The Persian manuscripts are held in Special Collections (Red M5) in the John Rylands Library. The collection does not yet have a modern printed catalogue. For information about consulting the manuscripts, contact Anne Young, Senior Special Collections Assistant: anne.young@man.ac.uk. For a history of the collection, see Dr Taylor, "The Oriental manuscript collections in the John Rylands library", Bull. J. Rylands Lib., 54 ( ), pp. 1-30. The collection was assembled by many notable figures, particularly Nathaniel Bland (d. 1865), who acquired some of the mss of such figures as Silvestre de Sacy (d. 1838). It was mainly purchased by Mrs Rylands in 1901.The illustrated Persian manuscripts have been thoroughly catalogued by B.W. Robinson, Persian paintings in the John Rylands Library: A descriptive catalogue, London: Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1980, where there is also a useful summary of the available documentation on the collection (see pp. 13-14). Note, however, that this does not include Indian copies of the Shahnama.For information about photography, contact Carol Burrows, Assistant Librarian: carol.burrows@man.ac.uk or for reproduction rights enquiries, Dr Dorothy Clayton: dorothy.clayton@man.ac.uk