Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums facts for kids
Karpeles Manuscript Library's first location in Santa Barbara, California
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| Established | 1983  |
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| Location | United States |
| Coordinates | 34°25′21″N 119°42′18″W / 34.42257°N 119.70494°W |
| Type | archive museum |
| Founder | David Karpeles, Marsha Karpeles |
| Website | www |
 Location of Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums
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The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums holds one of the world's largest private collections of old and important documents. It was started in 1983 by David Karpeles and Marsha Karpeles. Their main goal was to make learning exciting, especially for kids. They also wanted to make these amazing historical items easy for everyone to see.
The collection is spread across many Karpeles museums in the United States. Each museum is in a cool, historic building. There are also "mini-museums" in schools and offices. The documents on display change every three months, so there's always something new to discover. Every museum has a daily exhibit and special shows throughout the year. The Karpeles Manuscript Library offers all its services for free. David Karpeles passed away on January 19, 2022.
Contents
- Karpeles Museum Locations Across the US
- Buffalo, New York: North Hall Museum
- Duluth, Minnesota: Historic Church Building
- Rock Island, Illinois: Palladian Style Museum
- Santa Barbara, California: First Karpeles Museum
- Gloversville, New York: Newest Location
- Alvin, Texas: Neoclassical Design
- Lake Mary, Florida: Corporate Office Museum
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Former Holy Innocents Church
- St. Augustine, Florida: Smallest Museum
- Past Museum Locations
- Amazing Documents in the Collection
- Educational Programs for Students
Karpeles Museum Locations Across the US
The Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums are found in different cities. Each location offers a unique way to explore history. As of June 2023, there are ten museums.
Buffalo, New York: North Hall Museum
In Buffalo, the Karpeles Museum is at 220 North Street. This building, called North Hall, was built in 1911. It used to be a church. Its design looks like a medieval church, both inside and out. This makes it a really interesting place for the museum. The building has rough walls, a bright red roof, and huge 25-foot windows. Inside, it has many sections and a very large main room.
Duluth, Minnesota: Historic Church Building
The Duluth Museum is at 902 East 1st Street. This building was also a church, built in 1912. It still has its original organ in the main rotunda. The museum has a large exhibit hall with great acoustics. This makes it perfect for music concerts and other events. The Duluth museum also has a School Outreach Program. They send copies of original documents to schools, colleges, and libraries. This helps students learn more about history.
Rock Island, Illinois: Palladian Style Museum
The museum in Rock Island is in a building from 1896. It's in the Broadway Historic District. The building was designed in the Palladian style. It has brick walls covered with Bedford limestone. Six tall columns support the front entrance. The building has two domes, one inside the other. The inner dome has about 8,000 colored glass panes. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
Santa Barbara, California: First Karpeles Museum
The Santa Barbara Karpeles Museum was the first one to open. It is located at 21 West Anapamu Street. Since 1986, it has shown thousands of historical documents. It has also hosted many full exhibits. Some items always on display include a copy of the Declaration of Independence. There's also a replica of Christopher Columbus's globe. You can also see handwritten music by famous composers. The computer guidance system from the first Apollo Moon landing is also there. This museum is very important to the local community.
Gloversville, New York: Newest Location
The Karpeles Museum in Gloversville, New York opened in 2020. It is at 66 Kingsboro Avenue. This building was also a church, built in 1923. It is the fifteenth museum in the Karpeles chain.
Alvin, Texas: Neoclassical Design
The building in Alvin, Texas, was built in 1924. It has a Neoclassical design and covers over half an acre. A circular staircase leads to grand Roman-style columns. The main floor has a large room with beautiful murals. An original map of Alvin, Texas, is part of the museum's collection.
Lake Mary, Florida: Corporate Office Museum
The Karpeles Manuscript Library also has a museum in its main office. This office is near Orlando, Florida. The director of this location is one of the founder's granddaughters.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Former Holy Innocents Church
This museum is in the former Holy Innocents Church. The current church building was finished in 1925. It reminds visitors of the famous Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The Karpeles Museum bought the building in 2019.
St. Augustine, Florida: Smallest Museum
St. Augustine's Karpeles Manuscript Library Mini Museum is the world's smallest walk-in museum. It is the newest addition to the museum family.
Past Museum Locations
Some Karpeles museums have closed or moved. These locations also shared amazing historical documents.
Charleston, South Carolina: Greek Revival Style
The Karpeles Museum in Charleston was in the former St. James Chapel. This church was built in 1856. It was designed in the Greek Revival style. During the Civil War, it was used as a hospital. Hurricane Hugo damaged the building in 1989. After repairs, it reopened in 1990.
Jacksonville, Florida: Neoclassical Structure
The Jacksonville Karpeles Museum was in a 1921 neoclassical building. It also had an old book library. There was a special center for children too.
St. Louis, Missouri: Historic Fire Incident
The St. Louis Karpeles Museum opened in 2015. It was in a building from 1911. In 2019, a fire caused damage to the roof and back of the building. Firefighters saved many historical items. The building was later sold.
Tacoma, Washington: Former American Legion Post
The Karpeles Museum in Tacoma, Washington, opened in 1991. It was in a building from 1931. This location closed permanently in January 2024.
Amazing Documents in the Collection
The Karpeles collection includes many incredible historical items. They cover topics like music, science, religion, and history.
Musical Masterpieces
- Ludwig van Beethoven's Emperor Concerto
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro
- Richard Wagner's "Wedding March"
Scientific Discoveries
- Darwin's ideas on evolution
- Descartes' writings on philosophy
- Einstein's Theory of Relativity
- Galileo's announcement of his book Dialogue on Two New Sciences
- Sketches for the Spirit of St. Louis airplane
- Notes from Charles Lindbergh
- Newton's studies on religion
Religious Texts
- The first printing of the Ten Commandments from The Gutenberg Bible (around 1455)
- John Calvin's Ioannis Calvinus
- Luther and the start of the Protestant Movement
Literary Treasures
- Roget's Thesaurus
- Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer stage version
- Webster's Dictionary
Important Political History
- Bill of Rights
- Confederate Constitution
- Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation
- John Hancock's letter for the Declaration of Independence
- Olive Branch Petition
- George Washington's Thanksgiving Proclamation
Exploration and Adventure
- Christopher Columbus's Lettera Rarissima (a rare letter)
- Sir Ernest Shackleton's hand-drawn map of Antarctica
- Amelia Earhart's landing certificate for her solo flight across the Atlantic
Artistic Collections
- Dona McPhillips Historical Exhibit Collection
- Norman Rockwell pencil drafts Exhibit Collection
- The Brock Brothers Illustration Archive
Educational Programs for Students
The Karpeles Library offers special programs and talks for schools. Two popular programs are the Cultural Literacy Program and the School Outreach Program. They also set up Mini-Museums in many schools and universities. These programs are free for all schools to join.
