Resequencing the Beauvais Missal: A Progress Report

The Beauvais Missal is a late-thirteenth-century manuscript originally created in France. After changing owners multiple times, it was finally dismembered by a New York dealer, Philip Duschnes, in the 1940s. Single leaves were then later sold by Duschnes and Otto Ege to numerous individuals and institutions. This study traces the fate of those fragments as well as the attempts at a digital reconstruction of the Missal. At the same time, using the story of the quest to virtually reunite Missal’s leaves, this essay provides us with a glimpse into the development of fragmentology-related digital tools and methodologies. The status of singular leaves’ identification is reviewed and an overview of the artistic style and writing of the manuscript is provided. This overview allows for a reflection of the nature of digital remediation.