During the first third of the 19th century, the APS acquired a large number of books and manuscripts in non-western languages, thanks to Peter Stephen Duponceau's philological and comparative linguistic interests. One of his correspondents, John P. Brown (APS 1856), donated a series of books in Turkish and Arabic.

These two manuscripts were among those donated by Brown in 1836 as examples of the Turkish language and writing system. Associated with the Ottoman Department of State, one volume is entitled "Inscha, or Turkish Letter Writer" and contains forms of business letters; the other is docketed as "Turjiman Nameh," or the "Turkish Interpreter's Assistant. Forms of letters."