People who love pages
The Posthumous Papers of the Manuscripts Club
by Christopher de Hamel
Allen Lane, 624 pages, £40
In his new paean to the hand-written text, Christopher de Hamel undertakes a series of journeys, both real and imagined, to encounter 12 collectors who share his fascination with manuscripts. As he observes, every aspect of manuscript production points to human involvement and relationships. These range from initial discussions between illuminators, patrons and authors, to the elaborate copying and decorating of texts, to collectors, connoisseurs, scholars and readers. The collectors de Hamel “meets”, all profoundly different in personality and station in life, are bound together by a shared love of – even obsession with – manuscripts. The book ends with an imaginary soirée at which they are brought together, and one can well imagine their enthusiastic conversations.
We are treated to remarkable insights into seismic shifts in taste – what was deemed aesthetically pleasing or worthy of admiration. St Anselm, the first collector introduced here, lived in the late 11th century. His interest in texts was driven by a desire to further pastoral and spiritual care – echoed by that of the 17th and 18th-century rabbi David Oppenheim, whose manuscript collection bore witness to Jewish practice. They stand in sharp contrast to the enigmatic and seemingly delusional 19th-century forger Constantine Simonides. De Hamel examines the intellectual obsessions of such figures, from the pedantic 18th-century Abbé Jean-Joseph Rive to Sir Frederic Madden, keeper of manuscripts at the British Museum, and 19th-century celebrity scholar Professor Theodor Mommsen.
The delight of these people in the exquisite beauty of illuminated manuscript is palpable. My favourite character here is Belle da Costa Greene, private librarian and acquisitor for banker JP Morgan and his family in the early 20th century. Her intellect, enthusiasm and joie de vivre are infectious.
In these richly illustrated pages the reader will appreciate the appeal of manuscripts. These 12 collectors were able to handle the manuscripts, enjoying a tangible connection to their makers and early readers. Few of us can share that experience, but this book fills one with a longing to do so.