscript was most likely produced in Paris in around 1480, possibly by a family run businesses.

Creating each book was a painstaking process, with one worker marking out the lines and another writing the text whilst a third would do the miniatures and yet another would apply the delicate gold leaf.

Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, said: “Our libraries contain some truly remarkable literary treasures which capture centuries of creativity and ingenuity.

“We’re extremely fortunate that we’re able to display some of these books to the public and to give them some insight into so many years of writing and storytelling.”

The Book of Hours will be on display at Leeds Central Library from Jan 7, 2025.

ENDS