New York Exhibit Displays 3.5 Million Epstein Files in Printed Volumes

A storefront gallery in New York’s Tribeca neighborhood has opened a temporary exhibit that prints and binds more than 3.5 million pages of released Epstein files into 3,437 volumes. The project, organized by the Institute for Primary Facts, lines two rooms with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves holding the documents in the order they were released by the Department of Justice.

The exhibit is free to the public through 21 May, though visitors must schedule appointments and most are not permitted to handle the documents. Organizers cite concerns from survivors that some personal information may not have been redacted. The Institute for Primary Facts is raising funds to stage similar displays in other cities.

The main room includes 1,400 artificial candles placed behind semi-sheer curtains as a tribute to Epstein’s victims. David Garrett, one of the project’s primary organizers, said the physical space is intended to give context that is difficult to obtain while scrolling on a phone.

He noted that the volumes weigh about five pounds each and that the scale of the material becomes clearer when viewed in person.

The Department of Justice released large batches of Epstein files earlier this year. Investigative journalist Emma Best said binding the files into volumes makes them less readable and harder to update. She noted that other volunteer projects have converted the same documents into searchable formats, including an email interface and a network graph.

The group’s board includes Garrett, Democratic strategist Jenna Lowenstein, and Mary Corcoran, co-founder of an anti-Trump former Republican PAC.