What counts as a manuscript?

Manuscripts · Revised 3 August 2026

An illuminated manuscript leaf on vellum with a gilded initial, resting on grey felt

Any document written by hand rather than printed: a medieval codex or leaf, a literary draft, a musical autograph, a diary, a ledger or a working notebook. What distinguishes a manuscript from an autograph letter is that it is composed rather than corresponded.

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