Peter Kidd
@mssprovenance.bsky.social
Oxford-based researcher of medieval manuscripts; formerly of the Bodleian and the BL; especially interested in provenance and illumination; currently preparing a catalogue of the medieval and renaissance manuscripts of University College, Oxford.
October 23, 2025 at 8:44 AM
New to me: a scribe using a piece of scrap parchment for pen-trials. Is he also using it to avoid smudging his newly-copied text, or is he using it to keep the main bifolium flat (as he is not using a knife for that purpose)?
(Context here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso...)
(Context here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso...)
September 29, 2025 at 10:11 AM
New to me: a scribe using a piece of scrap parchment for pen-trials. Is he also using it to avoid smudging his newly-copied text, or is he using it to keep the main bifolium flat (as he is not using a knife for that purpose)?
(Context here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso...)
(Context here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommaso...)
This "if" is doing a lot of heavy lifting:
“If the Book of Kells was made in Pictland, this rewrites our understanding of early medieval Scotland.”
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
“If the Book of Kells was made in Pictland, this rewrites our understanding of early medieval Scotland.”
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
September 26, 2025 at 6:40 AM
This "if" is doing a lot of heavy lifting:
“If the Book of Kells was made in Pictland, this rewrites our understanding of early medieval Scotland.”
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
“If the Book of Kells was made in Pictland, this rewrites our understanding of early medieval Scotland.”
www.theguardian.com/books/2025/s...
L'expert, Le dupe, & Le faussaire!
September 21, 2025 at 5:30 PM
L'expert, Le dupe, & Le faussaire!
Anyone interested in medieval fakes should plan a trip to Paris. The Musée Cluny has a show from 7 Oct. to 11 Jan.,
www.musee-moyenage.fr/activites/pr...
and the Archives nationales has one from 15 Oct. to 2 Feb.:
www.musee-moyenage.fr/activites/pr...
and the Archives nationales has one from 15 Oct. to 2 Feb.:
September 21, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Anyone interested in medieval fakes should plan a trip to Paris. The Musée Cluny has a show from 7 Oct. to 11 Jan.,
www.musee-moyenage.fr/activites/pr...
and the Archives nationales has one from 15 Oct. to 2 Feb.:
www.musee-moyenage.fr/activites/pr...
and the Archives nationales has one from 15 Oct. to 2 Feb.:
I could never really grasp how writing on medieval wax tablets would be legible, until a recent visit to the _Archives nationales_ in Paris: in this example, the stylus leaves a white trace in the black wax:
September 21, 2025 at 5:19 PM
I could never really grasp how writing on medieval wax tablets would be legible, until a recent visit to the _Archives nationales_ in Paris: in this example, the stylus leaves a white trace in the black wax:
It is listed as the property of 'Comte Chandon de Briailles'. It misdated as 16th-century: presumably simply a typo, substituting the Roman numeral 'XVI' for 'XIV'. Apart from the date, all the details match, and the binding even has the arms of the Comte Chandon de Briailles.
/..
/..
September 17, 2025 at 12:58 PM
It is listed as the property of 'Comte Chandon de Briailles'. It misdated as 16th-century: presumably simply a typo, substituting the Roman numeral 'XVI' for 'XIV'. Apart from the date, all the details match, and the binding even has the arms of the Comte Chandon de Briailles.
/..
/..
A few years ago I recognised a manuscript, now in the University of London's Senate House Library, as being included in the list of goods looted during the Nazi era: Le Répertoire des biens spoliés en France durant la guerre 1939-1945.
/..
/..
September 17, 2025 at 12:56 PM
A few years ago I recognised a manuscript, now in the University of London's Senate House Library, as being included in the list of goods looted during the Nazi era: Le Répertoire des biens spoliés en France durant la guerre 1939-1945.
/..
/..
For comparison, here are some others:
September 11, 2025 at 12:51 PM
For comparison, here are some others:
There's one at Alne, Yorkshire, where they say that there's also one at Fylingdales.
August 26, 2025 at 2:57 PM
There's one at Alne, Yorkshire, where they say that there's also one at Fylingdales.
If you want to download an image from the British Library website for use in a publication with a print-run of 30,000, they want to charge you £100,000 (+£2,000 VAT).
That's £4 per copy. For a single image.
I can't tell if that's for real, or if their new brand website is already broken.
That's £4 per copy. For a single image.
I can't tell if that's for real, or if their new brand website is already broken.
July 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
If you want to download an image from the British Library website for use in a publication with a print-run of 30,000, they want to charge you £100,000 (+£2,000 VAT).
That's £4 per copy. For a single image.
I can't tell if that's for real, or if their new brand website is already broken.
That's £4 per copy. For a single image.
I can't tell if that's for real, or if their new brand website is already broken.
Anyone who follows me who can read Irish Gaelic: can you identify this, please?
I think it's a poem by Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa (aka Maelbrighte / Bonaventura O’Hussey / O'Hosey / Ó Hussey (d. 1614). (The MS also contains his poem for a friend who had fallen into heresy.)
I think it's a poem by Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa (aka Maelbrighte / Bonaventura O’Hussey / O'Hosey / Ó Hussey (d. 1614). (The MS also contains his poem for a friend who had fallen into heresy.)
July 14, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Anyone who follows me who can read Irish Gaelic: can you identify this, please?
I think it's a poem by Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa (aka Maelbrighte / Bonaventura O’Hussey / O'Hosey / Ó Hussey (d. 1614). (The MS also contains his poem for a friend who had fallen into heresy.)
I think it's a poem by Giolla Brighde Ó hEoghusa (aka Maelbrighte / Bonaventura O’Hussey / O'Hosey / Ó Hussey (d. 1614). (The MS also contains his poem for a friend who had fallen into heresy.)
Saw the Bodleian Library's new 'Treasured' exhibition yesterday.
As well as world-class illuminated manuscripts (of course!), there are things like the telegram from the Titanic: "Require assistance; struck iceberg".
But my favourites were the early photos of Victorians posing with their dogs :-)
As well as world-class illuminated manuscripts (of course!), there are things like the telegram from the Titanic: "Require assistance; struck iceberg".
But my favourites were the early photos of Victorians posing with their dogs :-)
July 5, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Saw the Bodleian Library's new 'Treasured' exhibition yesterday.
As well as world-class illuminated manuscripts (of course!), there are things like the telegram from the Titanic: "Require assistance; struck iceberg".
But my favourites were the early photos of Victorians posing with their dogs :-)
As well as world-class illuminated manuscripts (of course!), there are things like the telegram from the Titanic: "Require assistance; struck iceberg".
But my favourites were the early photos of Victorians posing with their dogs :-)
... but a reverse image search quickly showed that it is just a reproduction from a British Library manuscript:
britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/.a/6a00d8341...
britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/.a/6a00d8341...
March 29, 2025 at 8:09 AM
... but a reverse image search quickly showed that it is just a reproduction from a British Library manuscript:
britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/.a/6a00d8341...
britishlibrary.typepad.co.uk/.a/6a00d8341...
I was briefly excited to see this coming up at a small auction house with an estimate of £40-£80 ...
auctions.bennettanddykes.co.uk/auctions/923...
auctions.bennettanddykes.co.uk/auctions/923...
March 29, 2025 at 8:08 AM
I was briefly excited to see this coming up at a small auction house with an estimate of £40-£80 ...
auctions.bennettanddykes.co.uk/auctions/923...
auctions.bennettanddykes.co.uk/auctions/923...
Just back from an excellent day's symposium at the Bodleian, about their newly acquired manuscript from the library of Duke Humfrey
Here's the programme for the day: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/mar25/...
Here's the programme for the day: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/mar25/...
March 21, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Just back from an excellent day's symposium at the Bodleian, about their newly acquired manuscript from the library of Duke Humfrey
Here's the programme for the day: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/mar25/...
Here's the programme for the day: visit.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/event/mar25/...
There's always something interesting at the Bodleian's Friday Morning Coffee meeting! Today: a performance of a scene from a medieval Last Judgement Play + 15th-cent. Apocalypse block-books.
(Open to anyone with a Bodleian card; coffee and tea from 10:30; 10-minute presentation from about 10:45.)
(Open to anyone with a Bodleian card; coffee and tea from 10:30; 10-minute presentation from about 10:45.)
March 14, 2025 at 4:21 PM
There's always something interesting at the Bodleian's Friday Morning Coffee meeting! Today: a performance of a scene from a medieval Last Judgement Play + 15th-cent. Apocalypse block-books.
(Open to anyone with a Bodleian card; coffee and tea from 10:30; 10-minute presentation from about 10:45.)
(Open to anyone with a Bodleian card; coffee and tea from 10:30; 10-minute presentation from about 10:45.)
March 11, 2025 at 11:30 AM
I'm reading the autobiography of art historian and museum director John Pope-Hennessy (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Po...) and have just encountered this interesting passage:
#palaeography #arthistory
#palaeography #arthistory
March 8, 2025 at 8:27 AM
I'm reading the autobiography of art historian and museum director John Pope-Hennessy (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Po...) and have just encountered this interesting passage:
#palaeography #arthistory
#palaeography #arthistory
In extreme cases, gothic script can look like this image.
mimi numinum nivium
minimi munium nimium
vini muniminum imminui
vivi minimum volunt
Usually there are more ascenders, like the 'l' in the last word, giving it a spikier appearance.
mimi numinum nivium
minimi munium nimium
vini muniminum imminui
vivi minimum volunt
Usually there are more ascenders, like the 'l' in the last word, giving it a spikier appearance.
March 6, 2025 at 10:29 AM
In extreme cases, gothic script can look like this image.
mimi numinum nivium
minimi munium nimium
vini muniminum imminui
vivi minimum volunt
Usually there are more ascenders, like the 'l' in the last word, giving it a spikier appearance.
mimi numinum nivium
minimi munium nimium
vini muniminum imminui
vivi minimum volunt
Usually there are more ascenders, like the 'l' in the last word, giving it a spikier appearance.
Almost everything you could want to know about Bodleian shelfmarks is explained in:
R. W. Hunt, A Summary Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, I: Historical Introduction and Conspectus of Shelfmarks (Clarendon Press, 1953).
Here is the start of the 'Arch.' MSS section:
R. W. Hunt, A Summary Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, I: Historical Introduction and Conspectus of Shelfmarks (Clarendon Press, 1953).
Here is the start of the 'Arch.' MSS section:
March 6, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Almost everything you could want to know about Bodleian shelfmarks is explained in:
R. W. Hunt, A Summary Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, I: Historical Introduction and Conspectus of Shelfmarks (Clarendon Press, 1953).
Here is the start of the 'Arch.' MSS section:
R. W. Hunt, A Summary Catalogue of Western Manuscripts in the Bodleian Library at Oxford, I: Historical Introduction and Conspectus of Shelfmarks (Clarendon Press, 1953).
Here is the start of the 'Arch.' MSS section:
It was an excellent session and, as always, featured real manuscripts: here we are looking at the medieval library catalogue of the Augustinians of Leicester
March 6, 2025 at 7:19 AM
It was an excellent session and, as always, featured real manuscripts: here we are looking at the medieval library catalogue of the Augustinians of Leicester
And MS descriptions should sometimes be more like this:
"I must confess that my appetite for devotional literature of the thirteenth (or, indeed, of any other) century, and likewise
my expectation of finding any historical facts, are both so slight that I have not read the meditation through."
"I must confess that my appetite for devotional literature of the thirteenth (or, indeed, of any other) century, and likewise
my expectation of finding any historical facts, are both so slight that I have not read the meditation through."
March 1, 2025 at 3:49 PM
And MS descriptions should sometimes be more like this:
"I must confess that my appetite for devotional literature of the thirteenth (or, indeed, of any other) century, and likewise
my expectation of finding any historical facts, are both so slight that I have not read the meditation through."
"I must confess that my appetite for devotional literature of the thirteenth (or, indeed, of any other) century, and likewise
my expectation of finding any historical facts, are both so slight that I have not read the meditation through."
This article has other amusing features. Like this footnote:
"The book seems rare. [...] Swainson [its author] had told him that only one copy had been sold. It is not surprising that the projected second part was never issued'
"The book seems rare. [...] Swainson [its author] had told him that only one copy had been sold. It is not surprising that the projected second part was never issued'
March 1, 2025 at 3:44 PM
This article has other amusing features. Like this footnote:
"The book seems rare. [...] Swainson [its author] had told him that only one copy had been sold. It is not surprising that the projected second part was never issued'
"The book seems rare. [...] Swainson [its author] had told him that only one copy had been sold. It is not surprising that the projected second part was never issued'