An erudite and popular librarian, Charles Edward Sayle (1864 1924) devoted his career to cataloguing and editing rare books in the University of Cambridge. His obituary praised him as 'a fine example of the type of man who likes to catalogue things in the right order'. This catalogue of incunabula and early printed books in the University Library was his most important project, taking over a decade to complete. Commissioned by the Library Syndicate in 1894, the catalogue was published in four volumes between 1900 and 1907. Even upon completion, Sayle's list was not final, as the rare book...

An erudite and popular librarian, Charles Edward Sayle (1864 1924) devoted his career to cataloguing and editing rare books in the University of Cambridge. His obituary praised him as 'a fine example of the type of man who likes to catalogue things in the right order'. This catalogue of incunabula and early printed books in the University Library was his most important project, taking over a decade to complete. Commissioned by the Library Syndicate in 1894, the catalogue was published in four volumes between 1900 and 1907. Even upon completion, Sayle's list was not final, as the rare book...

M. R. James (1862 1936) is probably best remembered as a writer of chilling ghost stories, but he was an outstanding scholar of medieval literature and palaeography, who served both as Provost of King's College, Cambridge, and as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum, and many of his stories reflect his academic background. His detailed descriptive catalogues of manuscripts owned by colleges, cathedrals and museums are still of value to scholars today. This volume, first published in 1895, contains James' catalogue of the manuscript holdings of Eton College, where he himself was educated. No...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

Cambridge University Library houses a vast and internationally important collection of manuscripts, from early medieval illustrated bibles to personal papers and administrative records of the university. These volumes, first published between 1856 and 1867, contain the first published catalogue of the manuscripts held by the University Library. Edited by Henry Richards Luard (1825 91), Registrary of the University, these volumes provide detailed descriptions of the manuscript collection of the University Library as it was in the mid-nineteenth century. Information on the appearance,...

At his death, George Spencer (1758 1834) had created the greatest private library in Europe. At the time, many aristocrats were spending huge sums acquiring rare printed books. With monastic and aristocratic libraries in Europe being dissolved, collectors had access to thousands of examples. The Second Earl Spencer's interests were in English 'black-letter' printing, especially the works of Caxton, and continental incunables, particularly first editions of Greek and Latin classics. Thomas Dibdin (1776 1847) was employed as Spencer's librarian and visited Europe searching for new acquisitions....