Reader's marks, annotations, and traces across centuries
Throughout history, readers have left their marks in the margins...
Found in: In the margin of Arithmetica
"'I have discovered a truly marvelous proof of this, which this margin is too narrow to contain.'"
The note that launched centuries of mathematics.
Found in: Throughout his library
"Thousands of marginal notes, creating a 'marginalia' genre"
His annotations were so extensive they were published posthumously.
Found in: Various books
"'Marginalia' essays published in magazines"
Poe turned his margin notes into a literary form.
Found in: Codex of Virgil
"Notes on meeting Laura, her death, and his own reflections"
One of the most famous annotated books in history.
Found in: His own copy of Principia
"Corrections and additions for later editions"
Newton annotated his own revolutionary work.
Found in: His library of 3,000 books
"Argumentative margin notes debating the authors"
His marginalia reveals his intellectual development.
Found in: His copies of Shakespeare
"Underlinings and notes while writing Moby-Dick"
Shows Shakespeare's influence on Melville.
Found in: Scientific texts
"Notes developing evolutionary theory"
His marginalia traces the development of his ideas.
Found in: His dictionary sources
"Working notes on word meanings and etymologies"
The marginalia became the Dictionary.
Found in: Various books
"Sardonic, funny marginal comments"
'Classic - a book which people praise and don't read.'
Found in: Her college textbooks
"Intense underlinings and personal connections"
Her marginalia is studied for insights into her mind.
Found in: His teaching copies
"Detailed notes for his Cornell lectures"
Published as 'Lectures on Literature.'
Found in: His personal library
"Extensive annotations, multiple colors"
His marginalia reveals his reading practice.
Found in: His reading copies
"Notes that fed into his magical realism"
His marginalia is preserved in his archive.
Found in: Early printed copy
"'This is too dangerous to leave unmarked'"
An early reader's warning to successors.