Beginning this Thursday, an exhibit titled, “A Heavenly Craft: The Woodcut in Early Printed Books,” will be on loan to the Bridwell Theology Library from the Library of Congress.

The exhibition consists of 84 woodcut illustrations that were used in books printed within the first century after Gutenberg invented moveable type.

These particular books were purchased by Lessing J. Rosenwald, an enthusiastic print and illustrated book collector, at one of the C.W. Dyson Perrins sales, a set of auctions held by another prominent book collector of the day.

After Rosenwald’s death in 1979, a portion of his legendary book collection, including the 84 titles that appear in this exhibit, was donated to the Library of Congress.

According to the Library of Congress’s Web site, the Rosenwald exhibit is “the jewel in the crown” of their many collections. Now this famous display is making its way to SMU.

“SMU students will both enjoy and learn from this exhibition because it celebrates the beginnings of book illustration in the printed media,” says Eric White, curator of special collections for the Bridwell Library. “This is a rare opportunity to see such treasures.”

The Heavenly Craft exhibition will be on display from Sept. 15 through Dec. 9 and is free to students and the public.

Daniel DeSimone, curator of the exhibit, will give a lecture on the history of the collection and the significance that woodcut illustration has had on Western culture on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in the Bridwell Library.