John Wild Autograph Collection, 1548-1904 (mostly 1800-1850)

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Collector:

Wild, John, d. 1855

Title:

John Wild Autograph Collection

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/g158bh32s

Dates:

1548-1904 (mostly 1800-1850)

Size:

2 boxes, 2 items, and 36 Volumes

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-2

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of over 2,000 autograph items of prominent English and European figures from the 16th to the mid-19th centuries compiled by the English collector John Wild.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of over 2,000 autograph items of prominent English and European figures--the great and near great, the noteworthy and notorious--from the 16th to the mid-19th centuries. Groups of individuals represented in the collection include writers, lawyers, actors and actresses, opera stars, naval and military heroes, explorers, artists, clergyman, politicians, doctors and medical researchers, and royalty. While the emphasis is on autographs of Englishmen/women, there is a good number of French manuscripts, particularly two volumes of items dating from the French Revolution and the First Empire. By far, the largest group of manuscripts (8 volumes) consists of correspondence from mainly English 19th-century artists and engravers.

Included are a letter (1550) by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to Pope Julius III against new Church policies; a document (1576) by Elizabeth I ordering from the Master of the Wardrobe various cloths, "two Greate hammers," and a large iron shovel; documents and letters by Louis XIV (1674-1715), Louis XV (1724), and Louis Philippe (1816); a document (1720) signed by Issac Newton; a letter (1779) of fatherly advice by George III to his son William IV; and three letters (1786-1792) by Lavoisier. There is one volume devoted to the letters of cardinals, ranging from 1550 to 1738.

Other notable names, by groups, include: artistic--Fielding, Reynolds, Turner; literary--Congreve, Goethe, Moore, Rousseau, Voltaire; military/naval--Bligh, Cook, Lafayette, Napoleon, Nelson, Wellington; theatrical--Booth, Kean, Siddons; and royal--Charles I, Charles II, Eugene of Savoy, Ferdinand I, George III, James I, James II, Sigismund II Augustus, and William III. In addition, the collection contains, bound with the manuscripts in a grangerized manner, numerous engravings, mezzotints, and other types of prints.

Volumes 16, 18, 31, 32, 33, and 42 do not exist. Volume 40 was disbound and can be found in Box 1. Box 2 contains related lists and photographs.

Arrangement

Each volume has a title, such as "Theatrical" or "Literary," that generally describes the area of its contents.

Collection Creator Biography:

Wild, John, d. 1855

John Wild, the English compiler of this collection, began collecting autographs shortly after the Napoleonic Wars and continued until his death in 1855.

Collection History

Acquisition:: John Wild, the English compiler of this collection, began collecting autographs shortly after the Napoleonic Wars and continued until his death in 1855. The collection remained in the possession of the family, passing in 1929 to R. N. Carew Hunt, Wild's great grandson, who published a book of letters selected from the volumes in 1930. Later acquired from an English dealer by Robert Taylor, Princeton Class of 1930, the collection was donated to Princeton in 1953, Mr. Taylor retaining for his own interest approximately 20 items.
Appraisal: Collection Revised LITMSS record 11/06/90

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single photocopies may be made for research purposes. No further photoduplication of copies of material in the collection can be made when Princeton University Library does not own the original. Inquiries regarding publishing material from the collection should be directed to RBSC Public Services staff through the Ask Us! form. The library has no information on the status of literary rights in the collection and researchers are responsible for determining any questions of copyright.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

Credit this material:

John Wild Autograph Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

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