Juilliard’s library holds an unparalleled collection of facsimile editions of music manuscripts. Facsimile editions, or copies of manuscripts, enable performers and scholars to study a copy of the manuscript that looks very much like the original.
The publication of music facsimile editions coincided with the invention of photography in the mid-nineteenth century. The earliest facsimile editions included the 1868 edition of Handel’s Messiah; since that time several thousand music manuscript facsimiles have been published. Juilliard has acquired most of them through purchases and some generous donations. They may be found in the library catalog under the heading Music – Manuscripts – Facsimiles. For further information on the history and development of facsimiles see Steven Immel’s article on “Facsimile” in Grove Music Online.