February 2025 Decalcomania

By Adrienne Rusinko

After our January break, our February sticker collection is here to woo your heart with our weird and wonderful depictions of love. A limited run of stickers are now available at Special Collections Firestone, Special Collections Mudd, and the Princeton University Library (PUL) Makerspace.

Journal to Pikes Peak, 1859-1861 by John V. Bradway, C0199 no. 141, Manuscripts

From 1859 to 1861, John Bradway documented his travels from Delevan, Wisconsin, to Boulder, Colorado, and his experiences at Pikes Peak in a two-volume journal. This decoupaged hand in a heart is located at the beginning of volume one, just after the handwritten title page, Journal to Pikes Peak by Jn. V. Bradway, which he captioned “Write your own history daily.”

Bradway set out to the territory known as Pikes Peak along with approximately 100,000 others in hopes of striking gold in what would become one of America’s most successful gold rushes, which wound down after the creation of the Colorado Territory on February 28, 1861.

I ieroglifici : overo, Commentarii delle occulte significationi de gl’Egittii & altre nationi, 2003-0241Q, Rare Books

In 1556, inspired by the rediscovery of a 5th-century Greek text on hieroglyphics, Pierio Valeriano published I ieroglifici : overo, Commentarii delle occulte significationi de gl’Egittii & altre nationi, or, Hieroglyphics: or, Commentaries on the occult meanings of the Egyptians & other nations.

This book of symbols was, like the 5th-century text on which it was based, comprised of both accuracies and misinterpretations. The bats pictured are explained to be beasts who nurture and support each other, citing the way the animals bond “like chains,” hanging and touching each other with the tips of their wings. 

Roman de la Rose, Garrett MS. 126, Manuscripts

Roman de la Rose, or, Romance of the Rose, is a medieval French poem that was one of the most widely read works from the 1300s through the 1400s. Written by Guillaume de Lorris ca. 1230 and ultimately finished by Jean de Meun between 1270-80, the allegorical poem tells the tale of the Lover and his quest to pick (win the love of) the Rose. 

The first half of the work, written by de Lorris, encompasses the dream of the Lover in which he enters a walled garden and struck with Eros’ arrow of love, falls in love with a rosebud, his allegorical representation of a maiden. In his quest to pick his Rose, he comes across personifications of Beauty and Generosity, and allies with Warm Welcome to pluck his Rose and get his kiss (or more, depending on the interpretation). This ends de Lorris’ 4,000 lines of poetry, as de Meun revives the story with the remaining 17,000+ lines, opening with Jealousy imprisoning the Rose and Warm Welcome. The Lover, working with False Appearance, Forced Abstinence, Courtesy, and Generosity, confronts Slander, Shame, Danger, and Jealousy. The image here shows another of his allies, Venus, representing carnal desire, attacking the castle which allows him to free his Rose.

Vingt-Neuvieme Cahier de Fleurs, GA 2012.00889, Graphic Arts

This bouquet is an individual print from Vingt-Neuvieme Cahier de Fleurs, or, Twenty-Ninth Book of Flowers. Engraved and published by Louis Charles Ruotte in Paris, France in 1805, these botanical engravings were created after watercolors done by Jean Louis Prévost, a notable still-life painter.

This groundbreaking work was not targeting an audience of botanists or naturalists, but artists, who Prévost hoped would be inspired to incorporate the designs on china and fabrics.

Reclining Couple Reading a Love Letter, GA 2008.01149, Graphic Arts

This Nishiki-e, or color woodblock print, was created by the Japanese artist Eizan Kikukawa during the Edo period between 1804 and 1818. The beginning of Kikukawa’s career focused primarily on printmaking, but after the 1820s, he shifted his focus to painting.

This work, Reclining Couple Reading a Love Letter, was one in a series of 12 prints depicting couples. It comes from the Graphic Arts collection Japanese and Chinese Prints and Drawings donated by Gillett G. Griffin (GC063). Griffin, Curator of Graphic Arts from 1952 through 1966, first gained an interest in Japanese prints as a college student at Yale. These materials were donated in honor of Dale Roylance, who began at PUL as a curatorial assistant to Griffin before transferring to Yale, and later returned to Princeton, replacing Griffin’s successor as Graphic Arts Curator.

Decalcomania is a limited monthly release of stickers made available at Special Collections Firestone, Special Collections Mudd, and the PUL Makerspace. All images are selected from materials held by Special Collections. Check out the Special Collections website for information about visiting our reading rooms.

Did we run out of your favorite sticker? Do you want to make your own? Head over to the PUL Makerspace! Design your own or reprint a Decalcomania sticker using the cutting machines. 

Digital images of some of the materials in Special Collections can be found in the catalog and finding aids. Our blogs and Digital PUL have collection highlights.