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MSS 644, Austin Dobson collection, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
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English poet, author, and civil servant (Henry) Austin Dobson (1840-1921) was one of several authors employed at the English Board of Trade in the latter half of the nineteenth century, in addition to Edmund Gosse (1849-1928), William Cosmo Monkhouse (1840-1901), and Samuel Waddington (1844-1923), who contributed to its description as a "nest of singing birds."
Dobson's tenure at the Board of Trade lasted from 1856 until his retirement in 1901, during which the majority of his work was conducted in the marine department; he was appointed a principal clerk in 1884. Dobson's literary career began in the 1860s with the publication of his poetry in various magazines, including Anthony Trollope's
Dobson ceased writing much new verse in the mid-1880s and turned his attention to prose work. Dobson was considered a leading authority on eighteenth-century literary and artistic figures such as Oliver Goldsmith, Horace Walpole, William Hogarth, and Henry Fielding. He authored volumes on Fielding, Hogarth, Samuel Richardson, and Goldsmith, and his reputation as a biographer and essayist led to his writing many prefaces and introductions to new volumes on these figures, as well as shorter entries for the
In 1868, Dobson married Frances Mary Beardmore (d. 1927), daughter of prominent engineer Nathaniel Beardmore (1816-1872), who also wrote children's fiction under the pen name Franc Mari. The couple had ten children, all of whom survived their father.
Austin Dobson's youngest son Alban Dobson (1885-1962) went on to manage his father's literary estate and authored several volumes on his father, including
Alban Dobson donated the majority of his personal collection of Austin Dobson's books and manuscripts to the University of London Library (now the Senate House Library) in 1946, to which significant portions of the collections of Christopher Dobson and other family members have been added. Alban Dobson published a catalog of the collection in 1960.
The Austin Dobson collection comprises approximately six linear feet plus oversize material of correspondence, manuscripts, proofs, contracts, royalty statements, artwork, photographs, wills, genealogies, periodicals, clippings, scrapbooks, copper plates, and printed ephemera. The collection documents the work and life of English author and civil servant (Henry) Austin Dobson (1840-1921) and the management of Dobson's estate and literary legacy by his youngest son, Alban Dobson (1885-1962) and his son, Christopher Dobson (1916-2005), primarily during the period between the author's death in 1921 and Alban Dobson's death in 1962.
Series I. comprises works by and possessions of Austin Dobson and includes incoming and outgoing correspondence; material related to the publication of Dobson's works; material compiled by Dobson for personal and professional reference; and artwork, photographs, and realia.
Series II. consists of material pertaining to the management of Austin Dobson's literary estate during his lifetime and his artistic legacy maintained by his son Alban and grandson Christopher Dobson. The series includes correspondence with publishers, contracts, royalty statements, and general material concerning Dobson's literary estate, including copyright information, general sales figures, and the division of Dobson's estate, beneficiaries of which acquired both physical property as well as publication rights to particular works.
Series III. comprises material pertaining to Alban Dobson (1885-1962), youngest son of Austin Dobson, who managed his father's literary estate and worked to preserve the author's legacy after his death. The series includes correspondence; material pertaining to works by Alban Dobson on his father; Alban Dobson's own library; and scrapbooks and clippings compiled by Alban Dobson.
Series IV. contains material related to other members of the Dobson family, including the wills of Austin Dobson's wife, Frances Mary Dobson (d. 1927), and Alban Dobson's wife, Katharine Jean Selby Dobson (d. 1936). Also included in this series is an extensive genealogy of the Dobson and Selby families compiled by Alban Dobson for his children, which traces the families to the eighteenth century. Later notes were added by Christopher Dobson.
The Austin Dobson collection includes a number of volumes from the libraries of various Dobson family members. The volumes have been removed and are cataloged within DELCAT. Series V. consists of loose items that were removed from several of the volumes. Material is arranged according to the title of the volume from which it was removed. Additional tipped-in material may also be found within many of the volumes and is noted in the inventory.
The Austin Dobson collection is very much a family effort. After his death, Austin Dobson's literary estate was managed and carefully cared for by his youngest son, Alban Dobson and by his grandson Christopher Dobson (1916-2005). Many notes in the hands of Alban and Christopher Dobson can be found throughout the collection and are often signed with their initials (ATAD and CSAD, respectively). Alban Dobson prepared an extensive genealogy of his and his wife's families for his children, which can be found in Series IV. The management of Austin Dobson's literary estate and the endurance of his legacy comprise a large part of the present collection, and includes correspondence with publishers, agreements, royalty statements, material pertaining to Austin Dobson's copyright, Alban Dobson's publications on his father and his work, and material pertaining to further projects and publications. Alban Dobson's bibliographic efforts to catalog not only his father's work but also his own library are present within the collection. The disbursement of Austin Dobson's estate also figures highly into the collection, and many of Dobson's relatives who acquired his effects are referred to by their initials (and are referred to as such in other instances, as well.) A list of Dobson's relatives most often referred to (with initials) follows:
Alban Dobson donated a majority of his personal collection of Austin Dobson's books and manuscripts to the University of London Library in 1946, which was contributed to over the years by his son Christopher Dobson and other family members.
The Austin Dobson collection includes a number of volumes from the libraries of Dobson family members. The volumes have been removed and are cataloged within DELCAT.
Series I. comprises works by and possessions of Austin Dobson and includes incoming and outgoing correspondence; material related to the publication of Dobson's works; material compiled by Dobson for personal and professional reference; and artwork, photographs, and realia.
Subseries I.A. contains Dobson’s correspondence and includes incoming and outgoing letters to members of his family, friends, and colleagues such as Edmund Gosse; Dobson’s relative Stuart Rendel, 1st Baron Rendel (1834-1913); and illustrator Hugh Thomson (1860-1920).
Envelope addressed to Alban Dobson dated 1967; includes an illustrated New Year's card and an invitation, both illustrated by Thomson; and a card from Dobson inviting Thomson to dine accompanied by an autograph poem.
Subseries I.B. comprises material related to the publication of Austin Dobson’s works, which appears in a variety of states of the publication process, including manuscripts, proofs, and printed tear sheets, many of which bear corrections in the author’s hand. Dobson’s prefaces and introductions to works by other authors appear under the title of the work they introduced. Works that did not materialize are also represented. Dobson was a frequent contributor to magazines and periodicals, and his essays and poems appeared in publications such as Anthony Trollope’s
Autograph manuscript bound in blue wrappers. Handwritten label by Alban Dobson identifies publication first in
Autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers of Dobson's entries for the Bewick family of engravers (Thomas Bewick, Jane Bewick, John Bewick and Robert E. Bewick) for the
Autograph manuscript fragments. Includes a handwritten note by Alban Dobson that describes the material as "odd scraps of manuscript matter" of
Consists of several hundred manuscript slips in Austin Dobson's hand cataloging the contents of his library. A 1952 note by Alban Dobson reads: "The attached sheets came to me under the will of the late Miss M[ildred] E[aton] Dobson (1952) and represent an attempt by Austin Dobson to prepare a catalogue of his own Library. Attached to the sheets is a proof of a page from the contemplated catalogue which never materialized. Also attached is a letter from the American collection C. B. Foote who was evidently good for 20 copies..." One of the page proofs is heavily corrected in Austin Dobson's hand.
Dobson's autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers. Introduction to Dobson's 1891 edition of Goldsmith's
Autograph manuscript of "Clery's Journal" bound in paper wrappers.
Revised and corrected typescript in Austin Dobson's hand.
Bound collection of manuscript materials pertaining to some of Dobson's work on Henry Fielding, including an autograph manuscript of Dobson's article on Fielding for Encyclopedia Britannica; Dobson's notes on the "Ryde" letter, an unsigned letter found at Fielding's home after his death; drafts of letters to American Fielding scholar F. S. Dickson.
3 letters from G. F. M. Fielding, great-great-grandson of Henry Fielding, along with Dobson's drafts of replies; also included are 2 letters from Fielding scholar G[ertrude]. M. Godden and Dobson's draft replies.
Dobson's autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers. Initially printed in the
Bound autograph manuscript.
Autograph manuscript of Dobson's introduction to the 1882 Kegan Paul and Trench edition of Gay's
Corrected offprint of Dobson's 1916 article on Henry Fielding and his publisher Andrew Millar, as well as letters to Dobson from W. A. Pollard and notes by Fielding scholar J. Paul de Castro. Also included is a 1953 note by Alban Dobson about the material.
Dobson's autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers; appeared in the
Bound autograph manuscript.
Dobson's autograph manuscript of his introduction to the 1907 Oxford World Classics edition of Scottish physician and essayist John Brown's
Consists of Dobson's autograph manuscript for the piece, a corrected galley proof in his hand, and a tear sheet of the piece from
Dobson's autograph manuscript for his article on poet John Gay's (1685-1732) entry in the
Autograph manuscript of Dobson's postscript to his article on English illustrator Kate Greenaway (1846-1901) that was published in
Autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers.
Incomplete autograph manuscript bound in blue paper wrappers.
Includes the printed poem in
Bound volume in full blue morocco from Edmund Gosse's library containing a variety of materials pertaining to Dobson's work on Fielding and his first biographer Arthur Murray. The volume contains Dobson's original working manuscript; Dobson's heavily corrected typescript; corrected galley proofs from
Bound volume of Dobson's corrected typescript; off-print heavily corrected by Dobson; and letters of appreciation. Correspondents include Arthur Waugh, Edmund Gosse, George Saintsbury, Henry Johnes Fielding, and G. M. Godden. Volume presented to Christopher Dobson from Alban Dobson in 1950. A note in the hand of Christopher Dobson concerning the binder, Mr. Riley, appears on the front paste paper.
Autograph manuscript. Encyclopedia entries for an unidentified series.
Autography manuscript for Dobson's entry on Goldsmith for the
Autograph manuscript of an incomplete essay that was never apparently published.
Autograph manuscript. Note written by Alban Dobson indicates the pieces was never apparently printed.
Corrected typescript with autograph insert. First printed in the
Two manuscripts bound in blue paper. One is an incomplete autograph manuscript of Dobson's essay in his hand; the other is a autograph manuscript in the hands of Dobson's colleague from the Board of Trade R. J. Lister and his daughter, Dorothy de Brissac Dobson. Corrections appear in Austin Dobson's hand. The piece appeared in
Autograph manuscript in Dobson's hand. First appeared in
Note by Alban Dobson reads: "Single sheets of m.s.s. / impossible to piece together/ probably duplicates."
Autograph manuscript of Dobson's essay on French astronomer Nicolas-Claude Fabri de Peiresc (1580-1637). First appeared in
Autograph manuscript of Dobson's preface to Elliot Stock's 1885 two-volume edition of
Autograph manuscript of Dobson's article which first appeared in
Includes page proofs for Dobson's poems "A Fable in the Manner of Mr. Swift" and "A Fable in the Manner of Mr. John Gay."
Special May Week number. Contains contributions by Dobson, Andrew Lang, Edmund Gosse, and A. C. Benson. Preserved stitched into a custom-made half-vellum binding. Item not in the University of London collection.
Includes the serialization of Oliver Goldsmith's "The Deserted Village" illustrated by E.A. Abbey with a preface by Dobson.
Bound volume of clippings of Dobson's contributions from
Includes page proofs of Dobson's "A Mariner of France."
Includes a note in the hand of Cyril Dobson.
Bound volume containing tear sheets and clippings of Dobson's poetry from
Bound volume containing tear sheets and clippings of Dobson's poetry from twelve periodicals, including
A list of Dobson's poetry published in various magazines between 1864 and 1878 that were, "for the most part," reprinted in his two collections
Subseries I.C. comprises personal and reference material compiled by Dobson and includes address books, a commonplace book, a scrapbook Dobson compiled of material relating to English author and politician Horace Walpole (1717-1797) and Strawberry Hill Press, articles on Richard Steele and Jonathan Swift, and two issues of
Notebook containing variety of clippings relating to Dobson's friends and contemporaries, a handwritten list of references and quotations on a variety of topics of interest to Dobson. Also includes a silver gelatin print of Dobson. The volume is only partially filled.
Includes addresses for Dobson's friends, family and colleagues, including Edwin Abbey, C.B. Foote, Bernard Partridge, Edmund Gosse, and Cosmo Monkhouse.
Includes addresses for Dobson's friends, family and colleagues, including Hugh Thomson, Samuel Waddington, George du Maurier (1834-1896), who illustrated
Half title of John Nichols's 1782
Notebook containing copied quotations and clippings.
Original issue of
Bound volume of articles on Sir Richard Steele and Jonathan Swift from various periodicals; table of contents appears at front of volume in Dobson's hand.
Album of material compiled by Dobson pertaining to Horace Walpole and his Strawberry Press; includes clippings from newspapers and auction catalogs concerning Walpole's library and Strawberry Press publications, as well as a number of cut illustrations. Also included is an article by Dobson from
Subseries I.D. comprises artwork by Dobson himself and by others illustrating his publications; photographic and artistic renderings of Dobson and his family; and related realia. From 1861 to 1864, Dobson studied art at the South Kensington Schools (Royal College of Art); while he did not pursue a career as an artist, turning instead to literature, evidence of his talent as an artist is apparent in the collection. Included are several of his sketches, a sketchbook, and a medal of achievement awarded during his studies. Material used to illustrate Dobson’s publications include several original pen and ink drawings by illustrator Bernard Partridge and silhouettes by Hugh Thomson. Representations of Dobson himself and his family in the form of etchings, drawings, photographs and other media are also included in the series. Material pertaining to Dobson’s two bookplates designed by Edwin Abbey and Alfred Parsons include printing blocks for each in various sizes, as well as framed prints of each
3 silhouettes created by Dobson's friend and colleague, illustrator Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), none of which, according to inscriptions that appear on the verso of each piece in the hand of Alban Dobson, appeared in the volume.
Original ink sketch of "And no one dreams of perfidy" by Bernard Partridge for Dobson's
Original pen, ink and white wash sketch by Bernard Partridge for the poem "The Ballad à la Mode" in Dobson's
Original pen, ink and white wash sketch by Bernard Partridge for the poem "The Metamorphosis I" in Dobson's
Paper wrappers for Dobson works featuring illustrations by Hugh Thomson. Includes rare wrappers for
Dobson's sketchbook from his time studying art at South Kensington in the 1860s. Christopher Dobson's notes within the sketchbook identify several pieces of particular interest, including a self-portrait of Dobson at age 23 and portraits of Cosmo Monkhouse and another man, likely Austin Dobson's father, civil engineer George Clarisse Dobson.
Approximately 24 leaves of ink and pencil sketches by Dobson on tracing paper dating from his time as an art student.
Pencil and ink sketches by Dobson on paper; a variety of subjects are represented from landscapes to portraits.
Pen, ink and wash sketch for "Prosperity" by Dion Boucicault. According to note on verso of frame in the hand of Christopher Dobson, rare work by Dobson done during his time as an art student, circa 1863.
Includes original photographs, a silhouette, and photographs of Dobson reproduced from magazine publications. Portraits are mostly of Dobson as an older man, during the period in which he resided at Ealing, and include his last portrait taken in the spring of 1921, shortly before his death. Also includes a portrait of Dobson as a young man, perhaps in his twenties.
Portfolio that housed the above Dobson portraits. Note on front cover in Alban Dobson's hand reads: "Austin Dobson Miscellaneous Portraits."
Pencil portrait of Dobson signed by an unidentified artist with the initials "J.C."
Plaster bas-relief of Dobson in profile by M. Laffin. Framed and glazed.
Pen and ink cartoon of Dobson seated as his desk titled "The Distressed Poet" by American illustrator Edwin A. Abbey (1852-1911).
Photograph of Dobson in his library at Ealing. Framed and glazed.
Photo-engraving by English engraver and printer Emery Walker (1851-1933) after Frank Brangwyn's (1867-1956) portrait of Dobson. Signed by Dobson on the mount. Framed and glazed.
Pencil portrait of Dobson with chalk and watercolor. Signed by Caffyn and Dobson on the mount.
Etching of Dobson in profile by Scottish painter and engraver William Strang (1859-1921).
25 glass plate negatives of Dobson, his family and home. Housed in a wooden box within a large, tooled leather box bearing the name of Dobson's father-in-law, Nathaniel Beardmore. An index, possibly in the hand of Dorothy de Brissac Dobson, of nearly fifty plates accompanies the existing plates; however, several entries in the index are crossed out or marked as "destroyed."
Two original copper plates of illustrations after English painter and engraver Thomas Stothard (1755-1934) for British publisher and editor T. (Thomas) Cadell (1742-1802).
Metal printing block of an unidentified Dobson poem.
3 stereotypes for Dobson's bookplate designed by Edwin Abbey.
1 stereotype for Dobson's bookplate designed by English artist Alfred Parsons (1847-1920).
Framed examples of Dobson's Parsons and Abbey bookplates.
Bookplate of book collector Paul Lemperly (1858-1939) inscribed to Dobson from Lemperly. Dated August 16, 1894.
Photo-reproduction of an unidentified work by American artist F.D. (Francis David) Millet (1846-1912), who died with the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. Mounted on board, presented to Dobson, signed by Millet.
Medal awarded to Dobson for his achievement in his studies of art at the South Kensington Schools. Includes original morocco case.
Series II. consists of material pertaining to the management of Austin Dobson's literary estate during his lifetime and his artistic legacy maintained by his son Alban and grandson Christopher Dobson. The series includes correspondence with publishers, contracts, royalty statements, and general material concerning Dobson's literary estate, including copyright information, general sales figures, and the division of Dobson's estate, beneficiaries of which acquired both physical property as well as publication rights to particular works.
Includes correspondence concerning Austin Dobson's estate after the passing of Alban Dobson in 1962.
Agreement regarding several volumes of Dobson's poetry.
Agreement regarding several volumes of Dobson's prose works.
Copy of Dobson's 1905 will. Sections concerning literary estate identified by Alban Dobson.
Catalog owned by Austin Dobson's daughter, Margaret Bernard Dobson (MBD); annotated in her hand throughout regarding reserve prices, and in several instances, who among the family acquired the item. Also included is a 2001 annotation that Christopher Dobson acquired an item that had originally been purchased by his father in this sale.
Includes note by Alban Dobson about reserve prices; the catalog is annotated with reserve prices for items, and in many cases, who among the family acquired the item.
Section of a Sotheby's catalog listing the Austin Dobson collection of Dobson's first bibliographer, F.E. (Francis Edwin) Murray. Annotated with prices throughout.
Handwritten list of, according to a note by Christopher Dobson, "letters etc. to Austin Dobson 1867-1901, which were mounted and bound in two volumes. Those were sold to London University Library by Kenneth Dobson in the 1970s."
Catalog of the Ealing Public Libraries' Austin Dobson Collection donated by the Dobson family.
This series comprises material composed and/or compiled by Alban Dobson and includes correspondence, manuscripts, published material, scrapbooks and clippings. Material pertaining to Christopher Dobson can also be found in this series.
Subseries III.A. contains mostly incoming correspondence to Alban Dobson. Like his father, Alban Dobson enjoyed a successful career as a civil servant, and the series includes correspondence pertaining to his career in the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, in addition to that with scholars and his father’s friends and colleagues on matters pertaining to the work and effects of Austin Dobson. Included is correspondence from Yale University Librarian and Dobson collector Fritz Liebert with Christopher Dobson.
Letter to Alban Dobson from his sister Margaret concerning J.K. Robinson.
Yale University Librarian Herman "Fritz" Liebert (1911-1994) was a collector of Austin Dobson's publications and manuscripts; Liebert and Alban Dobson maintained a correspondence for several years, and they began work on a bibliography of Alban Dobson's gift to the University of London Library. The project never materialized. The letters document the relationship between Liebert and Alban Dobson and the project's demise.
Liebert's letter to Christopher Dobson mentions the state of Austin Dobson's copyright and royalties. Also included is a letter to J. Lees West, an Austin Dobson scholar, and a copy of Liebert's address "The British Look at America in the Age of Samuel Johnson" inscribed to Christopher Dobson.
Correspondence concerning Robinson's proposed study of Austin Dobson; the letters detail matters concerning Austin Dobson's manuscripts and his articles published in periodicals.
Letters from British literary scholar and historian George Saintsbury (1845-1933) on the work on Austin Dobson.
Letters from British art critic, editor, and author M. H. (Marion Harry) Spielmann.
Also includes two letters from Hugh and Jessie Thomson's son, John Thomson.
Bound volume with incoming letters to Alban Dobson pasted-in. The first volume includes items from Alban Dobson's school days and condolence letters on the death of his father in 1921. The volume also documents Alban Dobson's career in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and work on the Land Drainage Bill, on which he published a commentary in 1930. He was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in 1931; Fisheries Secretary in 1938; and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1939. Correspondents include George Saintsbury, Huge Walpole, Leonard Huxley, Clement Shorter, Thomas Wise, Alfred Noyes, Arthur M. Hind, and Bernard Partridge. Of note is a 1905 receipt from cricketer W. G. Grace. Some annotations identifying the correspondent are interspersed throughout the volume.
Bound volume with incoming letters to Alban Dobson pasted-in. The second volume is more focused on Alban Dobson’s career in the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and his various appointments. Material includes letters of congratulations on various appointments, invitations, clippings, and a photograph. Correspondents include members of the British nobility and other dignitaries, colleagues, and friends of Alban Dobson. Some annotations identifying the correspondent are interspersed throughout the volume.
Subseries III.B. includes material related to Alban Dobson’s published and unpublished work on his father, most of which are of a bibliographic nature. Alban Dobson donated a large part of the family collection to the University of London Library in 1946 and published an extensive catalog of the gift in 1960. This subseries represents the efforts of Christopher and Alban Dobson to preserve Austin Dobson’s work and contributions to poetry and eighteenth-century studies. Also included are manuscripts of talks on Austin Dobson delivered by Alban Dobson and by his son, Christopher Dobson. The material includes manuscripts, periodicals and published works, clippings, and correspondence pertaining to particular works; in some cases, such as with
Typescript of proposed bibliography project on Austin Dobson with Yale University librarian and collector of Dobson, Fritz Liebert. Cyril Dobson's copy. Includes a 1953 note from Alban Dobson to his brother about the project, which never materialized. See Alban Dobson's correspondence with Fritz Liebert.
Bound presentation copy of
Mimeographed sheet for a program of presentations of Austin Dobson's poetry, including a reading by Alban Dobson.
Notebook containing Alban Dobson's notes on his father's manuscripts and books, detailing various dispersals and gifts after the author's death. Includes later notes by Christopher Dobson regarding placement of items at the University of London Library.
Autograph manuscript of a talk delivered by Alban Dobson on his father at Yale in 1953; see also Alban Dobson's correspondence with Fritz Liebert.
Bound volume of pasted-in reviews, clippings, and letters pertaining to
Article by Alban Dobson that appeared in the September 1924 issue of
Christopher Dobson's annotated copy marked with items in his own collection
Alban Dobson's own copy of his catalog interleaved throughout with blank leaves on which appear a number of notes and additions to the bibliography. Tipped-in are a number of letters from recipients of his catalog thanking him for the gift. The catalog is bound with pasted-in and copied contemporary reviews. Also bears Alban Dobson's bookplate. Correspondents include Alec Waugh, historian Robert Blake, and Dobson's sisters, Dorothy and Margaret.
Handwritten and typed amendments for items added to the University of London Library collection after the publication of the catalog. Also includes a handwritten copy (in Alban Dobson's hand) of an "extract of an undated [possibly 1881] letter from W.E. Healey" to Austin Dobson and a 1961 letter to Alban Dobson from his niece Rosemary that details her own Austin Dobson collection
Manuscript compiled by Alban Dobson beginning October 31, 1952, which accounts for the poems of Austin Dobson that were not included in the author's
Autograph manuscript with corrections of a talk given by Christopher Dobson on his grandfather
Subseries III.C. contains records of Alban Dobson’s library, of which he kept meticulous records.
Manuscript catalog of Alban Dobson's very large collection of Austin Dobson works, part of which was donated to the University of London Library. Compilation began in 1932, additions were made up until 1956.
Includes notes in the hand of Christopher Dobson.
Subseries III.D. includes scrapbooks and clippings on the life and works of Austin Dobson collected by his son. The scrapbooks contain a variety of material, including obituaries of Austin Dobson and other family members, tear sheets of the author’s published prose and poetry, invitations, programs, and other ephemera, as well as a further note on the disbursement of Austin Dobson’s estate.
100 page-scrapbook containing clippings of Austin Dobson's obituary, articles about him and the dispersal of his library after his death in 1921, reviews of Alban Dobson's bibliography of his father, and considerations of the author's work. Also included is the printed program from Dobson's funeral service at St. Peter's Church, Ealing, on September 6, 1921, and obituaries of Augusta Mary Dobson, Alban Dobson's sister, who died in 1923.
Loose materials removed include reviews of Dobson editions printed after the author's death, reviews of works by Alban Dobson on his father, and an undated handwritten copy of Dobson's poem "Half-Mast-High," possibly in the hand of Alban Dobson.
Scrapbook containing clippings of magazine and newspaper appreciations of Dobson after his death in 1921
Includes a variety of loose material removed from Austin Dobson scrapbook, including a 1971 letter to Christopher Dobson about his grandfather, letters, programs, handwritten notes, typescripts, program from Austin Dobson's funeral, and a prospectus and order form for
Features article on Dobson and presentation plate portrait insert.
Two issues of
Clippings and tear sheets of Dobson's works from various magazines.
Frances Mary Dobson wrote children's stories under the pen name Franc Mari; included are tear sheets of some of her published pieces and clippings of her 1927 obituary.
Clippings of obituaries for Austin Dobson's son, Bernard Henry Dobson (1881-1945), and Austin Dobson's brother, James Murray Dobson (1847-1924).
Typed list of select items in Austin Dobson's library prepared by Alban Dobson; the document concerns the disposition of Dobson's collection to be sold at auction.
Clippings and tear sheets of reviews of and articles about Dobson's work, public appearances, and performances of his works from a variety of newspapers and magazines. Also includes an article by J. K. Robinson inscribed to Alban Dobson
Consists of material pertaining to other members of the Dobson family and includes wills and an extensive genealogy compiled by Alban Dobson for his children.
Probate will and invoice for memorial for Katherine Dobson (d. 1936), wife of Alban Dobson. Removals to SPEC MSS oversize boxes (18 inches).
Extensive manuscript genealogical record of the Dobson and Selby families initially compiled by Alban Dobson for his children; annotated and later updated by Christopher Dobson. Includes clippings, photo reproductions, and signatures of family members clipped from documents.
Includes a partial family tree created by Alban Dobson, funeral cards for Alban Dobson's parents and siblings, additional notes on the family history, and letters.
The Austin Dobson collection includes a number of volumes and publications from the libraries of Dobson family members. The volumes have been removed and are cataloged within DELCAT; several loose items that were laid-into the volumes have been removed and can be found in this series. Material is arranged according the volume from which it was removed, and detailed description of the volume is included. Additional tipped-in material may also be found within several volumes and is noted. Corrected editions and bound proof sheets can also be found among the cataloged items.
Copy belonging to Dobson's colleague at the Board of Trade, R. E. Martyr. Included are a 1921 letter from Alban Dobson to Martyr informing of his father's poor state of health, a portrait of Dobson, and a 1904 clipping referring to the controversy over Austin Dobson's 1902 pension, to which other letters tipped-into the volume to Martyr refer. Also tipped-in the volume are a letter from Edmund Gosse to Martyr, a fair copy of Dobson's poem "To Laurence Hutton with a Volume of Verse," and a 1922 letter to Martyr from Alban Dobson.
This copy includes pages heavily corrected by Dobson in preparation for the edition of 1889 uniform with
Volume bound together with letters of thanks from recipients thanking Alban Dobson for the gift. Items removed include a letter from Alban Dobson to his daughter. An accompanying note from Christopher Dobson explains the nature of the calendar. Correspondents of tipped-in material include Arthur Waugh, Clement Shorter, and M.H. Spielmann. Also tipped-in is an autograph poem by Dobson, three verses in length, inscribed "To Ethel," dated 1876.
Verse printed in a limited run; this copy one of possibly three printed on Japanese vellum. Accompanied by an 1897 letter from Austin Dobson to Lord Crewe presenting the item and asking his help in forwarding a copy to Queen Victoria which the Professor of Poetry at Oxford considered should be done. Another letter written on behalf of Lady Crewe returns the item to Christopher Dobson years later. [University of London Collection I.34 (2)]
See first edition, first printing, which was annotated by Dobson for this second impression. Included is a clipping of a review of the volume. This volume is dedicated to Dobson's daughter, Dorothy. An early draft of Dobson's prefatory verse appears in his hand in the volume.
Edmund Gosse's copy with fourteen autograph poems by Dobson bound into the volume, consisting of fair copies of the printed text, though several bear minor corrections, mainly to their titles. Also tipped-in is an autograph letter from Dobson to Gosse on literary matters dated 1917. Removed items include a subscription list and a letter to Alban? Dobson. [University of London Collection I.42]
Autograph letter signed from Dobson to his colleague from the Board of Trade, Secretary R. E. Martyr. An undated letter on Board of Trade stationery remains tipped-in in the volume. [University of London Collection I.4 (2)]
Typescript poem titled "Hymn Written by Austin Dobson for Maud Rendel's wedding to Henry Gladstone on January 30th, 1890." Maud Rendel was the daughter of Stuart Rendel, one of Dobson's relatives. [University of London Collection I.35 (9)]
One of only 13 copies printed on hand-made paper. Includes a note by Alban Dobson explains that each of these copies includes Dobson's autograph, his bookplate, and an extra illustration after a drawing by the late G. H. Broughton for the poem "Love in Winter." The verso of Alban Dobson's note lists the recipients of the 13 volumes.
Includes a letter from Dobson to his daughter Dorothy referring to a work that has not been well received by the critics. Dobson ends the letter "from your failure of a father." On the second page is a four-verse poem written on the occasion of the Shakespeare tercentenary. Also included is a brief typescript "Dedicated to Lissant in 'By leafy Ways' " dated 1889. Lissant was Dobson's daughter, Grace. Tipped-in material in the volume includes an autograph poem by Dobson evidently written to the illustrator G. H. Broughton asking him in a jocular way where the promised drawing of a girl was.
Family copy from Christopher Dobson's collection. Includes a postcard of the Terrace Gardens, Richmond, annotated by Austin Dobson "With Dorothy 10.viii. '10"; a clipping of a Dobson poem, and a library catalog card annotated in the hand of Christopher Dobson.
Dobson's own copy presented to him by his publisher Andrew Chatto. Included are several letters from readers raising points in the text, as well as a letter from Walter Besant, the dedicatee of the book. Also included are tear sheets of advertisements for the volume, plates, and silver gelatin prints of Deville House, a center of intellectual life in eighteenth-century Dublin. [University of London Collection I.28 (2)]
Volume contains Dobson's essays which later form his book
Letter to Dobson from American reader J. C. L. Clark raising certain points addressed in the work. The volume is heavily corrected throughout by Dobson and also contains related clippings affixed to the endpapers. [University of London Collection I.10 (1)]
Letter from Dobson to publisher John Lane concerning a projected volume on Fielding.
This copy includes a note by Dobson referring to an original sketch by illustrator G. H. (George Henry) Broughton (1833-1905) appearing on page 109. This sketch decorates the poem "Love in Winter," and shows a young woman in a snowy landscape. The image became an important one for Dobson and was used by him in other publications, notable for the Austin Dobson calendar. Included here is an autograph letter to Dobson from Broughton in which Broughton offered to illustrate another copy of the book for Dobson.
Dobson's own copy. Includes autograph letters to Dobson from W. J. Prideaux and W. J. Courthope and Gosse. Related clippings tipped-into the volume. [University of London Collection I.39 (2)]
India paper edition. Alban Dobson's copy with his note regarding this copy as an "amended copy in which corrections have been entered from time to time, for insertion in the next edition." Included are a letter from Godspeed's Bookshop and several errata slips.
One of 175 large paper copies . Inscribed from Alban Dobson to his son Christopher.
Two autograph letters from illustrator Bernard Partridge to Dobson discussing his illustrations for the volume.
A program for a performance of Proverbs in Porcelain starring Jean Sterling Mackinlay (1882-1958) and Harcourt Williams (1880-1957) at Steinway Hall.
Original pen and ink sketch by Partridge for the poem "Good Night Babette." The verso also bears preliminary pencil sketches. Also tipped-in to the volume is another preliminary sketch by Partridge for the epilogue.
Dobson's presentation copy to his wife. Included are a clipping and an 1899 autograph card to Dobson from R. J. S. Ketchley.
Includes notes by Dobson, clippings, and correspondence from readers. Other clippings and letters tipped-into the volume. [University of London Collection I.43 (1)]
Mock-up of a title page for a projected second series of
Heavily corrected copy lacking title page and introduction. A note by Austin Dobson dated 1902 reads: "To Messrs. Heinemann. This corrected 'copy' must be carefully preserved, as it will be required in the event of any reissue of the Book in this form." Includes a 1999 postcard to Christopher Dobson.
Dobson's own copy with over 37 autograph letters to Dobson concerning various points raised in the volume; also includes several of Dobson's handwritten drafts to his correspondents. Correspondents include art historian and critic Arthur M. Hind (1880-1957); journalist and critic Clement Shorter; and Henry Johnes Fielding. Also includes related clippings. Other letters remain tipped-into the volume. [University of London Collection 1.21 (10)]
Facsimile reprint of the 1719 first edition. Includes two letters to Dobson from a reader, Thomas E. Jones. [University of London Collection III.7]
Presentation copy from Alban Dobson dated Christmas 1932 to Ruth and Roy Truscott. Removed items include items in Austin Dobson's hand, a card to his daughter Grace, an autograph poem, a folding diagram of the Union Jack with a note on how the design was reached, a facsimile of a Kate Greenaway drawing, and printed advertisements for
One of the six unique "advance copies" with the letter "E" in F.E.C. on the spine mistakenly printed as an "&." Includes a note by Alban Dobson describing the printing mishap, clippings of reviews, and letters from A. A. Symons of the First Editions Club, in one of which Symons confirms the location of the six copies. [University of London Collection V.39 (2)]
Alban Dobson's own copy, specially interleaved with blank pages for his own notes and additions. Items include Alban Dobson's notes and a letter from F. E. Murray, Austin Dobson's first bibliographer, and notes by Alban Dobson addressing later additions to the bibliography. Tipped-in is Edmund Gosse's original autograph manuscript of his preface as well as a letter from Gosse thanking Alban Dobson for his "delightful" bibliography. Also tipped-in is a 1922 letter from Thomas Wise praising the work.
One of Alban Dobson's working copies, with the misprint corrected. Presentation copy to Christopher Dobson from his father. Includes a letter from Alban Dobson to "Charles."
Dobson's autograph copy with his pencil notations throughout the introduction. Items laid in include four autograph letters and an index card listing the item in Christopher Dobson's hand; see Series I.B. Works by Austin Dobson, Box 6, F22, for other catalog entries created by Austin Dobson of his library. Correspondents include: James Bain, William Hunt, A. Baron, and Charles Jacobi of the Chiswick Press.
Presentation copy signed by the author. Includes 9 draft letters from Dobson to Godden and one tipped-into the volume, all concerning Fielding and her volume.
Austin Dobson's own copy with his Edwin Abbey bookplate. The volume is signed by both Dobson and illustrator Hugh Thomson. Clipping of a listing for the volume, a receipt from Macmillan to Dobson, and several of Thomson's plates. [University of London Collection III.6 (2)]
From the library of Alban Dobson, bearing his bookplate and signature. Includes a 1909 letter to Austin Dobson from Hugh Thomson which features some original sketches illustrating the letter and a 1932 letter from Thomson's son John to Alban Dobson.
Rare privately printed issue with poems selected by Austin Dobson. Items removed from the volume include an autograph poem in the hand of Dobson dated 1874 titled "A London Lyric (not in the seventh edition)" and another autograph poem on Rowfant Club stationery by Locker-Lampson titled "Lines Written under a Picture of Mrs. Langton[?]." The manuscript is identified as unpublished.
One of 127 copies printed on Japanese vellum in original limp vellum slipcase. Includes draft of a letter from Dobson to Locker-Lampson's son mentioning the Rowfant Club, Edmund Gosse, and declining an invitation owing to his deteriorating health.
Draft of a letter from Dobson to Noyes and Noyes's reply concerning Dobson's encouragement of the young poet and his first volume. A letter from Noyes tipped-into the volume presents Dobson with the book.
Presentation copy to Austin Dobson from Waugh signed 1915. Includes two letters from Waugh to Austin Dobson and one 1943 letter from Waugh's wife Catherine to one of Dobson's daughters (unidentified) after the author's death.