Directory of Research and Expertise

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Research Summary and Profile

Research interests:

Digital resources, History of the book, Language and Literature (French), Library, Medieval History, Palaeography

Regions:

Europe

Summary of research interests and expertise:

My work centres on the manuscript transmission of medieval French literature and the circulation of these manuscripts from the medieval period to the present day. I have previously worked on a digital edition of two manuscript witnesses of the earliest universal chronicle in French, the Histoire ancienne jusqu'à Cesar, and collaborated on the development of associated digital tools to investigate the language of the text and the wider manuscript tradition (see www.tvof.ac.uk). Currently, I am working on the trade in medieval manuscripts in France in the early twentieth century, and, in particular, the development of the French national collections in this period as part of the CULTIVATE MSS project.

Publication Details

Publications available on SAS-space:

Date	Details
Aug-2023	Mission littéraire en Angleterre: Paul Meyer and the Quest for Medieval French Manuscripts at the Ashburnham-Barrois Sale (1901) PeerReviewed In this article, I explore the medieval manuscripts pursued for the Bibliothèque nationale at the Ashburnham-Barrois sale at Sotheby's auction house, London, in 1901, and the influential role of Paul Meyer, romance philologist and Director of the École des chartes, alongside the librarians Léopold Delisle and Henri Omont. Meyer knew the contents of the Barrois collection better than most, having visited the library at Ashburnham Place on multiple occasions since 1865. His early trips to England form my starting point for analysing the manuscripts prioritised at the sale. The London dealer Bernard Quaritch acted on behalf of the French national library in the auction room and their commission book reveals all the items pursued as well as the maximum bids allotted. By considering the choice of lots and values attributed to them, along with the scholarly assessments of the texts and manuscripts, the potential motivations behind their pursuit emerge. Finally, I turn to the Barrois manuscripts acquired after the sale and the perceptions of those lost. Through this analysis, I demonstrate how Meyer not only influenced scholarship on French-language manuscripts, but also the contents of the Bibliothèque nationale. This case study thus foregrounds the symbiotic relationships between scholarship on medieval French literary heritage and the history of manuscript ownership, by engaging with the trade in and values attributed to medieval manuscripts in the early twentieth century.
Feb-2024	THE ECONOMICS OF THE MANUSCRIPT AND RARE BOOK TRADE, ca. 1890–1939 PeerReviewed The market for rare books has been characterized as unpredictable, and driven by the whims of a small number of rich individuals. Yet behind the headlines announcing new auction records, a range of sources make it possible to analyze the market as a whole. This book introduces the economics of the trade in manuscripts and rare books during the turbulent period ca. 1890–1939. It demonstrates how surviving sources, even when incomplete and inconsistent, can be used to tackle questions about the operation of the rare book trade, including how books were priced, profit margins, accounting practices, and books as investments, from the perspectives of both dealers and collectors.
Feb-2023	Léopold Delisle, Henri Omont, and The Price of National Collecting: The Medieval Manuscript Acquisitions of the Bibliothèque nationale ca. 1900–1910 PeerReviewed The Bibliothèque nationale was one of the most important national libraries active in the manuscript trade in the early twentieth century. Using the archives from the Département des manuscrits, this chapter examines the Bibliothèque nationale’s purchases of pre-modern manuscripts in “European” languages between 1900 and 1910. It focuses on the three principal sources of purchased items (private individuals, auction sales, and professional book dealers) to ascertain the ways in which the contexts of acquisition affected the prices paid, the influence of the buyer–seller relationship, and the impact of the changes in personnel. Analysis of this previously untapped dataset offers new insights into the position of the Bibliothèque nationale within the manuscript trade and the roles of the individuals who shaped the national collection.
May-2024	The Pre-Modern Manuscript Trade and its Consequences, ca. 1890-1945 PeerReviewed This collection brings together current research into the development of the market for pre-modern manuscripts. Between 1890 and 1945 thousands of manuscripts made in Europe before 1600 appeared on the market. Many entered the collections in which they have remained, shaping where and how we encounter the books today. These collections included libraries that bear their founders’ names, as well as national and regional public libraries. The choices of the super-rich shaped their collections and determined what was available to those with fewer resources. In addition, wealthy collectors sponsored scholarship on their manuscripts and participated in exhibitions, raising the profile of some books. The volume examines the collectors, dealers, and scholars who engaged with pre-modern books, and the cultural context of the manuscript trade in this era.

Research Projects & Supervisions

Research projects:

Details
CULTIVATE MSS Project: Cultural Values and the International Trade in Medieval European Manuscripts, c. 1900-1945

Relevant Events

Related events:

Date

Details

19-Mar-2024

Jean Masson and his Medieval Manuscripts Amienois collector Jean Masson (1856–1933) formed a rich collection of medieval manuscripts, over one hundred of which were donated to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris as part of a larger bequest that comprised engravings, drawings and stamps, as well as miniatures and manuscript cuttings. He gave the remainder of his collection to the Bibliothèque municipale in his native Amiens, including a dozen medieval manuscripts linked to the region. Masson’s collecting was largely funded by his family textile factory, which specialized in producing religious costume and provided him with fortuitous access to manuscripts hidden in the holdings of religious houses. Masson was active on the European market, sourcing manuscripts from bookdealers and auctions in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and across the Channel in Britain. Despite his attempts to ensure the legacy of his collection through exhibitions and donations, Masson and his manuscripts have been largely overlooked. In this paper, I will bring new attention to his contemporary influence on the manuscript trade, analysing the sources and nature of his acquisitions, and will explore some of the reasons behind the relative obscurity of his collection today.

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