Welcome to the
Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum

Founded in 1983 by David and Marsha Karpeles with the purpose to inspire curiosity and encourage learning, the Karpeles Manuscript Library archives contain more than a million historical documents in the categories of literature, science, religion, political history, exploration, music and art.

To make the collection more accessible to the general public, all Karpeles museums are free to visit, and the collection rotates between its museums three times per year.

A handwritten manuscript showcasing notes on a proclamation attributed to you Abraham Lincoln dated April 27 1861 authorizes the Secretary of State to append the U.S. Seal to a proclamation instituting a blockade of Virginia and North Carolina ports. Learn More About This Document

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Exhibits

This document titled Apollo Translunar Transearth Trajectory Plotting pertains to the Apollo 13 mission outlining key dates from April 10 to April 16. It illustrates the Moons position at launch on April 11 reaching apogee on April 14 with a lunar landing slated for April 16. A problem occurring 200 000 miles from Earth on April 13 1970 is noted in the document. Signed by Fred Haise
Apollo 11
Documents from the American spaceflight that first landed humans on the moon.
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A document titled Undertaking Given by Certain German Emissaries to the Allied High Commands outlines an agreement by German representatives.
WW II
The Surrender Agreement of Germany ending World War II in Europe.
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In this excerpt from The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson discuss their pursuit of a cunning adversary in a complex mystery involving a family curse a desolate moor a spectral hound and a deranged killer. In Chapter 13 titled Fixing the Nets Holmes admires the criminals cleverness and acknowledges the lack of concrete evidence emphasizing the need for a careful approach to avoid undermining their case. Watson however urges direct action due to the urgency of the situation. The passage highlights the adaptability and nerves of steel of the criminal and the differing investigative approaches of Holmes and Watson.
Sherlock Holmes
Arthur Conan Doyle’s handwritten excerpts.
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Collection Highlights

Karpeles Manuscript Library archives include gems such as:
The “Taxation Without Representation” complaint by Benjamin Franklin
Political History
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The original manuscript of the sheet music for The Wedding March
Music
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Einstein's famous E=MC2 formula
Science
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The original manuscript of Roget's Thesaurus
Literature
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The first printing of the Ten Commandments from The Gutenberg Bible (ca. 1455)
Religion
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Amelia Earhart's Certificate of Landing for her solo flight across the Atlantic
Exploration
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Donald Duck Drawing Guide by Disney
Art
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