The AMI Montessori Archives have also benefitted from donations of books and historical personal documents of legacy Montessorians, such as Claude Claremont, Margot Waltuch, Phoebe Child, Margaret Homfray, Antonietta Paolini, Grazia Honegger Fresco, and Maria Maraini.

Publishing and editing archival texts that were previously unpublished is of great importance in preserving and expanding our understanding of the Montessori legacy. This dedication is shown by the yearly publication of a so-called Treasure. These manuscripts often offer new insights, and valuable perspectives that can contribute to the enrichment of knowledge. Editing and publishing archival texts also serve as an act of preservation, safeguarding fragile documents from the ravages of time and potential loss.

A small excerpt of the richness of these papers, Claude Claremont, reminisces on how he was introduced to Montessori and her work in 1914:

Not only have I been struck—like so many others—by the Montessori children, but I have also been deeply impressed with the depth and width of learning and originality of thought of Dr Montessori herself. I have been struck not only with the results of her method but with the immense extent of the thinking and study which underly it and give it its strength. I was quite unprepared when I went to Rome for the great wealth of thought and fullness of detail which I there found prepared and woven into a connected whole. While listening to the lectures of her four months’ training course, I had the impression of a person unfolding a great map and pointing to parts here and there upon it, continually astonishing me by unrolling yet another fold of formal uncharted territory.

Enjoy the following gallery of photos of some of the legacy Montessorians whose contribution we look forward to sharing in future content in the AMI Montessori Archives.