A representative from the world’s largest private collection of manuscripts will give a free presentation Aug. 3 at the Brazoria County Historical Museum in Angleton.
The special guest at 6 p.m. will be Sam Tanksley of the Karpeles Manuscript Museum.
Founded by Dr. David and Marsha Karpeles, the Karpeles Manuscript Collection contains a wide range of artifacts including the call for the First Crusade, Disney cels, vintage Gutenberg and King James Bibles and a letter from Einstein to then-President Roosevelt.
To make the collection more accessible, there are 10 locations throughout the U.S., including one in Alvin. The Alvin Karpeles Manuscript Museum, 800 W. Sidnor St., is housed in the old First United Methodist Church, built in 1924. The Methodists sold the building in 1961 and it changed hands several times until Dr. Karpeles purchased it in 2011. After extensive renovations, it opened as the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in November of 2020.
The current display at the Karpeles Manuscript Museum in Alvin focuses on the “Star Trek” TV and movie series. A new exhibit is scheduled to open in September titled “The American Colonies.”
Exhibits rotate every four months, and the Alvin location is also home the collection’s Texas manuscripts. These include models of five historical ships and documents that go with them as well as a 1687 map of Galveston and the Alvin area.
