Due to the high cost and challenges of displaying the original, the Great Isaiah Scroll facsimile was chosen and alone among 139 originals exhibited at the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Custom-Made Facsimiles
A Special Service for Exhibitions
For decades, Facsimile Editions has been synonymous with the highest standards of quality and accuracy in the reproduction of rare manuscripts. In response to growing demand from museums and libraries worldwide, we offer a dedicated service for exhibitions: creating affordable bespoke facsimiles of rare manuscripts for risk-free public display. And we can work to tight deadlines.
A Practical Solution to a Common Challenge
Museums and libraries are often faced with significant challenges when planning exhibitions of treasured manuscripts. The reasons are well known:
- The manuscript is too rare, fragile, or valuable to be moved.
- The original is already on display elsewhere and unavailable.
- The cost of transporting, installing, securing, and insuring the manuscript is prohibitive.
- Special atmospheric conditions are required for the manuscript’s preservation.
- Curatorial time and resources needed to travel, install, and later remove the manuscript are considerable.
Bodmer Papyrus 66, among the oldest, best-preserved New Testament manuscripts, is stored in a vault at the Bibliotheca Bodmeriana, Switzerland. Too fragile for handling or exposure to light, only a facsimile can be exhibited.
Our Approach
Facsimile Editions can create an exact reproduction of an open spread in an original manuscript, meticulously replicating its every nuance, including applying 23.5 carat gold —whether flat, powdered, or burnished — by hand. Each page is then precision-cut to match the outline of the original, ensuring absolute authenticity. Our expertise spans pH neutral papers, parchment, vellum, and papyrus.
To further enhance the authenticity, we create a replica binding identical in size and number of leaves to the original. The facsimile spread is sewn in at precisely the same position as in the original manuscript, and the page edges of the volume are aged and coloured to match. While our intention is never to deceive, the finished work offers an immersive and compelling exhibition experience.
Tailored to Your Display Needs
For manuscripts displayed open, a full replica binding may not be necessary. Instead, covers can be crafted in the same leather, cloth, or material as the original, ensuring an authentic appearance when placed on display. If the exhibition requires a faithful reproduction of the binding itself, this too can be expertly replicated in our bindery.
The Benefits
The advantages of exhibiting a facsimile over an original manuscript are substantial:
- Rare and fragile manuscripts can be displayed without risk.
- The original remains safely in its current location.
- Transport, installation, and insurance costs are drastically reduced or eliminated.
- Special humidity or atmospheric display conditions are not required.
- Curatorial supervision is unnecessary.
- If lost or damaged, a replacement can be produced relatively quickly and at minimal cost.
- Multiple copies can be created for simultaneous display in different locations.
- The facsimiles can be handled and studied by scholars.
The Danish Royal Library’s 13th Century Kristina Psalter was set for display at the National Library of Norway, Oslo, but became unavailable. In just eight weeks we produced an exquisite facsimile. Read the full story here.
Previous Projects
Over the years, we have successfully created facsimiles for several exhibitions in some of the world’s leading museums. Some are described under Commissioned Projects but others such as the Dead Sea Scrolls, Copper Scroll and Catalan Mahzor (where additional copies were produced and sold) are found under Facsimiles. Our latest museum exhibition project was undertaken for the National Library of Norway.
Your Exhibition
If you are planning an exhibition and would like to explore how our facsimile service can enhance your display, we would be delighted to discuss your project with you. Please get in touch to learn more about how we can help bring your rare manuscripts to a wider audience — safely, affordably, and beautifully; on time and on budget.
Cambridge University Library’s Genizah Research Unit urgently needed facsimiles of rare fragments for exhibition at NYU’s Abu Dhabi and Dubai campuses.