Two of Special Collections’ newest additions in the realm of rare literature are groundbreaking mystery novels, one British, the other American. Fergus Hume’s The Mystery of a Hansom Cab (Victorian Collection PR 4809 .H87 M8 1887b) was the best-selling mystery novel of its day. Hume self-published the novel in 1886 while working as a law …
In conjunction with the English Department symposium Illuminating the Word: the Devotional Tradition and the Future of Poetry, Special Collections is displaying the work of major poets working in the genre of religious poetry. Highlights include first editions of poets like Gerard Manley Hopkins, Emily Dickinson, and T.S. Eliot, as well as rare editions of …
Getting in the mood for some spooky Halloween reading? Try some short stories! Here are a few to inspire you from Special Collections: One famous short story collection owned by Special Collections in its first edition is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Mosses from an Old Manse. Published in 1846, the collection contains a number of gothic tales …
Part VI: Richard Harding Davis (1864-1916) April 18 is another literary anniversary! Journalist and author Richard Harding Davis was born 150 years ago today. His parents were both writers; his father was a Philadelphia newspaper editor and his mother Rebecca Harding Davis was a prolific 19th century (though today, largely forgotten), novelist. Richard Harding Davis …
Part IV: Clara Endicott Sears Clara Endicott Sears (1863-1960) was born 150 years ago this month. Sears was a wealthy Bostonian who authored several histories and a few long-forgotten novels. Today, she is best remembered as a preservationist and collector of American folk art and Native American art and artifacts. In 1910, Sears purchased the …
Part III: Gene Stratton-Porter This week marks the 150 anniversary of the Indiana-born author Gene Stratton-Porter (1863-1924). Her interest in nature led her to a career in writing and photography for nature magazines. Stratton-Porter published a dozen novels as well as books of poetry and nature writing. Her novels, especially Freckles (1904) and A Girl …
A brief sampling of literary works by women authors that have recently been added to Special Collections’ holdings: Victorian and Edwardian Literature Virginia Woolf, The Voyage Out, first British edition (Vault 823 W88vo 1915) Elizabeth Gaskell, Sylvia’s Lovers (Victorian 823 G212sy 1863) Amelia B. Edwards, My Brother’s Wife (Victorian 821 Ed955my 1855) American Rare …
The Lee Library’s newest exhibit features poet William Wordsworth and his impact on American nature writing and environmentalism. Visit the Level 3 Gallery to see rare editions of authors like Wordsworth, Emerson, Thoreau, Whitman, and the father of America’s national parks, John Muir — all from L. Tom Perry Special Collections. The exhibit is open …
The Harold B. Lee Library has recently subscribed to a number of electronic resources related to 19th century American and British literature. Here is a short list, with links. These resources can also be found using the A to Z database finder on the library’s homepage. Queen Victoria’s Journals: scanned versions of the Queen’s surviving …
Poe is a perennial literary favorite at Halloween time, and Special Collections is a great place to come if you’re looking for your fill of his creepy tales and poems. The Rare Book Collection contains first printings of tales like “The Fall of the House of Usher” and “The Tell-tale Heart” in our 19th century …