Manuscript Society

Spring is here. Next: Sumer Is Icumen — or, translated from Middle English, summer has come in. The original manuscript of the 13th-century song has returned to a museum near its birthplace at Reading Abbey. The music is the earliest known six-part round. yahoo.com/news/articles/…

Be there in Boston for the Manuscript Society Annual Meeting, May 27-31, 2026. manuscript.org/events/annual-…

In 1990 someone robbed Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. In a suspect’s home, the FBI found a handwritten list of the (still) missing 13 items. Want to know more? Join the Manuscript Society for a visit to the museum during our annual meeting. nytimes.com/2026/03/18/art…

Just their type: A century or more ago, women — relatives, acquaintances, assistants — typed draft upon draft of books, plays, and other works. Their work was largely unsung. An exhibition at Harvard’s Houghton Library is out to flip that script. cambridgeday.com/2026/03/11/hou…

In the 1950s, the chief cashier for Leeds City Transport tallied each day’s fares. When he found non-British coins, he took them home. Some went to his grandson. One turned out to be a Phoenician coin made 2,000 years ago. So how did it get to Leeds? smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/som…

The Printing House at Trinity College Dublin has reopened after more than a year of restoration. A new red entrance arch matches the color of the temporary Book of Kells Experience at nearby New Square. universitytimes.ie/2026/03/printi…

The Beat (Generation) Goes On: The manuscript for Jack Kerouac’s Beat classic “On the Road” has hammered out at $12.1 million at auction. That’s over $100,000 a foot for the 120-foot scroll. The buyer was country artist Zach Bryan, a major Kerouac fan. news.artnet.com/art-world/jack…

“Iona Celtic Art” only dates back to 2008. But already the paperback was rare enough that a UK man spent five years searching for it. How he finally found it is a story of serendipity — and a bookseller’s persistence. independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-n…

The night of February 7, 1587, Mary, Queen of Scots wrote a letter. Signed it. Folded it tight. Sealed it with wax. Two hours later, she was executed. Then the letter took on a life of its own. It’s on display now, likely the last time for a long time. dnyuz.com/2026/03/09/let…

The Archimedes Palimpsest is housed at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. Sort of. In 1906 much of it was photographed. Later several pages went missing, until … voila! A sheet just turned up at the Museum of Fine Arts in Blois, France. Is there more? scientificamerican.com/article/long-l…

Scholars have long studied Greek and Aramaic graffiti on the ancient tombs of Egypt. But Indian? Surprise! Turns out “Cikai Korran was here,” some 2,000 years ago. Now … how did he leave his mark 20 feet above the tomb’s entrance? That’s a mystery. smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thi…

At the first the modern Olympics, in 1896, first-place finishers got a silver medal. Second-place, bronze. Third-place, nada. One of the first-place silver medals just sold at auction for $179,000. Whose medal? Nobody knows for sure. smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/thi…

At the Manuscript Society’s 2025 annual meeting, Commissioner Ken Cobb gave us an unforgettable behind-the-scenes look at New York City’s Municipal Archives. On March 16 he brings his archives deep dive to Manuscript Mondays. Don’t miss it. Register now. manuscript.org/event/manuscri…

What happens when Superman and Captain America join forces? We’re about to find out. The Smithsonian has acquired the comic books that introduced the superheroes to the world. Learn about the origins of Action Comics No. 1 and Captain America Comics No. 1. smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-in…

Zelia Nuttall discovered and deciphered Aztec artifacts. But she didn’t make her finds on archaeological digs. She made them digging into libraries and archives. How the 19th-century American-Mexican scholar unlocked the secrets of the ancient iconography. discovermagazine.com/zelia-nuttall-…

Founding documents for Apple and the United States. A new record price for a comic book. A Honus Wagner baseball card tucked away for 117 years. And a surprise appearance by Galileo. News of auction action and more in the latest Manuscript Society Digest. tinyurl.com/mw4xps5c

While on holiday, a young Princess Elizabeth wrote to her head housemaid. The letter, festooned with horses and dogs, just auctioned for $33,444. The buyer hopes it will inspire his daughter to treat others with the same respect the future queen showed. talker.news/2026/03/02/let…

How did chandeliers ended the Siege of Boston? The answer illuminates the power of the page. So does the correspondence between George Washington and Phillis Wheatly. blogs.loc.gov/bibliomania/20…

The last letter to Elizabeth I from her suitor, Robert Dudley. Edward VIII giving up the throne for love. Jane Austen bequeathing her possessions to her beloved sister. All on show through April 12 at the UK National Archives. smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/rea…

In the 19th c, Washington biographer Jared Sparks cut up the president’s papers. Snippets turn up in archives and private hands. A piece is now up for sale. So is the 120-foot scroll of Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road.” And that’s the long and the short of it. news.artnet.com/art-world/coll…