Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/80

 The H. Shaw collection partakes of the character of the Sir George Grey collection, containing as it does a number of manuscripts, early printed books and a splendid collection of works in general literature in best copies. It is especially strong in specimens of Oriental illuminated work, in which the Grey collection is deficient; also in Fifteenth and Sixteenth Century printed books, of which Augustine's De Civitate Dei, 1467, printed by Johann Mentelin, of Strassburg, is notable, among other reasons as being the earliest printed book contained in the Library. From many others with outstanding claims we select for special mention the Biblia Latina, 1479, the production of Adolf Rusch, of Strassburg, on account of its perfection of workmanship. Of the modern books, typical is the magnificent copy of The Holy Land and Egypt and Nubia, 6 volumes, by David Roberts, R.A., which has lithographs coloured by hand in imitation of the original drawings. The section of the Shaw collection devoted to art and art crafts is also worthy of special mention. Still another feature of Mr. Shaw's work as a collector is the grangerized books, the Edinburgh Folio Shakespeare, which has over 3,000 illustrations added to it, being the most important, but by no means an isolated example of this form of book-making.

Of monetary bequests the gift of £12,150 made by the will of the late Edward Costley, who died on April 18, 1883, is the most outstanding.

The growth of the Public Library has been interesting and in recent years most marked. Commencing in