Post on 11-Apr-2017
La Femme Bibliophile
Female Book Collectors in An Age
of Bibliomania
Title page of The bibliomania : or, Book-madness; containing some account of the history, symptoms and cure of this fatal disease, in an epistle addressed to Richard Heber, esq. / By Thomas Frognall Dibdin, F.S.A. 1809. Source: http://digital.library.mcgill.ca/pwp/browse.php?p=001
"Bibliomania is the term of Art used for the particular phenomenon of the late 18th century to the early
19th in which very rich men spent unfeasibly large sums
of money on books which they had no interest in
reading“
Caroline Murray, ‘Bibliomania’, Cambridge Library Collection Blog,
2013
1775-1830 – The Age of Bibliomania
Portrait of Sophia Banks by Nathaniel Hone I Source: National Gallery of Ireland.
Male Collectors:• Formed homosocial
groups• Eroticised their books by
comparing them to women or binding them in
women’s clothing• Positioned books against
women
Women as collectorsFemale Collectors:• Were seen to collect
decoratively, sentimentally, not
understanding the true value of what they had• Had their collections
subsumed into the contents of the
household• Were excluded from
institutions and social groups
"The New Woman may develop into a genuine book-lover; it is certain
that the old one will not. The Chinese article of
belief that women have no souls has, after all,
something in its favour."
W. Roberts The Book Hunter in London
William Roberts – Foremost Expert on Female Collectors?
Front cover of The Book Hunter in London / by Williams Roberts 1895. Source: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/library/special/minor/hague/
"You think wrong!—I have as much soul as you,—and full as much heart!"
- Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre
The Femme Bibliophiles
Frances Mary Currer
Richardson (1785 -1861)
Portrait by John James Masquerier. 1807.
Source: North Craven Building Preservation
Trust.
Lady Frances Vernon Harcourt
(1805-1872)Portrait by Henry Collen. 1839.
Source: Artnet
Lady Sydney Morgan
(1778-1859)Portrait by René Théodore Berthon. Source: National Gallery of Ireland.
?Miss
MargaretBothwell
Drummond (1795-1862)
David Pearson’s Framework for Studying Private Libraries
ContentsAcquisition
Design and StorageMotivations
Destruction and Loss
Subject Percentage of Collection
Religion 3%Jurisprudence 1%Philosophy (Including Science)
9%
Arts 3%History (including Geography)
43%
Literature 41%
Physical Feature Number of Books
On Large Paper 75In Black Letter 3Proofs on Normal Paper
2
Proofs on India Paper 17Manuscripts 28
Language Make-Up of MBD's Collection
LatinFrenchEnglishSpanishItalianGermanChinesePersianArabicHindostani
Location Printed
Percentage
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Date Printed
Miss Margaret Bothwell Drummond (1795-1862)
Lady Frances Vernon Harcourt(1805-1872)Subject Percentage
of CollectionReligion 8%Jurisprudence 0%Philosophy (Including Science)
18%
Arts 12%History (including Geography)
44%
Literature 17%
Physical Feature Number of Books
On Large Paper 3In Black Letter 0Proofs on Normal Paper
0
Proofs on India Paper 4Manuscripts 0
Location Printed
Percentage
Non-Dated 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century0
10
20
30
40
5060
70
80
Date PrintedLanguage Make-Up of FVH's Collection
Latin
French
English
German
Italian
Dutch and Spanish
Lady Sydney Morgan 1778-1859Subject Percentage
of CollectionReligion 3%Jurisprudence 1%Philosophy (Including Science)
9%
Arts 3%History (including Geography)
43%
Literature 41%
Physical Feature Number of Books
On Large Paper 4In Black Letter 0Proofs on Normal Paper
0
Proofs on India Paper 1Manuscripts 1
Language Make-Up of SM's Collection
LatinFrenchEnglishGreekItalianGerman
Non-Dated 16th Century 17th Century 18th Century 19th Century0
1020304050607080
Date Printed
Location Printed
Percentage
"Oh the happy, splendid and spiritual hours I have
passed with this book in my hands-with Him beside me - and all that was sublime in nature and art around me. Alas, alas! &c. 1845, Sept.
3d.“
-- Annotation in Lady Morgan’s copy of Itinerario Istruttivo di Roma, 1819.
Lady Sydney Morgan 1778-1859
Frances Mary Richardson Currer1785-1861Subject Percentage
of CollectionReligion 14%Jurisprudence 2%Philosophy (Including Science)
8%
Arts 4%History (including Geography)
45%
Literature 28%
Physical Feature Number of Books
On Large Paper 301In Black Letter 84Proofs on Normal Paper
50
Proofs on India Paper 17Manuscripts 23
Language Make-Up of FMRC's Collection
LatinFrenchEnglishSpanishItalianOther
Non-Date
d
15th C
entur
y
16th C
entur
y
17th C
entur
y
18th C
entur
y
19th C
entur
y0
1020304050607080
Date Printed
Location Printed
Percentage
Frances Mary Richardson Currer1785-1861
Currer’s Bookplate. Source: http://anguslibraryandarchive.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/leading-female-book-collector.html
Lithograph of the Library at Eshton Hall. Source: A Catalogue of the Library Collected by Miss Richardson Currer at Eshton Hall / by Charles James Stewart and Frances Mary Richardson Currer. 1833.
Photos of the same room today. Source: http://www.rightmove.co.uk/property-for-sale/property-31438870.html> [Accessed 1st of July 2014].
• [regarding books in the Heber sale]"most valuable to many Bibliomaniacs, but not much in my style of books"
• "Moderate notoriety is by no means desirable for a woman" • [in response to Dibdin's request for her portrait for his
Reminiscences] "I don't doubt the Book will be an amusing one - and to have the Portraits of Gentlemen in it is very proper, but I don't think it would be pleasant for me to be in the Gallery - the only Lady- so very conspicuous!"
• " I must feel flattered by all you are pleased to say of me, though I am perfectly sincere when I tell you I had rather it had been less laudatory - I feel I don't deserve it & I fear others will be of the same opinion. The more Euphemia keeps her veil down, the better, or she may chance to be laughed at.“
• "with regard to me I have no objection to the dedication - I have only one request of matter & that is that as little may be said as possible - to do otherwise would only bring evidence to ill natured remarks upon me."
Frances Mary Richardson Currer1785-1861
What Did I Learn?
• Female book collectors of this period are interesting.
• Collect one thing, collect lots of things.
• The display’s the thing.• Family is important.• It’s not what you know, it’s
who.
Where do we go from here?
• Further research into the listed collectors
• Digitally reconstructing Currer’s library
• Subscription publishing• Book collecting amongst
more typical women
Questions?
lucysaintsmith@gmail.com@LucySaintSmith
Questions?
lucysaintsmith@gmail.com@LucySaintSmith
Questions?
lucysaintsmith@gmail.com@LucySaintSmith