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A new portable nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) device allows in situ non-invasive investigation of paper in order to examine some aspects of the microscopic healthy state of documents of historical and artistic interest. The apparatus has a NMR surface probe, which permits to perform most of the NMR relaxometric measurements on objects of almost every size and shape. It uses non-ionizing radio frequency electromagnetic waves and is easily transportable without hazard for people or environment. Some results obtained with this device on the pages of the Codex Major, a manuscript musical anthology that belongs to the Collectio Altaempsiana (1600–1610) of Palazzo Altaemps in Rome, are here presented. The NMR results provide indications about the spread of the deterioration process of the paper and of the corrosion effect caused by the iron-gall ink. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]