Instructor: Sonja Drimmer
Location: Los Angeles / UCLA
Mode: In-person
Dates: August 4–8, 2025
Tuition: $1200

Description

This class is an introduction to manuscripts produced in Europe between c.700 and c.1500, with the goal of providing the basic skills for identifying them, studying them, and making accessible to the public these works of art. It is open to students, educators, researchers, collectors, and museum and library professionals at all levels in their careers who are looking for a fundamental grounding in this subject. Using the resources in UCLA’s Special Collections, field trips to the Huntington Library and/or Getty Museum, and several online resources, this course will provide an overview of the historical production of manuscripts, and an introduction to common genres of manuscript—Bibles and biblical commentaries, liturgical books, lay prayerbooks, and historical documents. In addition, there will be training in identifying fragments and detached leaves from different regions and time periods. Over the course of the week students will research a manuscript or fragment from UCLA’s Special Collections and present their findings on the final day. By the end of the class students will be familiar with the myriad resources used in transcribing, dating, localizing, identifying, and studying manuscripts.

Requirements

Required text: Raymond Clemens and Timothy Graham. Introduction to Manuscript Studies. Cornell University Press, 2007. 

Offered

years

Credit

Completion of this course helps to meet requirements for one of the following certificate requirements:

• a History of the Book course for Certificate in Rare Books and Manuscripts, or
• 1 of 2 elective credit courses for Certificate in Rare Books and Manuscripts, or
• a History of the Book course for Certificate in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice
• 1 of 2 elective credit courses for Certificate in Librarianship, Activism, and Justice