Archival note by Jonathan Smith © 2023 University of Bergen. CC BY-NC 4.0

MS 102 is a casebound volume, 229 x 201 mm in size. Wittgenstein has included dates between 30 September 1914 and 22 June 1915 in the text. The binding is of light brown coarse fabric over board and the front cover bears a label reading ’KONRADA BURZYNSKIEGO, WARZAWA KARMELICKA 4. KSIAC BUCHALTERYJNYCH, SKLAD PAPIERU I MATERYAŁÓW PISMIENNYCH’.

Internally there are 188 leaves measuring 220 x 179 mm with flyleaves front and back. The volume has been prepared for accounting. Each page is ruled with 19 lines with a thick red line above. There are two vertical red lines on the left and three on the right of each page. Between those on the right there are further vertical lines to assist in the alignment of individual numbers. The rear flyleaf recto has been ruled with 20 lines its verso with 4, presumably by Wittgenstein and both contain text. The volume has been foliated 1-189 to include the rear flyleaf, presumably by library staff.

The text is in German with substantial coded remarks, written using pencil, indelible pencil and black ink, with red pencil used mostly for editorial annotations. On f. 56r there is an illustration using coloured pencils. At first, both recto and verso pages are used, but from f.74 to f.187 the versos are left blank. There are signs of liquid damage on f.70r to 71v.

The volume appears to have an annotation on the front pastedown in Wittgenstein’s hand which denotes it as ‘No 4’. It was seen by the executors in Gmunden in 1952 and remained in Wittgenstein’s family until May 1969 when it was presented to Trinity College Library, by Wittgenstein’s niece, Clara Sjogren. A note regarding her ownership is sellotaped to the front pastedown.