The Centre hosts the following lecture: Alexander Herman (Institute of Art and Law): ‘Don’t Turn That Page! The Legal Risks of Dealing in Unprovenanced Manuscripts’.

Abstract: Researching and curating historical manuscripts is not without its risks, and these include legal risks. Questions arise in the context of dealing in unprovenanced manuscripts, such as when it is not clear when a manuscript left its country of origin nor under what circumstances. Also at issue are manuscripts that have a clear, but controversial provenance, such as those looted during periods of armed conflict or oppression. This talk will discuss the legal risks – if any – of dealing in such material, both from a national and international perspective. It will also raise the separate, but interlinked, question of morality of such activities.