Annual Meetings
The Manuscript Society’s annual meeting is one of the highlights of the society’s activities. Held in cities which offer opportunities to visit important manuscript collections, the programs feature exhibitions, panel discussions, speakers of note, tours, and social occasions for fellowship and the exchange of ideas. The society met in Los Angeles in June 2011; Santa Fe, New Mexico in May 2013; Pittsburgh in May 2014; Kansas City in May 2015; Charleston, South Carolina in May 2016, and the Oakland Bay area in May 2017. Eight annual meetings have been held abroad: London in 1970 and 1986, Ottawa in 1978, Dublin in 1991 and 2002, Edinburgh in 1996, Estonia in 2008, and Quebec City in 2012. In April 2018 the society will meet in New Orleans; 2019 in Plymouth/Boston; and in May 2020 we will meet in Williamsburg, Virginia.
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Replevin
Replevin is a legal mechanism that allows for the recovery and reclamation of designated items of property. Replevin has been used by individuals, private companies, institutions or organizations and even governments to reclaim specific manuscript items from dealers or collectors that are believed to have been misappropriated. While the Manuscript Society vigorously supports the repatriation of stolen or otherwise misappropriated materials to their rightful owners, the Society’s Replevin Committee has on occasion spoken on behalf of the interests of its members when replevin efforts by third parties have been determined to be inappropriate.
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Scholarship Activities
The Manuscript Society, founded in 1948 to promote the collection, preservation, and use of manuscripts, has annually awarded up to two scholarships to institutions in cities hosting its annual meeting. The Society expanded its efforts to encourage research using original manuscripts several years ago by establishing The Manuscript Society Maass Research Grant.
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Collectors Corner
Collectors Corner is a new feature on the Manuscript Society’s website. Our first offering is a list of known facsimiles—items which look like real autographs and manuscripts, but which are in fact realistic (and sometimes not so realistic) copies.
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