Our Miniature Collection
The Charlotte M. Smith Collection was a gift of around 4,000+ volumes of mini books given to the University of Iowa Libraries in 1996. The books were mainly collected by Mrs. Charlotte M. Smith. The books are from a range of time periods, from the 17th century to the present. The range of subjects represented in the collection is just as broad, but most of the books are well known for their artistic designs.
This collection was exhibited in 1996, and the exhibition has been virtually preserved as Tiny Tomes.
All of the books in the Charlotte M. Smith Collection have been cataloged in the University of Iowa's library catalog, InfoHawk+ since 2019. You can search the catalog using the subject heading “miniature books” to bring up more of the titles, and more detailed instructions are listed further in this guide.
Samples From Our Collection
Star trek : a television series, 1966-69
"Contains pen and ink portraits of eight characters of the TV series (1966-69) and of Gene Roddenberry, the producer."--Y. Carter
Vampire hunter's kit.
This item contains: Four books on the Uncanny, including Compte d'Erlette's Culte des Goules and von Junzt's Unaussprechlichen Kulten, tied with a eather strap; a journal, half bond in blue leather and blue textured paper; a removable box with holy water, a silver cross, a compass, and a pistol in a holster; a removable tool rack with a mallet, crowbar, and a mirror; sharpened stakes, a garlic head, a rack with test tubes, and a map portfolio with three maps of Eastern Europe.
The captain's map / [Pat Sweet].
"The portfolio is bound in beige Japanese paper, and lined with paper printed with old map. It contains a tinted copy of the map on the recto, and the pertinent lines from the poem on the verso."--Bo Press website.
昭和の豆テレビ Shōwa no mame terebi / Fūkodō = Miniature TV set / Fūodō.
"Includes a miniature tv set (20.5 x 30 x 20 mm.) made of wood with wire aerials. Inside television are three miniature books in Japanese (each 20.1 x 20.5 mm.). All enclosed in a cardboard box (filled with artificial straw and with a rice paper wrapper) with a printed top cover showing a tv set, title and artist. Includes English language insert explaining the work."
Kleinodienbuch der Herzogin Anna von Bayern = Jewel book of the Duchess Anna of Bavaria / Hans Mielich.
"Includes a short history of Duchess Anna of Bavaria's jewel book; a facsimile reproduction of the manuscript. Issued with [16] page booklet with an illustration of the front cover of the original manuscript, two color portraits, and the colophon."
Kleinodienbuch der Herzogin Anna von Bayern = Jewel book of the Duchess Anna of Bavaria / Hans Mielich.
"Includes a short history of Duchess Anna of Bavaria's jewel book; a facsimile reproduction of the manuscript. Issued with [16] page booklet with an illustration of the front cover of the original manuscript, two color portraits, and the colophon."
Credits
All images by Special Collections Graduate Student Diane R.
All information about the books listed taken from our InfoHawk+ library catalog.
Charlotte M. Smith Papers
Charlotte M. Smith (1919-2002) was born in Downey Iowa but lived most of her life in Newton. She founded the Tamazunchale Press in early 1983, and published miniature books starting in 1984. She was a very active woman, having served on the Newton Concert Association and the Monday Book Club, served on the boards of the Newton YMCA, Friends of the University of Iowa Libraries, and Iowa Center for the Book, and having served as one of the presidents of the Newton Public Library Board.
Mrs. Smith has written articles for the journal Books at Iowa, which are the following: “The Joys of Miniature Books” and “The Tamazunchale Press: A Bibliographic Checklist.”
Here at UIowa we also have Mrs. Smith and the Tamazunchale Press' papers, dating from 1961-2012. The papers can be found under MsC0457.
