The History of the Tournament in England and in France

This hidden gem of a first edition is full of rich history, not only of the chivalric contests of the Middle Ages that it analyzes, but also of the history of the Smithsonian Institution and book history. Delving into the nitty-gritty of the sport over its half-millennium history, this book introduces important terminology used in the study of chivalry. This particular copy came from the library of Thomas Temple Hoopes, a curator most famous for his eponymous prize at Harvard, but whose Smithsonian connections run deep. Not only does the Smithsonian Libraries hold his books on firearms and arms and armor, but Hoopes’ personal papers are kept by the National Anthropological Archives. What may be most intriguing about this book is how it functions as a skeuomorph: an object of advanced technology that imitates techniques of a bygone era for nostalgic purposes. Beautiful and intricate contemporary woodblock illustrations festoon the initial letters of chapters, imitating the rubrication of medieval manuscripts, while reproduced photographs decorate (and are wrapped in) text. Even the binding hearkens back to old techniques using an austere vellum, invoking nostalgia for the period discussed in this fine book.