Magna Carta Exhibit This Summer

Harvard Law School Library Historical & Special Collections is pleased to announce a special exhibit opening this June. One Text, Sixteen Manuscripts: Magna Carta at the Harvard Law School Library first debuted in September 2015 to celebrate Magna Carta’s 800^th anniversary. In honor of the exciting new scholarship surrounding HLS MS 172, we are pleased to bring the exhibit back for a limited time.  

First written in 1215, the ideas of liberty and human rights contained in and derived from England’s Magna Carta have persisted for more than 800 years. They have inspired developments in law now enshrined in constitutions and treaties around the world. The survival and resonance of those ideas are reflected in the manuscripts in this exhibit. The Harvard Law School Library owns close to 30 manuscript copies of Magna Carta, 16 of which are featured in this exhibit. We will display a high-quality facsimile of HLS MS 172 for the exhibit’s duration.

Acknowledgments

The exhibit was curated by KB Beck and Mindy Kent. The 2025 presentation of the exhibit was led by Lesley Schoenfeld with assistance from staff in Historical & Special Collections. Special thanks go to Jane Freiman, Terri Messina, Andrew C. Leonard, Courtney Majocha, and Harvard Library Imaging Services for their assistance.

Visit the Exhibit

The exhibit will be on view weekdays from 9am to 5pm in the Caspersen Room, Langdell Hall (access with Harvard ID) from June 5 – August 15, 2025 

Explore the Online Exhibit

We invite you to explore the online exhibit, as well as all of the Law Library’s manuscript Magna Cartas, which can also be viewed online.