Latest news with #HarvardLawSchoolLibrary
Observer
20-05-2025
- General
- Observer
Magna Carta 'copy' wrongly catalogued in 1940s found to be original
A rare, centuries-old original Magna Carta has been rediscovered after being mistakenly catalogued as a copy during a 1940s auction. The historic document, an early version of the iconic royal charter of rights, was purchased by Harvard Law School Library in 1946 for just $27.50 — unaware it was an original. It was only recently, while exploring digitised copies online, that British medieval history professor David Carpenter recognised it as authentic. Subsequent testing confirmed the document's provenance as a 1300 issue from King Edward I's reign — making it the 25th known surviving original of this particular version. In contrast, a Magna Carta sold by Sotheby's in New York in 2007 fetched over $21 million. Professor Carpenter, working alongside Nicholas Vincent of the University of East Anglia, explained the significance of the find. Vincent highlighted that only a handful of these 1300 originals are known to exist globally. 'It's akin to owning one of Vermeer's rarest paintings,' he said. 'There are just 25 of these Magna Carta originals remaining — a truly extraordinary discovery.' The Magna Carta of 1215 was the first document to confirm rights under common law, fundamentally shaping modern legal systems. The 1300 version, issued as a formal endorsement by King Edward I, is notable for being the last issued as a single-sheet document bearing the king's seal. Originally connected to the town of Appleby in Westmorland, the document's journey to Harvard's archives begins with its auction sale from the estate of WWII flying ace Air Vice-Marshal Sammy Maynard, who inherited it from anti-slavery campaigners Thomas and John Clarkson. Vincent speculated that the document's mistaken cataloguing might have resulted from post-war exhaustion and a misreading of the date and monarch. He urged Harvard to showcase the find, celebrating its importance as a rare fragment of constitutional history. Amanda Watson of Harvard Law praised the discovery, calling it a testament to the value of sharing their extensive collections with scholars worldwide. —dpa
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
A Historian Pulled an Old Document Out of Storage—and Discovered an Original Magna Carta
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn in this story: Two British scholars discovered that an innocuous Harvard Law School Library document was actually an original 1300 copy of the Magna Carta. Believed to be a copy from 1327 when it was purchased for $27.50 from a London bookseller in 1946, the document had been sitting in the university library for decades. Scholars traced the provenance, and now believe it was one of about 30 copies sent out by King Edward I to the Appleby borough. An original version of the Magna Carta—considered one of the most important documents in all of history—was sitting (unbeknownst to anyone) within the Harvard Law School Library. Believed for decades to be a copy, a pair of British scholars recently uncovered that it is, in fact, the real deal. The team came across the document—which had been labled 'HLS MS 172'—while doing other research. Now, they believe this copy to be one of the last Magna Carta originals to have ever been created. 'My reaction was one of amazement and, in a way, awe that I should have managed to find a previously unknown Magna Carta,' David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King's College London, told the Associated Press. 'First, I'd found one of the most rare documents and most significant documents in world constitutional history. But secondly, of course, it was astonishment that Harvard had been sitting on it for all these years without realizing what it was.' Harvard had purchased what was believed to have been a copy of the Magna Carta created in 1327 from London bookseller Sweet & Maxwell for $27.50 in 1946. It carried out an inconspicuous existence in the library since then, until Carpenter took notice of it in December of 2023 and sent images to Nicholas Vincent—a medieval history professor at the University of East Anglia in Britain—asking what he thought. Upon taking a look at the document, Vincent agreed that this was more than a mere copy. 'You know jolly well what that is,' Carpenter said Vincent told him, according to Harvard Magazine. 'It's clearly an original. It's not a copy.' Vincent let Harvard know what they had, but their response was 'lukewarm,' at best. 'I think they may have thought I was a lunatic, actually,' he said. Still, he and Carpenter worked with the library to authenticate the work, using ultraviolet light and spectral imaging to reveal faded writing. The duo compared it to the six other known original copies from 1300 to confirm word-for-word matches in the writing and identical handwriting styles—right down to elongated letters. The handwriting and 19-by-19-inch size fit with the other 1300 Magna Cartas, and even the text stated it was from the '28th year of Edward's reign,' linking it directly to 1300. 'It was quite nerve-wracking,' Carpenter said about the authentication process, 'but the merciful thing is, at the end, Harvard Law School passed the exam with flying colors.' The Magna Carta was first issued in 1215—a powerful document that placed a rule of law on English monarchs. That original document, signed by King John, established due process and habeas corpus, and has served as the basis for some of the world's most foundational documents, including the U.S. Constitution. The Magna Carta was reissued five times—known as 'confirmations'—between 1215 and the final confirmation in 1300. Carpenter said that well over 30 were created in 1300 by King Edward I and sent across the country with his seal, but only six were thought to have survived. The 1300 Magna Carta has small differences from other versions, and the changes are found in every 1300 original, Carpenter said, which was helpful when comparing the Harvard document to the others. 'It's one of the world's most valuable documents,' Carpenter said. And that's both historically and monetarily, as a 1297 version sold in 2007 for a whopping $21.3 million. The scholars wanted to establish how a document sold in a London bookshop in the 1940s could trace back to 1300. The pair was able to find that a World War I flying ace—Air Vice-Marshal Forster Sammy Maynard, CB—sold the document via a Sotheby's auction in 1945. London bookseller Sweet & Maxwell bought the document, and then sold it to the Harvard Law School Library in 1946. Vincent said that Maynard's grandson told him that the pilot had inherited historical documents from Thomas and John Clarkson—leaders of a campaign against the British slave trade. Clarkson was acquainted with William Lowther, the hereditary lord of the manor of Appleby, which was one of the places a 1300 confirmation was sent. It was known to still be there in 1762, making this likely the same document. 'There's a chain of connection there, as it were, a smoking gun,' Vincent said, 'but there isn't any clear proof as yet that this is the Appleby Magna Carta. But it seems to me very likely that it is.' What was 'bought for peanuts in 1946' and has sat unceremoniously within the Boston institution will now get its due. Harvard plans to keep its Magna Carta, but now, they know it's worth. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life?
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Original Magna Carta copy discovered in Harvard University archives
An original copy of the Magna Carta has been discovered hiding in the archives of Harvard University, and the British medieval history professor who first stumbled across it online said the document is "one of the world's most valuable." The 19-inch-by-19-inch parchment document is part of the Harvard Law School Library's collection of fragile documents and artifacts and was purchased by the university for $27.50 from a British auctioneer nearly 80 years ago. The document has been on display in a case at the library and digital images of the document have been available online to researchers and medieval memorabilia buffs for years. Until now, the law library staff just figured it was a cheap knockoff, said David Carpenter, the professor of medieval history at King's College in London, who made the astonishing discovery. Carpenter said the document had been miscatalogued by the auction house where the university purchased it as dating to 1327, and describing the manuscript as "somewhat rubbed and damp-stained." "They bought it for peanuts in 1946 from an auctioneer, Sweet & Maxwell, who clearly seemed to have no idea what it was," said Carpenter. Carpenter told The Associated Press that he was researching Harvard Law School's digitized historical documents collection online for a book in 2023 from his home in southeast London when he clicked on a document marked "HLS MS 172." "I immediately thought, 'Oh my God,'" said Carpenter. He said he recognized the document as one of just seven original copies still in existence of the Magna Carta issued in 1300 by Britain's King Edward I. He said the university's library staff thought it was just a cheap copy that no one paid that much attention to, even when it has been put on display in the library. "My reaction was one of amazement and, in a way, awe that I should have managed to find a previously unknown Magna Carta," Carpenter said. MORE: Prehistoric mastodon jaw found in backyard of New York home The first Magna Carta was issued in 1215 by England's King John, declaring that the king and his government were not above the law and outlined the legal rights of commoners for the first time. Five subsequent updated editions of the document were issued, including the one issued by Edward I. The document has since influenced the writing of the U.S. Constitution and constitutions around the world. "It's one of the world's most valuable documents," Carperter told Harvard Magazine in an article published on Thursday. A copy of the Magna Carta issued by King Edward I in 1297 sold for $21.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in 2007. MORE: Pennsylvania woman pays $12 for alleged Renoir artwork Carpenter said that after he recognized that the rarest of rare documents was at Harvard, he contacted Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, and a Magna Carta expert, asking him to help authenticate the document. Vincent told Harvard magazine that he immediately called the Harvard Law School Library, informing them of what was right under their noses. "I think they may have thought that I was a lunatic, actually," Vincent told the magazine. MORE: Child accidentally damages $50 million Rothko at Rotterdam museum The library staff eventually worked with Vincent and Carpenter to help authenticate the document. Using ultraviolet light and spectral imaging technology, the scholars said they found telltale details not visible to the naked eye. "At a time when state authorities are doing strange things, it's a very timely reminder that the rule of law governs the governors, as well as the governed," Vincent said. Harvard Law School librarians told Harvard magazine that the document is now in a vault with other rare artifacts and might be displayed at future law school events. Original Magna Carta copy discovered in Harvard University archives originally appeared on
16-05-2025
- General
Original Magna Carta copy discovered in Harvard University archives
An original copy of the Magna Carta has been discovered hiding in the archives of Harvard University, and the British medieval history professor who first stumbled across it online said the document is "one of the world's most valuable." The 19-inch-by-19-inch parchment document is part of the Harvard Law School Library's collection of fragile documents and artifacts and was purchased by the university for $27.50 from a British auctioneer nearly 80 years ago. The document has been on display in a case at the library and digital images of the document have been available online to researchers and medieval memorabilia buffs for years. Until now, the law library staff just figured it was a cheap knockoff, said David Carpenter, the professor of medieval history at King's College in London, who made the astonishing discovery. Carpenter said the document had been miscatalogued by the auction house where the university purchased it as dating to 1327, and describing the manuscript as "somewhat rubbed and damp-stained." "They bought it for peanuts in 1946 from an auctioneer, Sweet & Maxwell, who clearly seemed to have no idea what it was," said Carpenter. Carpenter told The Associated Press that he was researching Harvard Law School's digitized historical documents collection online for a book in 2023 from his home in southeast London when he clicked on a document marked "HLS MS 172." "I immediately thought, 'Oh my God,'" said Carpenter. He said he recognized the document as one of just seven original copies still in existence of the Magna Carta issued in 1300 by Britain's King Edward I. He said the university's library staff thought it was just a cheap copy that no one paid that much attention to, even when it has been put on display in the library. "My reaction was one of amazement and, in a way, awe that I should have managed to find a previously unknown Magna Carta," Carpenter said. The first Magna Carta was issued in 1215 by England's King John, declaring that the king and his government were not above the law and outlined the legal rights of commoners for the first time. Five subsequent updated editions of the document were issued, including the one issued by Edward I. The document has since influenced the writing of the U.S. Constitution and constitutions around the world. "It's one of the world's most valuable documents," Carperter told Harvard Magazine in an article published on Thursday. A copy of the Magna Carta issued by King Edward I in 1297 sold for $21.3 million at a Sotheby's auction in 2007. Carpenter said that after he recognized that the rarest of rare documents was at Harvard, he contacted Nicholas Vincent, a professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England, and a Magna Carta expert, asking him to help authenticate the document. Vincent told Harvard magazine that he immediately called the Harvard Law School Library, informing them of what was right under their noses. "I think they may have thought that I was a lunatic, actually," Vincent told the magazine. The library staff eventually worked with Vincent and Carpenter to help authenticate the document. Using ultraviolet light and spectral imaging technology, the scholars said they found telltale details not visible to the naked eye. "At a time when state authorities are doing strange things, it's a very timely reminder that the rule of law governs the governors, as well as the governed," Vincent said. Harvard Law School librarians told Harvard magazine that the document is now in a vault with other rare artifacts and might be displayed at future law school events.
North Wales Chronicle
15-05-2025
- General
- North Wales Chronicle
Magna Carta ‘copy' wrongly catalogued in 1940s found to be original
Harvard Law School Library in America bought the document from a London book dealers in 1946 for 27 dollars and 50 cents before it was known that it was an original. By contrast, a Magna Carta that was sold at auction in 2007 fetched more than 21 million dollars – around £10 million at the time – at Sotheby's in New York. A British university professor who was studying unofficial copies of the Magna Carta online looked at the digitised version of the document on Harvard's website and realised it might be an original. Tests were carried out, including a detailed comparison of text, and it was confirmed to be an original issue of the Magna Carta from 1300 under King Edward I. David Carpenter, professor of medieval history at King's College London, who spotted the document online, said it was a 'fantastic discovery'. '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,' he said. Prof Carpenter teamed up with fellow Magna Carta expert Nicholas Vincent, professor of medieval history at the University of East Anglia, to investigate the provenance of the document. Prof Vincent said Harvard's Magna Carta is the 25th known surviving Magna Carta original. 'The comparison I would draw is the rarest painter known to everybody is Vermeer,' said Prof Vincent. 'There are I think, it's disputed, there are over 30 Vermeer paintings in existence and yet he is seen as the rarest painter in history. 'There are only now 25 of these Magna Carta originals. 'It is an extraordinary thing for anyone to possess.' The Magna Carta is the royal charter of rights agreed in 1215 under King John. It was the first document to confirm the rights of ordinary people under common law. The first issue was repudiated by King John after around six weeks, and after his death it was reissued in three versions by his son Henry III, with the last of them in 1225, Prof Vincent said. 'That became the definitive text of Magna Carta,' he said. 'Then afterwards, whenever in the 13th Century there was a dispute between the king and the nation, kings reissued Magna Carta on at least three occasions after 1225. 'And this one (Harvard's Magna Carta), the 1300 issue, is the last time it was issued as a single sheet document under the king's seal as an official endorsement of the settlement of Magna Carta.' He said that, including Harvard's, there are seven known originals of the 1300 version that survive. 'Every county of England would originally have had a Magna Carta of each of those issues,' Prof Vincent said. The Harvard Magna Carta is thought to have been issued to the former parliamentary borough of Appleby in Westmorland, England. The Harvard Law School Library bought it in 1946 for 27 dollars and 50 cents, according to the library's accession register. Harvard Law School bought it from London book dealers Sweet & Maxwell. The book dealers had bought it at a Sotheby's auction in London a month or so earlier from First World War flying ace Air Vice-Marshal Forster 'Sammy' Maynard for £42. The Sotheby's auction catalogue described the manuscript as a 'copy…made in 1327…somewhat rubbed and damp-stained'. Maynard had inherited it in archives from leading abolitionists in the anti-slavery campaign Thomas and John Clarkson. Asked how it may have been mistaken for a copy, Prof Vincent said: 'I think everyone was knackered at the end of the Second World War. 'I think whoever read it at Sotheby's and looked at it, I suspect what they thought was 'oh it can't be an original Magna Carta because we'd know about it'. 'They misread the date, they got the wrong king. 'They catalogued it as if it was a charter of Edward III. 'But in fact it's Edward I. 'For an amateur that's a fairly easy mistake to make. 'But, as a result, the fact that it was an original was completely ignored and it went for a fairly derisory price.' He said he hoped Harvard would 'put it on display' and 'make a great deal of it'. Amanda Watson, of Harvard Law School, congratulated the two professors on the 'fantastic discovery' and said: 'This work exemplifies what happens when magnificent collections, like Harvard Law Library's, are opened to brilliant scholars.'
