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Samuel Johnson and His Circle: Approximately 200 first and early editions by and about the 18th c. author and critic Samuel Johnson and members of his circle including the first edition, first issue of Johnson's Rasselas (1759), the first collected edition of The Rambler (1751-1752), the first edition of Boswell's The Life of Samuel Johnson (1791), as well as works by Hester Thrale Piozzi and David Garrick, and about fifty books from the library of Hester Maria Thrale.
Eighteenth-Century British Drama: This collection of approximately 100 titles includes works by Isaac Bickerstaffe, Colley Cibber, George Colman, George Colman the elder, Richard Cumberland, Henry Fielding, David Garrick, Elizabeth Inchbald, and Richard Brinsley Sheridan, with special strength in the works of Samuel Foote.
Published works are represented in the Library catalog; search by author and/or title. Holdings are especially strong for Dickens, Kipling, Ruskin, Tennyson, Thackeray, and Thoreau. Also of note are: 19th Century British and American children’s literature collection, local imprints, publishers’ bindings, and literary periodicals, annuals, and gift books – many in full or long runs.
Sydney Ross Collection of John Ruskin (University of Rochester): Extensive collection of more than 400 volumes of first and early editions by Ruskin. Search for “Sydney Ross Collection of John Ruskin (University of Rochester)” or ZZ6070
Rowland L. Collins Tennyson Collection (University of Rochester): Extensive collection of more than 450 volumes of first and early editions, many illustrated, by Tennyson. Search for “Rowland L. Collins Tennyson Collection (University of Rochester)” or ZZ6062
Raymond R. Borst Collection of Henry David Thoreau: Extensive collection of more than 500 volumes of first and early editions by and about Thoreau, including the first 16 and numerous other important editions of Walden (1854). Search for “Raymond R. Borst Collection of Henry David Thoreau”
Tauchnitz Collection: The Tauchnitz family were German printers and publishers who published English language literature for distribution on the European continent. Search for Tauchnitz Collection (University of Rochester) or ZZ6030
Published works are represented in the Library catalog; search by author and/or title. Holdings are especially strong for authors of whom we hold manuscript collections, including Gardner, Williams, Exley, Mangione, Plutzik, and Zimmer. Also of note are 20th Century American children’s literature titles, especially those related to social issues such as gender, etiquette, ethnicity, and race. We also have a strong collection of material by local authors and publishers, including BOA Editions.
