Overview
Manuscripts, both single codices and collections, that were transferred from the Treasure Room in Widener Library to Houghton Library in 1942. They have traditionally been called the "Old Widener" collections.
Dates
- Creation: 1553-1936
Conditions Governing Access
There are no restrictions on physical access to this material. Collection is open for research.
Extent
1 collectionThe Widener Library manuscripts, both single codices and collections, were transferred from the Treasure Room to Houghton Library in 1942. They have traditionally been called the "Old Widener" collections. As time and resources permit, they are being recataloged [the first stage of this recataloging was completed in December 2006]. While those with call numbers beginning MS (e.g. MS Pers 14) will retain those numbers, those with Widener classifications (e.g. 27271.37*) will be reclassified into the Houghton manuscript classes. As items and collections are recataloged, they will be deleted from the finding aid for this "collection."
The following four finding aids comprise all materials transferred from the Treasure Room to Houghton Library in 1942, but not yet fully cataloged as of January 2007:
- Widener Library manuscripts: Index (this finding aid)
- Arabic-language manuscripts at Houghton Library: Guide.
- Miscellaneous photostatic and photographic reproductions of manuscripts: Guide.
- Persian-language manuscripts at Houghton Library: Guide.
There remains a card file for all these materials that duplicates these four finding aids. This card file is housed in the Houghton Reading Room. Cards for materials that have been fully cataloged have been discarded.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
All this material was transferred from Widener Library to Houghton Library. In some cases, specific donor information is listed with the item.
Processing Information
Much of this material still has the old Widener Library call numbers. As this material is recataloged by the Houghton staff into new classification numbers, the item will be deleted from this list and will be found in other discovery systems such as Hollis.
Processing Information
This finding aid was revised in 2024 to address racist, outdated, and/or harmful descriptive language. During that revision, racist descriptors were removed and replaced with currently accepted terminology. If you have questions or comments about these revisions, please contact Houghton Library. For more information on reparative archival description at Harvard, see Harvard Library’s Statement on Harmful Language in Archival Description.
- Title
- Widener Library manuscripts: Index.
- Author
- Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
- Language of description
- eng
- EAD ID
- hou01481
Repository Details
Part of the Houghton Library Repository
Houghton Library is Harvard College's principal repository for rare books and manuscripts, archives, and more. Houghton Library's collections represent the scope of human experience from ancient Egypt to twenty-first century Cambridge. With strengths primarily in North American and European history, literature, and culture, collections range in media from printed books and handwritten manuscripts to maps, drawings and paintings, prints, posters, photographs, film and audio recordings, and digital media, as well as costumes, theater props, and a wide range of other objects. Houghton Library has historically focused on collecting the written record of European and Eurocentric North American culture, yet it holds a large and diverse number of primary sources valuable for research on the languages, culture and history of indigenous peoples of the Americas, Africa, Asia and Oceania.
Houghton Library’s Reading Room is free and open to all who wish to use the library’s collections.
Harvard Yard
Harvard University
Cambridge MA 02138 USA
(617) 495-2440
Houghton_Library@harvard.edu