How to handle a manuscript and why we don't use them in our videos

Gloves yes, gloves no: the question we're asked most often

It's a dilemma that arises in other situations in life too... much more spicy and itchy...

“Should I wear gloves to avoid damaging it?” is the question we're asked most often.
And then comes another, even more direct question: “Why do you handle manuscripts without gloves in your videos?”

The answer is simple: it's a conscious choice, made with three things in mind:

1. materials and structure of the work,
2. safety of gestures,
3. authentic experience of those who live it.

An important premise

The manuscripts we're showcasing are part of my private collection. I'm a collector like you: I've been fortunate enough to turn a passion into a profession, combining the two.

This is the whole point: it means I am not putting on a show or “trying” anything out for the camera.

The gestures you see, how I open it, how I put it down, how I turn a page are real, everyday gestures.

They are care. Habit. Respect. Emotion. Love.

And precisely because these treasures are mine, the care is double: when you love an object, you don't treat it with fear... you treat it with care.

Materials and structure of the work

The works are created with selected materials: paper and special, very stable and resistant inks, so that the manuscript will last for centuries.

The leather of the cover is of excellent quality, the binding is done by hand, this makes the manuscript very sturdy and durable.

For this reason, contact with human skin, if done carefully, does not ruin the work.

Of course, common sense counts: if you've just applied lotion, if you have sweat on your hands, or if you've done "dirty" work, such as maintaining a vintage car, wash your hands first.

Gesture safety

If your hands are clean and dry, your grip is correct, and your footing is stable, contact does not automatically mean damage.

In fact, in many situations, gloves reduce sensitivity and make the grip less secure.
To put it simply:

• you feel the edge of the page less,
• you control your blood pressure worse,
• you can slide more easily.

And with a precious object, the safety of the grip is everything.

Better a “naked” but controlled gesture than a “protected” but uncertain gesture.

Authentic experience of those who live it

Then there is a deeper reason, the one that really matters to us.

A manuscript is matter. It is presence. It is consistency.

It's not just to be looked at: it's to be touched, to be experienced, to be experienced with the senses.

Because a manuscript is not a photograph, it is not an image on a screen: it is an object that exists in space and responds to you when you encounter it.

Direct contact, with your fingertips, makes you perceive things that the eye, alone, cannot fully capture.

And it is precisely those things, often, that make the experience real:

• the grain of the paper, which is never “flat”, but has a lively texture;
• the skin of the blanket, with its temperature, its elasticity, the way it fits in the hand;
• the finishes, the edges, the ribs, the details that speak of time and care;
• the applied gold, which is not just light: it is relief, it is thickness, it is precious material that you feel under your fingers;
• and then those micro-signs, those minimal “imperfections” that are not defects, but signatures: they tell of the hand, the workmanship, the passage of time, the truth of the object.

In practice, touch gives you a second reading. A more intimate, deeper, almost silent reading.

And that's often where true emotion arises: when you understand that you're not simply observing an object... you're living an experience.

Invisible barrier

Sometimes gloves become a barrier not only physically, but also psychologically.

They create distance. They make you feel "separated" from the work, as if there were always a filter, a small invisible glass, between you and the manuscript.

And when we share a manuscript, we desire the opposite: closeness.

We want you to feel it present, alive, real.

It's a bit like the difference between a casual, protected relationship and making love freely with your partner: it's not just the contact that changes, it's the intensity. The trust changes. The presence changes.

Because for us, the manuscript is an act of love: respect, care, attention... but also real contact, presence, intimacy.

It's not carelessness. It's relationship.

So never gloves?

No: maximum freedom of choice.

In fact, you can also find the gloves in our package, and they are available on the website in the accessories section.

Because this isn't a war on gloves: if you prefer to use them, that's fine. You get them with the manuscript, and you can always get them from the website.

We want you to be able to choose, without feeling “right” or “wrong”.

Our goal is not to make you do what we do.

How to Handle a Manuscript Correctly: Practical Advice

If you want a simple and safe approach to handling a manuscript (even a facsimile), follow these rules:

• Clean, dry hands (if you just applied cream, wait)
• Stable surface: supports the manuscript well
• Slow movements: no jerks, no rush
• Puff pastry from the edge, delicately
• Do not force the opening: the binding must be respected
• Avoid food and drinks near the opera (it seems trivial, but it isn't)

They're small things. But they make a huge difference.