Business Correspondence of Smith, Elder, and Co., 1850-1908

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Smith, George (1824-1901)

Title:

Business Correspondence of Smith, Elder, and Co.

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/3r074v012

Dates:

1850-1908

Size:

1 box

Storage Note:

ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists, for the most part, of business correspondence of George Smith relating to the Cornhill Magazine, which he founded in 1859, and other publishing business of Smith, Elder, and Co., the London publishing firm.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists, for the most part, of business correspondence of George Smith relating to the Cornhill Magazine, which he founded in 1859, and other publishing business of Smith, Elder, and Co., the London publishing firm. Correspondents include Charles Allston Collins, Dutton Cook, James Hannay, William Gifford Palgrave, Russell Sturgis, Sir Henry Taylor, and Sir George Otto Trevelyan. In addition, there is a large folder of correspondence (1871-1874) with Edward Steinkopff and family, as well as one (1873-1874) with A. Donald Smith.

A group of 38 letters, the majority addressed to Reginald John Smith or Sir Leslie Stephen on similar literary business, were added more recently. Authors include Annie Besant, Egerton Castle, Percy Fitzgerald, Philip Bourke Marston, George Augustus Sala, and Halliwell Sutcliffe.

Collection Creator Biography:

Smith

The publishing firm of Smith, Elder, and Co. was founded by George Smith (1789–1846) and Alexander Elder (1790–1876). Upon the death of his father, George Smith (son) took control and under his stewardship, the company flourished. Its first major success was the publication of Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre in 1847, under the pseudonym of "Currer Bell." The firm is perhaps best known for publishing the first edition of the Dictionary of National Biography, widely popularized as the DNB.

Collection History

Acquisition:

George Smith correspondence was purchased in October 1975 .

Additional correspondence was purchased in March 2012 .

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

Folder inventory added by Nicholas Williams '2015 in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Open for research/

Conditions Governing Use

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Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

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