Medieval Manuscripts
Free Library of Philadelphia
Collection Mainpage
Browse or search the Free Library's collection of more than 3,000 online images.
The Free Library’s digital manuscript collection includes two different sorts of objects: complete manuscript books, or "codices," and separate leaves and cuttings—fragments separated from their original contexts. With the images you will find basic information about the object pictured: when and where it was made, and what its imagery depicts. When the image is from an intact book, the accompanying information will tell you about the book, and will also link to a complete description of it.
Books have been photographed to look like three-dimensional objects instead of flat images. Individual leaves and cuttings are shown front and back to give as much information as possible about the leaf’s original context. All texts should be legible in close-up view.
The website also includes a concise introduction to the medieval book, along with links to the rich online resources on medieval art and culture available in other museums and libraries.