Manuscript Road Trip: Lost and Found at Connecticut College

The Flight into Egypt, Walters Art Museum, MS W.188, f.112r

I know I promised you a virtual tour of medieval manuscripts in Arizona this week, but I want to instead tell you about an actual road trip I took yesterday to Connecticut College in New London, where my daughter is a sophomore.

On a bright winter’s day, the idyllic New England campus of Connecticut College should look like this: All I found was fog and rain, but my visit to the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives was well worth the effort.

Connecticut College, Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives, MS 34296 (Census 177:4)

In his 1935 Census, Seymour de Ricci reported that Connecticut College owned four medieval mauscripts: a liturgical book he titled “Officia propria sanctorum” (MS 34283, Census 176:1); two Books of Hours (MS 34290 and MS 34294, Census 176:2 and 177:3) and a Hymnal (MS 34296, Census 177:4). Unfortunately, the second and third manuscripts were stolen in the 1950s and haven’t been seen since. The fourth manuscript, thought for years to have been lost as well, was found by curator Ben Panciera in 2011 in an unmarked storage box in the library stacks. You can read about the fortuitous recovery of the manuscript here (my thanks to Ben for permission to post these images).

The other two missing manuscripts have never been recovered. The good news is that both had been described by de Ricci and partially photographed by the Frick Museum’s Art Reference Library before they disappeared. There appears to be no trace of these manuscripts in the Schoenberg Database, which implies that they are still in private hands or have been broken up for resale. But I am posting a small selection of photographs here, hoping that the manuscripts may be identified and recovered someday:

Formerly Conn. College MS 34290, f. 35 (Census 176:2)

Formerly Conn. College MS 34290, f. 48v (Census 176:2)

MS 34290 is a lovely mid-fifteenth-century 65-folio Book of Hours written in Normandy, possibly for the Use of Coutances. It is illustrated with ten miniatures, measures 15 x 11 cm and was bound in “old wooden boards and later blue velvet.”

Formerly Conn. College MS 34294, f. 34v/35 (Census 177:3)

Formerly Conn. College MS 34294, f. 58v/59 (Census 177:3)

MS 34294 has an esteemed provenance, having been part of the great Trivulzio library in Milan that was sold at auction in 1885. It is a Book of Hours written around the year 1530 with at least 34 miniatures on its 88 leaves. It measures 14 x 10 cm and was bound in the “orig[inal] binding, wooden boards and smooth dark-brown calf, with the double-headed crowned eagle [the siglum of the Holy Roman Emperor, at the time Charles V] on each side; metal ornaments.” The manuscript includes a donation inscription dated 31 December 1581 (from one Mademoiselle de Coisne to her niece “De La Carnoie”) and may have the dealer’s label of George Leavitt (who sold it on 12 November 1886, no. 27) inside the front cover.

Each of these probably had a Connecticut College bookplate as well. Be on the lookout for these little wanderers. They’re out there somewhere.

But enough about manuscripts lost. Let’s talk about manuscripts found. Like many collections, Conn. College also has a box of miscellaneous fragments that turns out to be a real treasure trove. If you’ve been following me around the country for these last few months, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that among the leaves at Conn. College are six that I have positively identified as having been sliced out of their bindings, matted and sold by Otto Ege.

Ege’s “Famous Books: Nine Centuries” letterpress label

Five come from a lesser-known portfolio of manuscript and printed leaves titled “Original Leaves from Famous Books, Nine Centuries, 1122 A.D. – 1923 A.D.” (FBNC), still housed in their original Ege mattes with his letterpress label (see S. Gwara, Otto Ege’s Manuscripts, p. 102 and Handlist 53, 54, 51, 55 and 40):

Conn. College, Lear Center, FBNC 1

FBNC 1 (an Arabic Koran); FBNC 2 (the Bible); FBNC 3 (Aristotle, Ethics, on paper); FBNC 5 (a Book of Hours); and FBNC 6 (Thomas Aquinas, Commentary on the Sentences, also used as “Fifty Original Leaves” no. 40).

Conn. College, Lear Center, FBNC 6

Conn. College, Lear Center, FOL 33

The sixth leaf (a mid-fifteenth-century German missal) was number 33 in the “Fifty Original Leaves” portfolio that we’ve encountered several times already (Gwara, Handlist 33).

There are two morals to this story: 1) catalogue and image your manuscripts so that you have a permanent descriptive and visual record in case they are ever lost or stolen; and 2) always open that box of miscellaneous fragments, because you never know when you might find some old friends inside.

Manuscript Road Trip: The Inland Empire

This week, my friend, colleague and co-author Melissa Conway has kindly agreed to serve as a guest-blogger, introducing us to the manuscripts in her care at the University of California, Riverside, which happens to be on our way from Los Angeles to Arizona. My thanks to Melissa for giving me the week off!

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The Flight into Egypt, Walters Art Museum, MS W.188, f.112r

Since September 2013, I’ve been delighting in Lisa’s weekly blog entries, and eagerly awaiting her virtual visit to the University of California, Riverside (UCR), where I am Head of Special Collections.

Lisa and I met in 1988 as doctoral students in Yale’s Medieval Studies Department. Lisa and I hit it off from the start, bonding over our shared passion for medieval manuscripts.  We took many of the same classes and paired up on research projects almost immediately. After more than twenty-five years we are still working together on manuscript-themed presentations, articles, courses and—most enduringly–on the Directory of Institutions in the United States and Canada with Pre-1600 Manuscript Holdings. Lisa has generously invited me to give a guest virtual tour of the pre-1600 manuscripts at UCR and I am honored to contribute to her outstanding blog.

Leaving the Pacific Ocean and the Getty Museum’s deluxe illuminated manuscripts behind, we travel 60 miles (97 km) eastward to reach Riverside.

Riverside is part of the “Inland Empire” or I.E., an omnibus term describing a metropolitan area that covers more than 27,000 square miles (70,000 km) and encompasses, besides Riverside, the cities of San Bernardino and Ontario and their environs. With over 300,000 inhabitants, Riverside is the most populous of the cities in the I.E. Named for its location on the  (now mostly dammed up) Santa Ana River, Riverside was founded in the 1870s, fueled by the success of the navel orange, which flourished in Riverside’s citrus orchards until the post World War II housing boom transformed those orchards into housing tracts. World War II also played a role in the founding of UCR.  Because returning soldiers were flooding the universities in the UC system, the UC Regents decided to establish a new campus and in 1954 UCR opened with 65 faculty and 127 students.

Rivera Library, UC Riverside

As the campus grew, the library grew with it, and rare materials were eventually given their own department. While the UCR’s flagship collection is the Eaton Collection of Science Fiction and Fantasy—the largest “SF” * collection in the world—it also has a very serviceable teaching collection of almost 80 mss– five codices, one fragment, 28 single leaves/parts of leaves, three bifolia, and 43 Elizabethan and Jacobean documents, including a land grant from 1584 with a well-preserved wax seal (shown at right).

UCR MS 6

I use the collection each quarter in a guest lecture for the History of the Book and Printing course taught by Sara Stilley, and—with sufficient advance notice– I am always happy to provide a private session to any interested group or individual.

UCR MS 10 verso

Given the popularity and survival rate of Books of Hours, it is not surprising that we have some really lovely-looking detached leaves and they are the likeliest candidates to end up on holiday cards or as illustrations on our departmental website.  (UCR MS 10, at left) Since, however, Lisa has already featured so many beautiful and complete Books of Hours, I prefer to showcase instead some of our more historically interesting—if less photogenic—examples.

UCR MS 14 recto

I’d like to begin with the oldest example in the collection, UCR MS 14 (shown at right), a piece of binder’s scrap measuring only 89 by 66 mm. The spacing between the two folds is evidence of its having been re-purposed as the binding of another, later manuscript or printed volume. However deeply creased and fragmentary this scrap may be, it is a precious example of eleventh-century Caroline minuscule script—and its age alone never fails to impress. The eight lines of text on recto and verso have been identified as parts of the commentaries on Psalms XIX and XX in St. Augustine’s Enarrationes in Psalmos, which the Catholic Encyclopedia describes as masterpieces “of popular eloquence, with a swing and warmth to them which are inimitable.” (“Swing” and “warmth” are not words  I usually associate with the austere Augustine.)

The next oldest example—also a piece of binder’s scrap– is a portion of Peter Lombard’s Sentences (UCR MS 15, at right).

UCR MS 15 recto

  It is a decent example of the Romanesque script, most likely written in France in the last quarter of the 12^th century.  Both of these ancient scraps are also useful examples of the ways in which manuscripts were recycled by their thrifty medieval owners.

Turning our attention now to some of the intact—or nearly intact–codices—we start with an antiphonal from Germany, ca. 1500 (UCR MS 1, below). Not only is it the largest (310 x 220 cm) and heaviest of the manuscripts, but it is in a contemporary—and possibly its original–binding.  It is written in a gothic script with pen-drawn versal and ribbonwork capitals, with music written in Hufnagelscrift on 5-line staves. It has one historiated initial of the three Maries at the empty tomb, and a lovely naturalistic line drawing depicting Jacob’s dream of a “ladder standing upon the earth and the top thereof touching heaven; the angels also of God ascending and descending by it.” (Gen. 28: 12, Douay-Rheims version).

UCR MS 1, illustration of Jacob’s Ladder

With its fair-faced angels and tiny dog sleeping peacefully by Jacob’s side, this illustration never fails to charm students and visitors. The startlingly green grass is a later addition, perhaps an attempt at “improving” the scene by a previous owner (or the child of that owner). One could wish this amateur artist had gone out for a long walk that day instead, but the gaudy ground covering does provide an opportunity to teach students about the various ways in which beautiful manuscripts were routinely disfigured by later owners. This manuscript was purchased for UCR in 1969 from Theodore Front Musical Literature, Inc. in Los Angeles. Based on the undated and unidentified catalogue descriptions in the curatorial file, Theodore From must have purchased it from a German dealer who has not yet been identified.

Another codex which is a particular favorite of mine is the tiny (110 x 90 mm) psalter and prayerbook, probably written in Italy in the first quarter of the 15^th century (UCR MS 2, below). It is an attractive volume with an illuminated opening leaf, but it was the calendar that caught my eye because of the inclusion on 19 May of Saint Petrus de Murrone aka Pietro da Morrone aka Pope Celestine V (1215-1296). Although the Roman Catholic Church canonized Pietro in 1313, Dante Alighieri—in his Divine Comedy written at roughly the same time—placed him in the Ante-Inferno, where the shades of those who lived “without praise and without blame” are punished for all eternity. His sin was to make, “through cowardice, the great refusal” (Inferno III: 58-60) by resigning from the papacy after only five months. In doing so, he made way for the election to the papacy of Dante’s great enemy, Boniface VIII.

UCR MS 2

This manuscript is also interesting for its provenance. It bears the bookplate of the library of His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, Augustus Frederick (1773-1843), the sixth son of King George III. This manuscript eventually made it into the collection of another famous English bibliophile, the politician and solicitor Isaac Foot (1880-1960). A large portion of Foot’s 70,000+ collection was purchased by the UC system in 1964 and the volumes were divided among the UC campuses.

An even tinier ex-Isaac Foot codex of note is the 90 x 70 mm Greek New Testament and Apocalypse (UCR MS 4 aka Gregory-Aland 2643, below). Foot, a devout Methodist, taught himself Greek so that he could read the NT in the original language and the UCR volume is one of his 450 (!) editions of the Greek NT.  The UCR volume has the distinction of being one of the 313 extant Greek manuscripts with the text of the Apocalypse, and one of only two Greek NTs that contains only the Gospels and Apocalypse; the other being in the National Library of Greece in Athens.

UCR MS 4

Not surprisingly, this manuscript is frequently consulted by biblical scholars. Dating and localizing it has been a bit tricky; although it has a colophon with the date 1289, a scholar who consulted it recently questioned this date, positing that a later scribe simply copied the colophon of an earlier manuscript.

I would love to introduce all 80 manuscripts but I have already gone over my quota, and Lisa needs to move on to the next collection on her itinerary. But before Lisa virtually leaves Riverside, I want to mention the other collection of pre-1600 leaves in Riverside–the P. Boyd Smith Hymnology Collection in the Annie Gabriel Library of the California Baptist Library.  Most of these leaves are 15^th century, but there is one worth stopping for—a Beneventan leaf that is in Virginia Brown’s census as a 12^th century leaf from the S. N. Missale, cum neumis. It was formerly used as a cover on a manuscript, with various notarial entries on the recto.

California Baptist College, Annie Gabriel Library, P. Boyd Smith Hymnology Collectin: S. N. Missale, cum neumis (Cyriaci, Largi, Smaragdi-vig. Laurentii). Saec. XII in

According to Brown’s description, other fragments from this twelfth-century missal have been identified in Charlottesville, Leiden, London/Oslo, New York, Oberlin, Waco, and Rome (Beneventan Discoveries: Collected Manuscript Catalogues, 1978-2008 (Pontifical Institute of Mediaeval Studies, 2012), p. 370, MS RVC-1) [note from Lisa: you may remember meeting another Beneventan fragment at the Lilly Library back in Indiana].

It was wonderful to have Lisa as a virtual guest at UCR; I wish she could stay longer— I look forward to our next actual visit, April 10 to April 12, 2014, at the annual meeting of the Medieval Academy of America at UCLA.

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Waving goodbye to Melissa, we’ll get back on the 10 and head eastward through the mountains and across the desert to Arizona. See you in Tempe!

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* Important Geek Tip: Only “mundanes” or uncool outsiders to Science Fiction Fandom say ‘Sci Fi.’

Manuscript Road Trip: Los Angeles

The Flight into Egypt, Walters Art Museum, MS W.188, f.112r

Southern California is a part of the country so richly populated with medieval and Renaissance manuscripts that I’m going to spend several weeks writing about this region, beginning this week in L.A. proper.

Los Angeles is home to several manuscript collections, including two of particular significance: the University of California, Los Angeles, and the J. Paul Getty Museum.

Let’s start at UCLA, an idyllic campus tucked away near the intersection of Sunset Blvd. and the 405. The medieval and Renaissance manuscript collection is housed at the Charles E. Young Research Library Department of Special Collections and has recently been significantly enhanced by a major gift of manuscripts and paleographical specimens collected by book historians Richard and Mary Rouse. Many of the manuscripts have MARC records in the UCLA OPAC, although the online Finding Aid provides more comprehensive access to manuscripts acquired before 1991 (and is essentially an electronic version of the print catalogue compiled by Mirella Ferrari and edited by Richard Rouse). The manuscripts have not yet been digitized, but a selection of images from the Rouse collection is available in the archived site of a 2003 exhibition.

I should add, wearing my Acting-Executive-Director-of-the-Medieval-Academy-of-America hat, that the Academy’s annual meeting will take place at UCLA in April (information and registration here). In addition to dozens of excellent lectures, attendees will be treated to an exhibit of UCLA manuscripts curated by Richard Rouse and a sunset reception at our next stop, the Getty Center.

From UCLA, head north on Sepulveda into the Santa Monica Mountains. Halfway through the pass you will find the ground-level entrance to the spectacular Getty Center, an extraordinary facility perched on the mountaintop and reachable by tram or a pleasant uphill hike from the parking garage. I recommend staying long enough to watch the sun set over the Pacific.

The Stammheim Missal, Creation of the World, probably 1170s (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 64, fol. 10v)

When first founded, the collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum did not include medieval and Renaissance manuscripts. In 1983, however, the Museum was offered one of the finest private collections in the world, selections from the massive and extraordinary collection of German chocolatier Peter Ludwig and his wife Irene. In one fell swoop, the Getty acquired a world-class collection. Since that time, the Getty has made selective and often jaw-dropping acquisitions such as the Stammheim Missal in 1997 and 2012’s purchase of a Flemish masterpiece illuminated by Lieven van Lathem.

Lieven van Lathem, illuminator (Flemish, about 1430 – 1493, active 1454 – 1493)
David Aubert, scribe (Flemish, active 1453 – 1479)
A Naval Battle Between Gillion’s Troops and the Soldiers of the Saracen Prince, after 1464 (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. 111, fol. 21)

As a repository of some of the greatest works of art produced during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the Getty has established itself as a major center for manuscript studies, with important exhibits and symposia supplemented by a strong digital presence.

A Winged Dragon, from a Franco-Flemish Bestiary, fourth quarter of 13th century (after 1277) (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, Ms. Ludwig XV 4, fol. 94, detail)

The guidebook “Masterpieces of the J. Paul Getty Museum: Illuminated Manuscripts” will give you a sense of the scope of the collection, and selected images from most of the Getty manuscripts are available online. The Getty Center has also become an international leader in public programming, with online video guides and exhibitions; some particularly notable examples here, here and here, although if you spend some time exploring the website you’ll find many more.

Even when surrounded by all of this splendor, though, my attention is always drawn to the fragments, the little wanderers that have been cut up and folded and pasted and recycled and finally rescued and repaired.

Tours Bible leaf, early ninth century (J. Paul Getty Museum)

The Getty happens to own one of my favorites, this leaf from one of the great ninth-century Carolingian Bibles from Tours (remember when we visited Alcuin and Charlemagne, back in Indiana?). In the fifteenth century, the leaf was sliced into thin strips that were used as binding scrap. At a later date, the strips were carefully removed from the binding and put back together (a process somewhat akin to trying to recover a document you accidentally ran through a shredder). This little one is a true survivor.

After leaving the Getty, continue north on Sepulveda into the San Fernando Valley, then head east on the 101 (it is a particular quirk of southern California to prefix interstate numbers with a definite article!). Before we leave LA, we’ll make one last stop, at the Henry Huntington Library in Pasadena.

The Huntington is beautifully situated on 120 acres of woods and botanical gardens, and the library, founded in 1919 by industrialist Henry H. Huntington from his personal collection, represents one of the finest collections of American and British literature in the world.  The manuscript collection is anchored by the Ellesmere Chaucer, an extremely important early fifteenth-century copy of The Canterbury Tales.

The Ellesmere Chaucer, Knight’s Tale (Henry H. Huntington Library, mssEL 26 C9, f. 10r)

The Ellesmere is on permanent exhibit along with many other fine books and manuscripts. Explore the Library, meander around the gardens, then get back on the 101 and meet me next week in Riverside, where my friend and co-author Melissa Conway is waiting to introduce us to the collection in her care.