A Passion for Collecting Manuscripts

Master of the Chronique scandaleuse, Anne of Brittany Enthroned and Accompanied by Her Ladies-in-Waiting (detail), about 1493, tempera colors, gold, and ink on parchment, Getty Museum.

The Getty Museum is one of the few museums in the United States that maintains and displays a collection of medieval illuminated manuscripts. Portable and sumptuous, these hand-crafted treasures have garnered the interest of collectors throughout the centuries. Each has a unique story, and clues in the books themselves often provide tantalizing evidence that help reconstruct their meanderings through time. A Passion for Collecting Manuscripts shares intriguing stories about our manuscripts and the remarkable journeys that brought them to Los Angeles.