Testimonials/ Statements

The importance and significance of a facsimile

John Lee (Publisher) – The British Library (03/03/2020):

'We are always delighted to work with the team at Mueller & Schindler to create facsimiles of some of the British Library’s celebrated treasures. We admire the spectacular production values but also applaud the team’s innovative application of new digital technologies.'
 

Dr Claudia Fabian (Head of the Department of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books) - Bayerische Staatsbibliothek (18/02/2020):

For prestigious and special codex manuscripts, premium facsimiles are still important in today's digital age and are in any case a welcome enrichment. They are more immediate and impressive than they would be in digital form, today's otherwise indispensable format, because they reflect the tangible, three-dimensional effect created by the original. They also allow browsing, immersion and enjoyment and thereby represent the original, and the institution that possesses it, in many, even far-flung places and for various interests. For the Department of Manuscripts and Early Printed Books of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, a faithful, premium reproduction of the original is of the utmost importance, as is a detailed, scholarly examination of the original, which then results in a commentary volume.

Dr Dagmar Korbacher (Director) – Kupferstichkabinett (Museum of Prints and Drawings) (Staatliche Museen zu Berlin - Preußischer Kulturbesitz) (30/01/2020):

The value of facsimiles, which are produced with excellent quality and come as close as possible to the original, is not to be underestimated. They make the magnificent treasures of book illumination accessible to a wider audience because they not only give them the enjoyment of art and the context of a work, but also allow them the haptic experience of turning the pages of a book, which is often very limited with the original. This is an important experience, especially in our digitally influenced age, without which it is almost impossible to understand a masterpiece of book art.

Sébastien Petratos (Directeur du département de la reproduction) – Bibliothèque nationale de France (30/01/2020):

"Les éditions Müller & Schindler et Faksimile Verlag sont des partenaires de la Bibliothèque nationale de France depuis de nombreuses années. Les fac-similés sont toujours d'une excellente qualité et réalisés dans le plus grand respect du manuscrit original. Nous sommes toujours très satisfaits du travail effectué qui est extrêmement exigeant et rigoureux et qui contribue à la valorisation de nos collections."

Dr Ulrike Tarnow (Head of Library Department 06 - History and Cultural Studies) - Freie Universität Berlin (29/01/2020):

Fragile medieval manuscripts are mostly no longer accessible to the public in their original form but are often available digitally. However, the image on a digital display cannot replace the experience of holding the original in your own hands. It will teach you nothing about the original's proportions and weight, about the substance of its pages and cover, about the splendour of its decoration, about the relationship between its interior and its exterior, about the adornment of its images and text, or about its binding and handleability. Digital copies generally withhold from their readers and viewers those sensual experiences that cannot be communicated via a screen presentation (even if it is in 3D). Given the unavailability of the originals, faithful facsimiles have proven time and again to be an excellent tool for research, exploration and teaching - because they enable you to experience the many object dimensions of a medieval book physically. They are irreplaceable, especially in the context of university and book studies (both education and training): we experience a correspondingly intensive demand for and use of facsimiles in our library.

Dr Samuel Fanous (Head of Publishing) - Bodleian Library (29/01/2020):

“The facsimiles of Müller & Schindler and Facsimile Verlag are known the world for their very high quality. It is a pleasure to work with them in preserving and reproducing of our written and painted cultural heritage.”

Giovanni Scorcioni (Facsimile Edition Expert) – FacsimileFinder.com (28/01/2020):

"My ten-year experience in the field of facsimiles has taught me that high-quality replicas are appreciated and used with strong enthusiasm in the academic world.

I have often had the privilege of witnessing the production of facsimiles from start to end: every step of a publisher’s work from the technical, in-depth analysis of the original manuscript, until printing and delivering a replica that is as close as possible to the original work of art.

I have always admired Müller & Schindler and Faksimile Verlag’s stunning attention to detail, which always results in deep joy and satisfaction of professors and students who can enrich their learning and teaching experiences with works of unparalleled quality."

Prof. Dr Harald Wolter-von dem Knesebeck (Professor of Art History with Special Reference to the Middle Ages and Director of the Paul-Clemen Museum of the Art History Institute) - Art History Institute of the University of Bonn (27/01/2020):

"Being books themselves, facsimiles open up the book space as it is, making it possible to experience all the dimensions of opening and closing pairs of images and/or text pages - which no screen or digital presentation can ever do. They are therefore indispensable for research and teaching, and their accompanying commentary volumes are also very helpful."

Richard K. Emmerson (Visiting Distinguished Professor - Department of Art History) - Florida State University (27/01/2020):

"Although nothing can compare to turning the pages of an original medieval manuscript, holding in one's hands a facsimile of a beautiful and authentically reproduced illuminated manuscript comes as close as possible for most of us. Those of us whose scholarship focuses on medieval manuscripts cherish working with the originals, but regularly traveling to see them can be prohibitively expensive. Owning the facsimile or having access to it at our university libraries is therefore essential for our research. Even more importantly when teaching students, faithfully produced facsimiles are indispensable, since they reproduce the size, weight, proportions, and feel of the original, crucial factors for the history of the codex that cannot be ascertained by examining online digital images."