The Book of Kells in othe media
The Book of Kells has been translated and transformed into other media since its creation. While I have just picked two such iterations below, it should be noted there are many other examples available, others of which include an iPhone App and books of poetry.
Digitization and the Book of Kells
In 1986 it was decided by Trinity College that they would permit a project to 'digitize' the Book of Kells. The work was carried out by a Swiss firm, (Faksimile Verlag or Fine Art Facsimile Publishers), which specialised in the reproduction of rare books and special materials. This project was carried out under very strict conditions: the BOK was not to be unbound or removed from Dublin. Furthermore, the pages were not to be touched by anyone or any equipment involved (Lincecum, 1990). As a result, a new device was invented by the Swiss firm in order to complete the project. The machine used to photograph the manuscript used gentle suction to pull the manuscript pages flat. This resulted in the photographs being able to be taken at an angle (McGill, 1987). The process involved was quite laborious and scientific in nature: McGill (1987) notes that after a primary facsimile was completed for each page, a colour transparency examination was carried out which was then viewed under a scanner. Numbers were assigned to each gradient of colour, which were then matched to printer colours. Pages were flown between Ireland and Switzerland in order to make sure the colour composition was an exact match with the original. After many adjustments and refinements had been made, a definitive, high quality facsimile copy was sent to the printer which had been programmed to match the exact colour composition of the BOK.
The reproductions made ended up being very faithful to the original; signs of aging found on the original were preserved. Furthermore, the facsimiles were hand sewn, in keeping with the binding process of the original (Lincecum, 1990).
1,480 copies were made and it is estimated that they were sold at approximately $15, 00 each (McGill, 1987). Interestingly, UBC Rare Books and Special Collections holds a copy of one of these facsimiles! It was bought by a group of Irish-Canadians in 1990 and donated to the library (UBC Library, 2005).
The reproductions made ended up being very faithful to the original; signs of aging found on the original were preserved. Furthermore, the facsimiles were hand sewn, in keeping with the binding process of the original (Lincecum, 1990).
1,480 copies were made and it is estimated that they were sold at approximately $15, 00 each (McGill, 1987). Interestingly, UBC Rare Books and Special Collections holds a copy of one of these facsimiles! It was bought by a group of Irish-Canadians in 1990 and donated to the library (UBC Library, 2005).
The Secret of Kells (2010)
This
animated film gives a fictionalized account of the making of the Book of Kells (BOK). Insular Art features prominently, as does the notion that books have talisman properties. The European trailer for the film can be found below. It has been chosen instead of the US trailer because it focuses more on the BOK and the legacy of Columcille: