Like all good research trips, today started with gulps of strong coffee and a sprint for a train… Working on manuscripts has involved many memorable research trips over the years. This latest excursion was as memorable as any but we will come to that in a moment.

Rather than document the results of my research, instead I thought it might be useful to include in this blog a series of posts on manuscript encounters. I currently have a large manuscript project underway and (all going well) will be visiting various institutions, and collections, for research purposes. Rather than focus on the works themselves, I will here take a broader approach, giving a sense of the experience and practicalities of accessing collections, be that libraries, museums, or private collections.

In my experience, prior to embarking on postgraduate study and being expected to conduct this type of research, little is said about the practicalities of how to go about accessing this material or what to do when you get there. So here is a brief list of useful tips to think about:

Before you visit:

1. Do your homework. Read everything you can find about that particular work. Take notes to help you easily orientate you when you consult the work; this applies to manuscripts or other archival material. The physical archival material, or manuscript, is rarely what you expect and can often feel disorientating at first.
2. Contact the institution or individual who owns the manuscript. If it is a private collection check thoroughly to see who you should contact; is there an archivist? Ask about the procedure necessary to gain access to it.
3. Complete all the necessary paperwork (occasionally there are fees and occasionally you need to bring proof of identity or proof of your address. If in doubt bring this anyway). Pay attention to the specific instructions sent. where to go, what to bring, and who to speak to.
4. If you are a student, ask your supervisor for a letter of recommendation on university headed paper. During my PhD I took this with me everywhere when on research trips abroad and it served me well.
5. Ask about the photographic restrictions and complete any forms required.

On the day:

1. Leave plenty of time
2. Bring a pencil/ pad/ laptop/ phone/ charger/ camera.
3. Eat a substantial breakfast (drink all the coffee you will need). You quite likely will not want to leave once you get started.
4. You will not be allowed to bring any food, water or pens in with you. You will likely need to leave your coat and bag in a locker so make sure you have change.
5. Make sure you wash and dry your hands thoroughly when you arrive.
6. Take careful, detailed notes of what you see, and record folio numbers of any images you take.
7. Speak with staff. Their knowledge and advice is invaluable.

After the visit:

1. Catalogue and store your images carefully.
2. Follow-up the leads in your notes before you forget the details.
3. Send a thank you e-mail.

So how was this particular research trip?

In short it was extraordinary. I signed-in at the Estates Office and collected a pass. The Assistant Archivist collected me and took me to a non-public section of the castle. I there squeezed my bag into a tiny locker and signed in for a second time, before being shown to a turret predominantly filled with dusty old boxes and files. There was one small table with a light, foam book supports, snakes and a box of Purple Nitrile Gloves.

Also on the table, nestled in its storage box, was one of the most magnificent manuscripts I have ever had the good fortune to examine.

The results of this research are for another time or perhaps a different format, but here I end with this extraordinary work made in the Netherlands, likely Bruges, in the 1470s for an extraordinary young woman. And now, it sits here in the library of a grand castle, rarely examined and poorly understood, but remarkable in its survival nonetheless.