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Collection Overview

Creator:
Wise, Thomas James, 1859-1937
Collector:
Princeton University. Library. Special Collections
Title:
Thomas James Wise Collection
Repository:
Manuscripts Division
Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/ww72bb56w
Dates:
1894-1932
Size:
1 box and 0.2 linear feet
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1
Language:
English

Abstract

Consists of selected correspondence of Thomas James Wise, the English bibliographer and noted forger of the early 20th century

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of selected correspondence of Thomas James Wise, the English bibliographer and noted forger of the early 20th century. The bulk of the correspondence consists of 29 letters of Wise sent to R. W. Chapman at Clarendon Press at Oxford, dating between 1923 and 1932. The letters primarily discuss the publishing of several of Wise's catalogues and bibliographies including a Catalogue of Printed Books, Manuscripts and Autograph Letters for the Ashley Library, A Bibliography of the Writings in Prose and Verse of Algernon Charles Swinburne, and A Swinburne Library. Of particular interest is Wise's recurrent mentioning of his acquisition of certain pamphlets and "older" or "variant editions" of authors' works which he offers to Chapman and others for examination. In several letters, Wise makes reference to the book collector George Charles Williamson, who became one of the biggest collectors of the Wise-Forman forgeries. Williamson had urged Chapman to write the introduction to Wise's Catalogue. Wise also occasionally mentions his forgery partner, H. Buxton Forman.

Other correspondence includes a letter to Edmund Gosse with suggestions regarding an introduction to a bibliography, with Gosse's autograph response on the verso, and a letter from Gosse, dated Dec. 22, 1913, about a 'revise' of "Gold Horns." Wise received letters from scholars asking about his work, and included here is a letter of thanks to a Mr. Alwin J. Schener, telling him that he is preparing a catalogue on Dryden, which is to be followed by another on Pope. In addition, there are two letters to William Michael Rossetti, one of which is about the Thackeray Society of which Wise was the secretary.

Collection Creator Biography:

Wise, Thomas James, 1859-1937

Thomas James Wise was an English bibliographer and book collector who also privately printed nearly 300 works of English authors, some of which were later exposed as forgeries.

Collection History

Acquisition:

29 letters to Chapman were purchased in October 1944 .

Edmund Gosse letters were purchased in December 1944 .

Letters to Rossetti were purchased on September 25, 1970 .

Letter to Alwin Schener was a gift from William H. Morris, Princeton Class of 1932, on May 29, 1987 . Various AM.

Custodial History

The collection was formed as a result of a Departmental practice of combining into one collection material of various accessions relating to a particular person, family, or subject.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Dina Britain on December 31, 2008. Finding aid written by Natalie Kim on February 13, 2009. Folder Inventory added by Hilde Creager (2015) in 2012.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

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:

Thomas James Wise Collection; Manuscripts Division, Department of Special Collections, Princeton University Library

Permanent URL:
http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/ww72bb56w
Location:
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
(609) 258-3184
Storage Note:
  • ReCAP (scarcpxm): Box 1