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CHSS Library & Academic Computing Committee
17 October 2014
Paper 7a
Disclosable
For Information
Special Collections purchases with support from the College of Humanities and Social
Science, 2013-14
The £100,000 provided by CHSS for the purchase of Special Collections material in 2014/15
has been used to bring in a wide range of manuscripts, archives, rare books and other
heritage works which will be used by students and researchers from across the different
schools. A full list is provided; this report draws attention to a number of highlights.
Perhaps the most important individual purchase
this year is a copy of a book from the library of
the poet William Drummond, who gave
Edinburgh University Library his outstanding
collection of what was then modern literature in
the 1620s. This copy of the works of Herodian,
printed in 1581, never came to EUL and instead
ended up in a New York library, from which it
was deacessioned and offered to us as a
purchase. It includes fascinating evidence of
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ownership and reading showing the influence of the classics on Scottish and American
audiences over the centuries.
This year has seen significant manuscript purchases, including an archive relating to the
creation of the memorial for Robert Louis Stevenson at St. Giles’ Cathedral, unveiled in
1904. The work of the committee which organised the memorial is detailed through
hundreds of letters by prominent figures including Arthur Conan Doyle, George Saintsbury,
David Masson, J.M. Barrie and Lord Rosebery. We bought two substantial manuscripts of
the 17th century lawyer Thomas Hope: his Major and Minor Practicks, which will be of great
value to students of both Law and Scottish History. Individual letters written by King James
VI and Mary of Guise are particularly relevant for historians of the early modern period.
Special Collections researchers also have a particular interest in manuscript annotations in
early printed books, and this year we acquired copies of two annotated books - an edition of
the works of Terence, printed in 1511, and Jean Bodin’s Demonomania, about the need to
identify and punish witches, printed in Venice in 1587. Resources like these offer major
opportunities for insights into politics, religion and culture in Europe.
A number of items were bought specifically to meet current teaching needs. For example,
various classes including the History of the Book MSc have been working on the history of
book illustration. For these students we purchased a selection of illustrated editions of
Aesop’s Fables from the 18th century onwards, showing the development of illustrative
techniques in different times and cultures. These have already been used in teaching
classes and indeed one purchase was used in class the day it arrived in Edinburgh. These
books are also relevant to the history of education and for Edinburgh College of Art. ECA
was also supported by the acquisition of new creative work by current artists.
Some particularly important items were purchased at the annual London International
Antiquarian Bookfair, held at the Olympia exhibition centre in Kensington in May 2014.
Managed by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association (ABA) in partnership with the
International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), this fair attracts around 200 of the
world’s leading dealers. Purchases included a script for the film of Irvine Welsh’s
Trainspotting, which famously revealed the seedy side of 1980s Edinburgh. This typescript
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reflects an intermediate state of the script and shows interesting differences from the version
finally used for production. It will be of interest to our students of media, film and television.
Also at Olympia, we acquired a beautiful manuscript of Russian liturgical music produced by
the religious movement known as the Old Believers. To strengthen the Japanese collections
we bought a fine set of screen-printed kimono designs and a volume recounting heroic
samurai exploits, with dramatic colour illustrations. The Chinese collections are seeing
particular attention at present as we are seeking external funding to build up these holdings,
and at Olympia we bought several items including a Chinese military manual with
illustrations of military devices and vehicles – showing the economic, technological and
cultural consequences of engagement with the West.
In total we have acquired 140 individual items and collections, including unrecorded printed
books, manuscripts and ephemera. Languages represented include French, German,
Russian, Latin, Greek, Marathi, Chinese and Japanese as well as Scots. With all these
purchases, we think about the teaching and research needs of the College and the
University, as well as the potential of the items for attracting wider interest through projects,
digitisation and exhibition.
Joseph Marshall
Head of Special Collections and the Centre for Research Collections
2 October 2014
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