The 5 Most-Requested Collection Items of 2023

Every year, Newberry readers request thousands of collection items for viewing in the Reading Rooms. Here’s what this year’s Newberry researchers wanted to see most!

#5. "The Red Man's Greeting 1492-1892," a "Brief account of a judicial inquiry..." (1530-1549), and "Academy Award Statuette" (1928)

The fifth most requested collection item this year is actually a three-way tie! The Red Man’s Greeting 1492-1892 / by Chief Pokagon, a "Brief account of a judicial inquiry into the case of doña Ana, accused of using witchcraft to persuade her Indian lover, don Andrés, to marry her [between 1530 and 1549]", and the "Acadamy Award statuette from Ben Hecht’s Papers" all came in fifth place. However, The Red Man’s Greeting, written by Potawatomi Chief Simon Pokagon, was featured in many collection presentations throughout the year and thus would have been seen by more of the public than the other two. Chief Pokagon sold this book at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1893 to address the Exposition organizers' refusal to acknowledge the area's original inhabitants. 

#4. Medieval musical treatises, 1391

In fourth place, we have a collection of medieval musical treatises. These treatises likely examined musical theory of the time and explored new ways to physically display written musical work. 

#3. Papyrus fragment

The third most requested collection item of 2023 is a papyrus fragment credited to Homer’s twenty-first book of the Iliad. This item is also considered one of the oldest collection items at the Newberry!

#2. Shakespeare's First Folio, 1623

In second place we have Shakespeare’s First Folio! Printed posthumously in 1623 (happy 400th birthday, First Folio!), the so-called Shakespeare First Folio is the first published collection of Shakespeare’s works. Without it, several plays—including Macbeth and The Tempest—might have been lost forever. The Newberry’s copy of the First Folio (to our knowledge) is the only one you’ll find in Chicago. This collection item also came in second place for the most requested items of 2022!

#1. Copy of the Popol Vuh, 1700 - 1715

And finally, in first place, we have the Popol Vuh! The full title of this item reads Arte de las tres lenguas kakchiquel, quiché y tzutuhil, however, most people request this item to interact with the Popol Vuh documents specifically.

The Popol Vuh is the creation account of the Mayan people. The text weaves together stories about cosmologies, origins, traditions, and spiritual history. (“Popol” can be translated as “woven mat” and “Vuh” [or “Vuj”] as “book.”)

The Newberry’s copy of the Popol Vuh was transcribed between 1700 and 1715 by a Dominican priest named Francisco Ximénez. Some scholars believe that Ximénez’s copy was derived from an earlier version, probably prepared in the sixteenth century by a native speaker who’d learned Latin characters.

This collection item also came in first place for the most requested items of 2022! After several big years, the Popol Vuh has quite a legacy to maintain. Will its popularity remain in 2024? Only time will tell.