The Mission of the Manuscript Society is to encourage the collection and preservation of manuscripts and documents; to stimulate and aid collectors in their various collecting specialties; to facilitate the exchange of information and knowledge among collectors, scholars, dealers and the general public; and to promote the highest professional and ethical standards.
Love for the written word drives our members. History you can hold in your hand. A connection to the past. Hunting for the next piece to add to your collection. Members are individuals: collectors, archivists, history lovers and librarians. Members are dealers and auction houses. Members are libraries, historical societies, and universities. All are passionate about the history revealed in their manuscripts. Whether you collect family letters or presidential signatures, cartoons or signed photographs, musical scores or any other kind of manuscript you are part of our world. Join us in this glorious exploration!
Manuscript Digest – November 2020 – This complimentary e-digest, launched in 2012, covers significant acquisitions and sales, manuscripts lost and found, rare books and ephemera, document conservation, and more.
Charles Darwin Notebooks Missing Cambridge, England 2000 – Charles Darwin’s Notebooks are removed from the stacks to be photographed. Two notebooks, including Darwin’s seminal 1837 Tree of Life sketch. The work is completed in November 2000. In January 2001 during a routine check, the small blue box containing the notebooks is not found in its […]
Mel Blanc: A Portrait in Manuscripts By Kevin Segall 2020 marks the 80th anniversary of the debut of Bugs Bunny which led me to reminisce about the voice behind the rabbit – Mel Blanc. Cartoons have always been a passion of mine so it was only natural for my grandparents to arrange an autographed photo […]
Fridtjof Nansen: Arctic Explorer, Scientist, Author, Diplomat, Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize By James D. West Fridtjof Nansen (1861-1930) was an Arctic explorer. Also a skiing enthusiast who was a 12-time cross country champion in his native Norway. A scientist who made early discoveries in the field we now call neurobiology. An oceanographer, […]
Abraham Lincoln Book Shop https://www.facebook.com/AbrahamLincolnBookShop/ In-person browsing is in a state of suspended animation. No worries, Dan Weinberg brings his bookshop to the browser each Friday at 1 p.m. Central time. Take a Break With History interviews are streamed from Abraham Lincoln Book Shop’s Facebook page. Missed an episode? Come back later and watch the […]
The Trustees of the Chatsworth Settlement are donating The Book of Lismore to University College Cork. Created in the late 15th century, this major medieval manuscript is from the golden age of Irish literature. It is one of the Great Books of Ireland. Consisting of 198 large vellum folios, The Book of Lismore contains important […]
l00th Anniversary Timed to coordinate with the 100th anniversary of the Nineteenth Amendment, The Library of Congress is doubling the library’s holdings related to the National Woman’s Party. Already in the LOC’s holdings are 200,000 items from the NWP. This valuable donation unites the remaining archive of 300,000 documents, photographs, letters, broadsides, scrapbooks and other […]
2021 Grant Cancelled As a result of the Pandemic, scholars are having difficulty contacting and accessing manuscript collections around the world. Consequently, the Board of the Manuscript Society has voted NOT to award the Maass Grant of $5,000 to a graduate student in the spring of 2021. Hopefully, the application process can resume the following […]
Collecting Conversations: An interview with Alfred Lemmon, Director of the Williams Research Center of The Historic New Orleans Collection by Beverly Hill BH: What does your position as director of the Williams Research Center entail? AL: One of the aspects of my job that that I thoroughly enjoy as Director of the Williams Research Center […]
