Out of Scope: Unexpected Titles in the Rare Book Collections

Anthanasius Kircher (c.1601-1680) was a German Jesuit and polymath.  Musurgia universalis was one of his longest works; it discussed the naturalness of music, the links between nature and music, and the families of musical instruments, all of which was underscored by the medieval belief that musical harmony imitated the harmony of God and the cosmos.

The entire work was extensively illustrated with anatomical drawings of the sound producing organs in both humans and animals, diagrams of musical instruments from all over the world, and depictions of Kircher’s experiments with acoustics. With its focus on sound and hearing, it is no wonder that Max Aaron Goldstein acquired this work, eventually leading to its inclusion in Becker’s Central Institute for the Deaf collection.  

The first part of Musurgia Universalis focuses on the relationship between music and physiology, covering topics such as the anatomy of vocal organs and the structure of the ear.