In case you were wondering what books looked like back in 1776, the year the United States was founded, Kauffman Museum at Bethel College can help you out.
In honor of the U.S. semiquincentennial (250 years), John Thiesen, archivist at Bethel’s Mennonite Library and Archives, put together a small exhibit of books the MLA owns that were published in 1776.
Since the MLA is closed during July, Kauffman Museum has the nine titles – in German, Dutch and French – on display just inside the front entrance.
These include a Bible, biblical and theological reference books, a hymnbook, a memoir, a biography and a sermon collection.
Although there is a charge to visit the museum, the book exhibit is free. Regular Kauffman Museum hours are Tuesday-Friday, 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. (closed Monday).
The books can be seen at the museum through Aug. 2. The exhibit returns to the MLA when it reopens Aug. 4.
PHOTO CUTLINE (1): These three volumes were published in 1776, all in German. On the left is a reference book for Bible study (a concordance, or biblical lexicon) by M. Gottfried Büchner. On the right is a hymnal, called the Ausbund, which Old Order Amish congregations use virtually unchanged to this day. At the top is a Bible, published in Germantown, Pa., which John Thiesen notes is one of two books in the collection that is “the closest geographically to the American Revolution of any of the books here.” (Melanie Zuercher)
PHOTO CUTLINE (2): From right, Bethel staff Alex Rome, Lizzy Gerber, Eric Preheim and Sheridan Weinbrenner take a look at the display of 250-year-old books during a recent visit to Kauffman Museum. (Melanie Zuercher)
