The miniature book form exemplifies how meaning can precisely be created through intentional physical constraint. 

While the origins of the miniature form in the Western tradition can be traced to manuscripts from the Middle Ages, this exhibition takes a broader understanding of the book as any structured way of presenting recorded information. By this definition, the earliest miniature forms arguably date back over 4,000 years to cuneiform scripts on Sumerian clay tablets—an example of which is included in this exhibit.

The earliest forms of Western miniatures appeared in the form of pocket-sized religious works and almanacs. Historically, books were mostly miniaturised for practical purposes, such as making prayer accessible outside of church settings, fitting knowledge into a traveller’s waistcoat pocket, and concealing what were radical ideas of their time (the likes of birth control and abolitionism).

By the 19th century, advances in printing technology allowed for the mass production of miniature books, beginning with William Pickering’s 1819 Diamond Classics series—examples of which are also featured in the History in Miniature section. 

Despite these changes, mass production of miniatures did not remain the norm beyond the early 20th century. Since then, miniature books are increasingly reimagined as experimental art by fine presses and book artists seeking to challenge and expand the physical and conceptual boundaries of the book.

In the Palm is a curated selection of Massey College’s extensive yet rarely displayed holdings of miniature books and pocket editions, housed at the Robertson Davies Library. Many of the miniature book holdings are more contemporary compared to the antiquarian focus of the library’s broader collection. Much of the collection comes from the personal library of William Rueter, founder of The Aliquando Press, while others were collected by the late Ruari McLean, who assembled a sizeable selection of 19th-century works to support his own work as a typographer.

Miniature books are inherently personal objects that invite close attention. We hope you will agree—as you explore this exhibition—that there is something remarkable about the sheer wealth of text and design contained within the space of a single palm.

In the Palm is curated in reference to the Will Rueter miniature catalogue collated by Colleen Thumlert and installed with the assistance of Jenny Weng. Special thanks to Massey College librarian Andreea Marin for her support in making this exhibition possible.