Imagine reading a book that hides another, centuries-old book beneath its pages. Between 2000 and 2012, Abigail Quandt led groundbreaking work to uncover exactly that—two texts that had been erased and overwritten on ancient parchment, known as palimpsests. The first was a compilation of seven ancient Greek texts that included the earliest extant copy of Archimedes’ treatises, dating to the 10th century.

Severely damaged by mold and overpainted with 20th-century forgeries, the manuscript required 12 years of conservation and analysis. Through a combination of spectral imaging and painstaking physical treatment, Quandt and her team revealed texts that had been hidden for centuries.

The second manuscript was the Syriac Galen Palimpsest, which contained previously missing text from a ninth-century Syriac copy of the Greek physician’s treatise On Simple Drugs. In better condition than the Archimedes manuscript, it required three years of conservation. Join us to hear how science, art, and history came together to bring invisible texts back to life.

Our speaker, Abigail Quandt, Senior Conservator Emeritus at the Walters Art Museum, has had a distinguished career in manuscript and rare book conservation. Inspired by her parents’ work in painting conservation, she earned her M.Sc. from the Winterthur/University of Delaware program in 1982 and completed a post-graduate internship at Trinity College Library.
She joined the Walters in 1984 and led its Department of Book and Paper Conservation from 2001–2024, specializing in illuminated manuscripts on parchment. Quandt has lectured, published, and taught widely, consulted for major institutions, and participated in key research. She retired in 2024, receiving the Robert L. Feller Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Scholars Gild, a part of the Arden Club, meets on the third Tuesday of the month, September through June. We usually use a hybrid Live-Zoom model. There are sometimes technical glitches so your patience is appreciated.

There is no fee to attend Scholars Gild discussions.  We encourage all to donate live or at http://ardenclub.org/donate/.  Your support helps keep the virtual and in-person lights on at the Club, making possible dynamic programming like concerts, theater, dance, and, of course, our Scholars Gild evenings.

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