Preserving Pages: 60 Years of Sharing the World’s Handwritten Past
Looking back on the 60 years the Hill Museum & Manuscript Library (HMML) has existed, its purpose—to preserve our global cultural heritage from deterioration and possible endangerment—has never wavered. This exhibition offers a snapshot of HMML’s growth through its 60 years of operation, including the expansion of its partnerships, the digitization of manuscripts from microfilm, and the global reach these manuscripts now have. The exhibition takes you on a journey through projects across Europe, Africa, and Asia where HMML works to preserve and share manuscripts through community-based preservation. This is done entirely through local teams who are trained, given equipment, and paid for their work. Drawing from objects across repositories and collections at HMML and Saint John’s University, this exhibition includes old and new technology used by HMML, prayer scrolls originating from two different Christian traditions, an Albrecht Dürer woodcut print, and more.