The collection boasts 75 complete copies of Alighieri’s narrative poem, which were collected by Dr. David Bradley, who taught humanities and art history at MSU, after he retired in 2004. Bradley’s collection includes translations from seven different languages and a variety of vintages, in particular a set printed in the 1770s.

Bradley said he became interested in Alighieri’s narrative poem after he took a class from a Professor Lawrence Cunningham, a former priest whom Bradley said could recite passages of the “The Divine Comedy” from memory.

“It was something that I started collecting partly because of course I taught it here. I grew up in a house with lots of books, and, of course, we had Dante. It just kind of grew from there. I used to use it for show and tell in class,” Bradley said. “Then it became a thing of its own. I decided to focus on complete ‘Divine Comedies.’ Everybody is probably familiar with ‘Inferno.'”

The poem, which offers an imaginative vision of the afterlife, is broken up into three parts: Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise.

Charles Crane/MDN Additional copies from the Dante Alighieri collection rest in display cases, showcasing some of the seven languages and binding styles found in the collection, at the Gordon B. Olson Library at Minot State University, Wednesday, Sept. 10.

“Like most of the great works, it’s applicable to all times, all places and all cultures. Yes, there is a lot of it that ties it to the time and place. In a lot of different ways it’s political and allegorical. But the human experience he explores within it is universal,” Bradley said.

Bradley took his burgeoning collection to his home in Eastwood Park after he retired and where the collection remained for years. The collection was spared when his home was flooded for six weeks in 2011 as it was safely tucked away on the second floor.

Bradley also contributed funds for the purchase of an antique book display case which houses part of the collection. The Advancement Office of Minot State University also helped pay for the case, which is about 125 years old. Additional examples from the collection are displayed on pedestals donated by the Northwest Arts Center.

Those interested in getting their eyes and hands on examples from the collection that are in good condition can arrange a viewing, which does require a $500 deposit. Bradley said an appraisal valued the collection at more than $10,000.

“If they were interested in one that’s not really old or in bad condition we would arrange that. It’s really quite a nice gift for the library,” Patty Hunt, cataloging and metadata librarian said.

Charles Crane/MDN Attendees in take in a portion of the collection's 75 copies of "The Divine Comedy" in an antique display case, some of which are hundreds of years old.