Geoffrey Chaucer Research Paper

At Grinnell College, in the basement of the four-story Burling Library, lies the Special Collections and Archives. Within this cold room, many interesting books, pictures, and objects are found, but what makes them so ‘special’? There are requirements that the objects must meet in order to be considered part of the archives, but sometimes there is much more to them than just a checklist. A particularly special book to many is the 1896 collection of Geoffrey Chaucer’s poems called, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, which was donated to Grinnell College during the Cold War by a doctor who enjoyed collecting books. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is particularly special both for the unique way it was crafted, and its history. In 1896, William Morris, founder of the Kelmscott Press Company, crafted 425 large, intricate, and beautiful copies of The

On the inside of the back binding, the name Phillip C. Duschnes can be found on a sticker. Phillip C. Duschnes was a widely known book collector in New York City during the 19th Century who bought many rare books. It is not certain when Mr. Duschnes would have bought the book, but it is very likely he would have gone to a book auction to buy it and many others. There are not enough records to show what happened directly after he owned it, but eventually George F. Pinne, a doctor from the Omaha area, was the owner of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer. According to Special Collections staff member Allison, Mr. Pinne met a Grinnell College official during the Cold War. He told the Grinnellian that he was worried about his books getting destroyed from possible bombings or never being used again in a bomb shelter. The Grinnellian talked to other officials about taking care of the book. They agreed and Mr. Pinne donated The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer and many other special