Latest news with #DavidCarpenter
Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Times
Harvard owes British scholars a magna favour
In 1946, when Harvard Law School paid $27.50 (then worth about £7, now equivalent to £340) for a 'somewhat rubbed and damp-stained' copy of Magna Carta, it acquired a bargain. Yet it took almost 80 years and two dogged British scholars for the cradle of American jurisprudence to realise the true nature of what it possessed. Rather than being an unofficial medieval knock-off, as supposed, Harvard's version is an original of the updated Magna Carta, the final 'exemplification' under the royal seal, issued by Edward I in 1300. Only seven of these documents remain extant. David Carpenter, a professor at King's College London, found a digitised version of the manuscript while researching the law school's archive. He enlisted another medieval historian, Nicholas Vincent of the
Boston Globe
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
An original Magna Carta, at Harvard, in 2025 — what timing
When learned expertise is held in contempt by many, it's a reminder of the value of scholarship and such thorough knowledge of one's field that British academic David Carpenter was able to recognize the original while reviewing Harvard Law School's digitized collection. Advertisement And, of course, it's a reminder of how far backward we are sliding when even the barons of the modern world — the Bezoses, the Zuckerbergs, the Redstones, the Musks — have decided to bend their knees to absolute power. Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up One might even be forgiven for wondering whether the spirit of history decided to give Harvard a little pat on the back for not bending its knee or its principles. Julia Glendon Lunenburg We are a nation that does not bow to a single ruler The discovery of an original Magna Carta is a reminder of the principles of governance that have guided this nation for nearly 250 years. May this finding lead us to remain a nation that goes by the rule of law rather than become one that declares fealty to a single individual. Edwin Andrews Advertisement Malden Magna Carta, meet MAGA Carta Reading about what was believed to be a copy of the Magna Carta at Harvard turning out to be an original got me thinking: Magna Carta, first sealed 1215 The king is subject to the law and recognizes limits to his power. MAGA Carta, 2025 The president isn't, and he doesn't. James Mahoney Cambridge
Fox News
19-05-2025
- General
- Fox News
Rare and authentic Magna Carta discovered long after it was purchased for $27.50
A "copy" of the famous document known as a symbol against tyranny and as a "cornerstone of freedom" has been discovered to be authentic. Harvard Law School in 1946 bought a "copy" of the Magna Carta for just $27.50 from a London legal book dealer, Sweet & Maxwell, according to a news release. British researchers from King's College London and the University of East Anglia made the discovery while studying unofficial copies of Magna Carta. One professor, David Carpenter, noticed the digital version of the document on the Harvard Law School Library website and realized it might be authentic. "This is a fantastic discovery," Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King's College London, said in a Harvard Law School press release. Previously, only six originals of the document were known to exist. The Magna Carta is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England in 1211. It is known for having paved the way for the idea that the king and his government were not above the law, according to the UK's Parliament. "Harvard's Magna Carta deserves celebration, not as some mere copy, stained and faded, but as an original of one of the most significant documents in world constitutional history, a cornerstone of freedoms past, present and yet to be won," added Carpenter. To determine if the charter was authentic, it was photographed under ultra-violet light and subjected to various levels of spectral imaging along with receiving an analysis of the form, hand and content. Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, said it is "a totem of liberty, central to our sense of who we are: a freedom-loving, free-born people." "This is a fantastic discovery." He added, "It is an icon both of the Western political tradition and of constitutional law. If you asked anybody what the most famous single document in the history of the world is, they would probably name Magna Carta." The press release notes that "Carpenter and Vincent also observed that the first line with elongated letters and a large capital E was consistent with the six other originals of Magna Carta 1300." The National Archives in Washington, D.C., holds a 1297 version of Magna Carta that is on display for the public to view.
Gizmodo
16-05-2025
- General
- Gizmodo
Harvard Paid $26 for ‘Cheap Copy' of Magna Carta—Turns Out It's an Original Worth Millions
Harvard had an Antiques Roadshow moment when a professor discovered that an original copy of the Magna Carta was worth millions. In 1946, Harvard purchased what they believed to be a cheap copy of Magna Carta for $25.70. It turned out to be a screaming deal, because the document is actually a rare early 14th-century edition estimated to be worth millions. The document was buried in the Harvard Law School Library's archives until 2023, when David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King's College London, identified it while perusing the library's website. In a statement from Harvard Law School, Carpenter described the document as 'a remarkable testament to a fundamental stage in England's political development' and as 'one of the world's most valuable documents.' Carpenter was studying unofficial copies of Magna Carta when he made a surprising discovery. Labeled as HLS MS 172 in Harvard Law School Library's digital archives, the document was described as a copy of the 1327 Magna Carta 'somewhat rubbed and damp-stained.' Carpenter immediately realized that the alleged copy might actually be an official copy. He enlisted the help of Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval studies at the University of East Anglia, to verify the document's authenticity. The researchers used images taken by Harvard librarians with ultraviolet light and spectral imaging to compare the text of HLS MS 172 with other original copies of Magna Carta from 1300. Carpenter and Vincent's research revealed that HLS MS 172's dimensions were consistent with those found in the original copies. The handwriting was also similar, with the large capital 'E' at the start in 'Edwardus' and the elongated letters in the first line. Magna Carta, originally penned by King John in 1215, was the first document to put into writing the principle that monarchs were not above the law. It is widely considered to be a foundational symbol of liberty and one of the earliest declarations of human rights. The document has influenced many constitutions, including that of the United States. And as far as official copies of Magna Carta go, the rediscovered document is particularly special. Five other editions were written after the original in 1215. HLS MS 172 is a copy of the last edition to be authorized with the king's seal by King Edward I, in 1300. There are only six other official copies of the 1300 version known to still be in existence. Its discovery is especially poignant as Harvard faces funding cuts and intense political pressure. 'The provenance of this document is just fantastic. Given where it is, given present problems over liberties, over the sense of constitutional tradition in America, you couldn't invent a provenance that was more wonderful than this,' Carpenter said in a statement.
RNZ News
16-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Harvard Law School bought a copy of Magna Carta for $27. Turns out, it's actually an original
By Billy Stockwell , CNN A rare copy of Magna Carta from 1300 sits in a display case at Harvard Law School in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 15 April. Photo: Lorin Granger/Harvard Law School/AP via CNN Newsource A "copy" of Magna Carta bought decades ago by Harvard Law School for just $27.50 is now understood to be an extremely rare original from 1300, according to new research. British historians were able to verify the document's true authenticity after an academic stumbled across the item while looking through Harvard Law School's online archives. "I was just working at home… looking for unofficial copies of Magna Carta and finding quite a lot of them," David Carpenter, a professor of medieval history at King's College London, told CNN Thursday, recounting the moment he made the discovery. "I finally came to Harvard Law School manuscript number 172, clicked on that, expecting to see a statute book. And what I saw… was an original of the 1300 Magna Carta," Carpenter said. Shocked by his discovery, the academic said he quickly contacted Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia and a fellow "Magna Carta pundit". "I said, 'is this what I think it is?' And he said, 'yeah, I think it is too,'" Carpenter recounted. Magna Carta (Great Charter) is often regarded as the earliest declaration of human rights, credited with enshrining the rights of man in English law. According to the United Kingdom's Parliament website, the charter was the first "to put into writing the principle that the king and his government was not above the law." Today, it is revered around the world as the document that established the principle that everyone - including the monarch - was subject to the rule of law. "He (the King) couldn't just say, 'off with your head, into prison, I'm seizing your property.' If he wanted to act against you, he had to do so by due legal process," Carpenter said. Imaging technology being used to help Harvard Law School librarians examine a faded copy of Magna Carta in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Photo: Debora Mayer/Harvard Weissman Center/AP via CNN Newsource The academics believe that the Harvard document is one of just seven from King Edward I's 1300 issue of Magna Carta that still survive. Amanda Watson, Harvard Law School's assistant dean for library services, congratulated the work of the British academics on their "fantastic discovery". She added that the new research "exemplifies what happens when magnificent collections, like Harvard Law Library's, are opened to brilliant scholars". Harvard's Law School Library bought the document in 1946 via auction from London book dealers Sweet & Maxwell, according to its accession register. The auction catalogue described the manuscript as a "copy… made in 1327… somewhat rubbed and damp-stained," a press release announcing the discovery said. The London book dealers had only owned it for a short time, having bought it from World War I pilot Air Vice Marshal Maenad, who had inherited it from two leading campaigners against the slave trade. "The provenance of this document is just fantastic," Vincent said in the press release. "Given where it is, given present problems over liberties, over the sense of constitutional tradition in America, you couldn't invent a provenance that was more wonderful than this." Multiple tell-tale signs initially gave away the document's authenticity, Carpenter said, including the style of handwriting and the big "E" at the start of the first line - which stands for "Edward's." The document's dimensions at 48.9 centimetres (19.3 inches) by 47.3cm (18.6 inches) were also consistent with those found in the six previously known originals. Later, ultraviolet images and other images provided by Harvard Law School were used to "match up" the text of the new document to the other originals, Carpenter said. "That made me convinced that it was indeed authentic," Carpenter added. So, what will happen to the document now? Both academics are due to visit Harvard in June for a celebration to mark the discovery of the medieval document. After that, Carpenter believes that it will be put on public display as "one of the jewels in the crown" of Harvard's collection. - CNN
