Article and photos by Joseph Ackley
Since early December, visitors to Olin Library have had the opportunity to view Medieval Manuscripts in Facsimile, an exhibition researched and organized by the Fall 2024 seminar students of ARHA 312: Medieval Manuscripts, taught by Professor Joseph Ackley. Decorated manuscripts, which rank among the most sophisticated works of medieval art, were made of parchment (animal skin), written by hand (hence, “manuscript”), and enriched with painted decoration, generating arguably the largest and most complex universe of images across the medieval world. The exhibition, mounted courtesy of Wesleyan’s Special Collections & Archives and overseen by Dr. Tess Goodman, Head of SC&A, displays fourteen facsimiles of medieval manuscripts selected from Wesleyan’s holdings.
High-quality facsimiles of the most distinguished medieval manuscripts began to be produced in the mid-nineteenth century, both for pedagogy and delight. The highest quality facsimiles made today can replicate, to an astonishing degree, both the appearance and the physicality of the manuscript originals; some of Wesleyan’s facsimiles, for example, reproduce the look and feel of individual leaves of parchment, down to surface abrasions and worn contours. Wesleyan’s facsimile collection draws upon a generous breadth of the medieval manuscript tradition, and it has been augmented in recent years through acquisitions of such canonically important manuscripts as the ca. 1320-1340 Luttrell Psalter, the ca. 1000-1200 Golden Qur’an, and the ca. 1020 Hitda Codex. The collection also includes a remarkably early facsimile, published in 1862, which replicates the Codex Sinaiticus. The Codex Sinaiticus is one of the two oldest surviving complete copies of the Christian Bible; it was copied in Greek in the mid-fourth century.
Over the course of a few weeks, the students, about half of whom are Art History majors or minors, researched their individual facsimiles, proposed openings to be displayed, and crafted substantial object labels, putting their manuscript in context and highlighting some of the distinctive features on view. In-class brainstorming sessions led to ideas and thematic schemes for how the manuscripts should be laid out and installed. Earlier in the semester, students visited Special Collections & Archives to work with Wesleyan’s collection of original manuscript fragments, which students handled, studied, and discussed.
Working with the medieval manuscript facsimiles was a rewarding experience for Art History major Emily Petersdorf ’25, who said, “I had the ability to observe the range of detail across the text, miniatures, and marginalia, which showed me the significance of the haptic experience—a topic we frequently discussed in our class.”
It was rewarding to see the range of manuscripts in the collection and our contributions on display for the Wesleyan community, offering them the opportunity to learn something new and engage with captivating pieces of art.
Art History major Emily Petersdorf ’25
The seminar is grateful to Special Collections & Archives and Olin Library for making this project possible, and for the expert guidance of Tess Goodman. Please note that all Wesleyan students are welcome to make appointments at Special Collections & Archives to view any of these facsimiles—they are here for our use!