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 –January 2021 – This complimentary e-digest, now published bi-monthly, covers significant acquisitions and sales, manuscripts lost and found, rare books and ephemera, document conservation, and more.
Robert Caro Archives Early last year the New-York Historical Society arranged to acquire Robert Caro’s substantial archives. It includes the files for his Lyndon B. Johnson masterwork and for “The Power Broker.” “The Power Broker” illuminates the life and times of the Robert Moses. Moses used his political wiles to reshape the New York metropolitan […]
Enslaved: Peoples of the Historic Slave Trade, launched at the end of 2020. Joining with seven smaller, searchable databases, Enslaved.org allows anyone from academic historians to amateur family genealogists to search for individual enslaved people around the globe. All in one location. Enslaved.org, “will revolutionize our access to the past lives and experiences of our […]
Presidential Papers: All On Line The project began twenty years ago. The plan: Digitize all of the presidential papers in the Library of Congress’ collections. Staff members uploaded more than 3.3 million images to the online portal. The images include items from George Washington through Calvin Coolidge. The last presidents digitized were: Grover Cleveland, Benjamin […]
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 […]
