Wright C E and Ruth C Wright Editors (1 results)

cloth. Wanley, Humfrey (illustrator). 8vo. cloth. xcvi,208; (iv),209-518 pages. Two volumes. Very good condition. From the introduction: "Humfrey Wanley's Diary or Journal, here printed for the first time in its entirety, was kept by him while Library-Keeper in the service of Robert Harley . It records the visits of, or to, booksellers and dealers, and negotiations with them; lists of manuscripts and printed books offered for sale, purchased, or received by gift; conversations with various people about library business; the vists of scholars and others to the Library, either as students there or as sightseers, and so on. It is in fact a record of the day-to-day business of a working librarian and is in no sense, therefore, a diary such as Pepys's or Evelyn's: apart from occasional references to his healther, Wanley's allusions to personal affairs are few ." Wanley was librarian to the Harleys; the diary is a very interesting look at collecting and bookselling during the early 18th century. From the reference library of Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts with their bookplate included.