The Queenscourt Manuscript Chamber Guestbook, 1861-1919

As part of my dissertation project, the data set shows, how far a story can travel and also sheds light on its potential to move people in a literal sense. The visitors of the Queenscourt manuscript chamber, who left their entries in the guestbook apparently deemed it worthwhile to take on the journey to Dvůr Králové nad Labem to take a look at the place, where the manuscript was found. Instead of going to Prague, to see the actual manuscript stored in the National Museum, they went to the place of its discovery. This mobility was induced by Václav Hanka's story of how he found the manuscript in the Dvůr Králové nad Labem church tower. He spread the story alongside the actual manuscript as it accompanied most of its publications. The guestbook bears witness to the spread of the story as it lists entries from various places of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown and beyond and partially allows researchers to get to know the motivations of those people, who visited the place, where the Queenscourt Manuscript was found.