Brass Rubbings Collection

Hamline University is proud to be the home to over a thousand original brass rubbings (ca. 14th - early 20th century). Through generous funding by alumni, we are able to share this information with historians and researchers around the world.

Introduced in the 13th century, a brass is a memorial to bear witness to the dead. It might be a simple effigy or merely a plate inscribed with information about the deceased. Or, it might be quite elaborate, with several figures, a canopy, heraldic shields, and religious emblems in addition to an inscription.