An Open Letter: A Request for the Voynich Manuscript's Folio 78v Multi Spectral Imaging

This open letter formally requests that the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library at Yale University release multispectral imaging data for folio 78v of the Voynich Manuscript (Beinecke MS 408). Recent philological and iconographic analysis indicates that the folio contains visual features whose interpretation requires imaging beyond the standard digital facsimile. Multispectral analysis has the potential to reveal underlying line work, pigment residues, and erased or faded iconographic elements that are essential for determining the folio’s cultural and historical context. Because Yale has previously conducted multispectral imaging on portions of MS 408, and because such imaging is now standard practice in manuscript studies, the release of this data would materially advance ongoing research and enable independent scholarly verification. This letter situates the request within established norms of academic transparency and responsible stewardship, emphasizing the importance of open access to scientific imaging data for manuscripts of global significance.