Since their discovery earlier this year in a downtown Phoenix library, historic annotations on a 437-year-old book are kept in a climate-controlled vault rarely on display.
Academic researchers this past March discovered that not only was the gem of the Rare Book Room on the fourth floor at Burton Barr Library — Raphael Holinshed’s “The Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland,” from 1587 — alongside rare works from 17th century poet John Milton, the “Chronicles” actually belonged to Milton himself and feature annotations in the “Paradise Lost” author’s own handwriting.
“Chronicles” has been a centerpiece of the rare collection of 3,000 books donated by late Phoenix businessman, philanthropist, and arts advocate Alfred Knight, who died in 1958. He purchased the book in 1942 for about $35 from a bookseller in Hollywood.
