THE MANUSCRIPTS

OF

LEONARDO DA VINCI

Refers to the Library of the Institut de France, which houses many of Leonardo's notebooks.

ASH refers to the Ashburnham collection, a set of manuscripts that had been stolen from the Institut de France and were later returned to the National Library of France.

Phototypic facsimiles: An early form of high-quality photographic reproduction that allowed readers to see the exact appearance of the original pages, including Leonardo's unique "mirror script."

MR. CHARLES RAVAISSON-MOLLIEN

Charles Ravaisson-Mollien (1848–1919) was a distinguished curator at the Louvre who spent decades meticulously transcribing and translating Leonardo’s cryptic notes for the first time.

Decorative publisher's crest for Maison Quantin with the motto original: "LIBER LIBRO" "A book for a book" and the initials "MQ" on an open book. This crest signifies the prestige of the publishing house chosen for this state-sponsored project.