“Biblioteka Medycka” – an elegant series

Abstract

All the books published in the “Biblioteka Medycka” [“The Biblioteca Medicea”] are the work of members of a single Lviv-based family: Michał Pawlikowski was the author or co-author of seven volumes, five books are collections by his sister-in-law Beata Obertyńska; one volume was written and one published jointly with him by his mother-in-law Maryla Wolska; at least three were illustrated and one was created entirely by his wife Aniela (Lela) Pawlikowska; and finally, one of the books was written by his brother Jan. Aniela and Michał Pawlikowski were the initiators and editors of all volumes; they also acted as publishers and oversaw the printing and distribution of the volumes of the “Biblioteka Medycka” [“The Biblioteca Medicea”].

The “Biblioteka Medycka” [“The Biblioteca Medicea”] was a bibliophilic project, born out of passion of the Pawlikowski marriage, carried out without a large team of collaborators, yet its concept was broad enough to encompass poetry collections, historical works, academic treatises and a collection of prints. This work can be compared – whilst taking into account the obvious differences – with other achievements of lovers of fine books. If anything distinguished the “Biblioteka Medycka” [“The Biblioteca Medicea”] series from others, it was the fact that its owners did not come from the world of professional publishers, booksellers or printers. The “Biblioteka Medycka” [“The Biblioteca Medicea”] comprised 15 publications issued between 1925 and 1939, one of which consists of two volumes, whilst another is not strictly a book but a portfolio of prints.