Step into the O’Shaughnessy Room, affectionately known as “The Leather Room,” on the main floor of the O’Shaughnessy-Frey Library, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by a treasure trove of classic works of history and literature. These gems were generously donated to the library by the late John O’Shaughnessy (grandson of I. A. O’Shaughnessy and a former member of St. Thomas’s Board of Trustees).

This remarkable collection pays homage to the artistry of the book. A significant portion of this collection is the output of the Folio Society, a publisher renowned for producing exquisite, illustrated editions of the world’s greatest books and facsimiles of historically significant manuscripts.

Currently on display within the room’s exhibit cases are:

– a facsimile of “The Royal Choirbook”: a collection of vocal motets which were presented King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon in 1518.

–  a facsimile of the Hereford Mappa Mundi: the largest and most elaborate map of the fifteenth century, offering a captivating glimpse into the geographical and cultural perceptions of the era.

–  limited edition publications of Jonathan Swift’s Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, and Rudyard Kipling’s Just So Stories.