The writing on the wall

The Valmadonna Trust Library is the world's single most important and extensive private collection of Hebrew books. Assembled over the better part of the twentieth century by Mr. Jack Lunzer, the indefatigable Custodian of the Library, the collection comprises thousands of rare volumes from virtually all corners of the Jewish world and has stimulated a remarkable level of fascination and admiration among scholars and laypeople alike. In addition, there is a veritable "collection within a collection" of more than 550 broadsides; primarily single sheets of paper printed on one side for public distribution or posting. While broadsides have long served as important documentary sources of information for those who study the history of the Jews in the early modern era, there has been a marked paucity of systematic scholarly treatments of Judaic broadsides as a genre in their own right. Leading academics whose areas of research have in the past made extensive use of the types of material found in the Valmadonna Collection have contributed scholarly essays which provide the reader with a richer contextualization and a fuller understanding of the materials.The 554 catalogue entries provide essential information and concise descriptions of each broadside in the Collection. Thirty-six highlighted broadsides feature full-color images and more comprehensive narratives, augmented by English translations for the benefit of the lay reader. Additional material includes a numerical conversion chart for the cross-referencing of catalogue numbers with preexisting Valmadonna Collection reference numbers, an index of first lines of poems, and a general index. The publisher has made full-color high-resolution images of all the broadsides available on a complementary, dedicated website (valmadonnabroadsides.com), enabling scholars to undertake their own detailed examinations of these broadsides, thus facilitating a more nuanced comprehension and an even greater appreciation of the Collection as a whole. From these examinations, new perspectives will emerge and new connections will be seen. This volume will serve, not only as a lasting testament to this storied collection and its venerable collector, but also as a valuable resource that inspires further learning, research, and expansion of knowledge for years to come.