Posted on Friday 29 June 2007
The eagerly anticipated John Murray Archive Exhibition is due to go on
show at the National Library of Scotland on Wednesday 27th June. It is
one of the mos
t significant single collections of papers on 19th century
literature that is available to the public. Their Rare Book Collections
staff already provide access to over one million books, some dating from
1455, and covering subjects ranging from witchcraft to the French
revolution.
The John Murray Archive, compiled by the seven generations of Murrays who ran the family-owned publishers, was recently bought by the library for £31m. It includes 150,000 pages of letters, manuscripts and documents from some of the most significant thinkers, scientists and writers of modern history. Charles Darwin, Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott and David Livingstone are just four of the famous historical figures whose stories will be showcased.
Amongst the documents on display will be a letter in which Darwin first put forward the idea for On the Origin of Species, and a drawing by David Livingstone as he camped in the rain on the southern edge of Lake Nyassa (now Lake Malawi). The innovative technology used in the exhibition will allow visitors to view transcripts of the letters, learn about their background and even e-mail a copy home to study at their leisure. The archive also holds 10, 000 Byron papers; sadly, in May 1824, a month after the poet’s death, Murray's innermost circle decided to destroy one of the most valuable entries of all: Byron's m
emoirs.
After a long debate they burnt it to preserve the poet's reputation, and
those of his lovers.
In addition to this, the stories of lesser known figures such as “The Queen of Science” Mary Somerville and 19th century “domestic goddess” Maria Rundell can be discovered through old documents and letters.
Michael Palin said “The John Murray Archive is a uniquely rich collection, bringing together travellers who were poets, politicians, scientists, missionaries, archaeologists and adventurers, who all share the gift of being able to write.”
t significant single collections of papers on 19th century
literature that is available to the public. Their Rare Book Collections
staff already provide access to over one million books, some dating from
1455, and covering subjects ranging from witchcraft to the French
revolution. The John Murray Archive, compiled by the seven generations of Murrays who ran the family-owned publishers, was recently bought by the library for £31m. It includes 150,000 pages of letters, manuscripts and documents from some of the most significant thinkers, scientists and writers of modern history. Charles Darwin, Lord Byron, Sir Walter Scott and David Livingstone are just four of the famous historical figures whose stories will be showcased.
Amongst the documents on display will be a letter in which Darwin first put forward the idea for On the Origin of Species, and a drawing by David Livingstone as he camped in the rain on the southern edge of Lake Nyassa (now Lake Malawi). The innovative technology used in the exhibition will allow visitors to view transcripts of the letters, learn about their background and even e-mail a copy home to study at their leisure. The archive also holds 10, 000 Byron papers; sadly, in May 1824, a month after the poet’s death, Murray's innermost circle decided to destroy one of the most valuable entries of all: Byron's m
emoirs.
After a long debate they burnt it to preserve the poet's reputation, and
those of his lovers.
In addition to this, the stories of lesser known figures such as “The Queen of Science” Mary Somerville and 19th century “domestic goddess” Maria Rundell can be discovered through old documents and letters.
Michael Palin said “The John Murray Archive is a uniquely rich collection, bringing together travellers who were poets, politicians, scientists, missionaries, archaeologists and adventurers, who all share the gift of being able to write.”