Smith, Elder, and Co. Records, 1850-1923

Collection Number: 11038

Collection Title: Smith, Elder, and Co. Records, 1850-1923

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held in the Wilson Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in our reading room, and not digitally available through the World Wide Web. See the Duplication Policy section for more information.

Expand/collapse Collection Overview

Size	0.5 feet of linear shelf space (approximately 67 items)
Abstract	The collection contains autograph letters from the files of the London publishing firm of Smith, Elder, and Co. Letters are from writers and artists chiefly to George Smith (1824-1901); his mother, Elizabeth Murray Smith (1797-1878); or his wife, Elizabeth Blakeway Smith. The subject matter is, with a few exceptions, social in nature. Correspondents include Robert Browning (three letters); Wilkie Collins (two); Charles Dickens (one); Arthur Conan Doyle (one); Thomas Hardy (one); Leigh Hunt (one); Henry James (one); Florence Nightingale (one); John Ruskin (one); John James Ruskin (father of John Ruskin), concerning financial arrangements of John Ruskin (three); Alfred Tennyson (one); Leigh Hunt (one); and Frederick William Burton (1816-1900) (eight).
Creator	Smith, Elder, and Co.
Curatorial Unit	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Library. Rare Book Literary and Historical Papers.
Language	English

Expand/collapse Information For Users

Restrictions to Access: No restrictions. Open for research.

Copyright Notice: Copyright is retained by the authors of items in these papers, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law.

Preferred Citation: [Identification of item], in the Smith, Elder, and Co. Records #11038, Rare Book Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Acquisitions Information: Purchased from Christie's, through Bertram Rota, Ltd., 29 May 1986.

Sensitive Materials Statement: Manuscript collections and archival records may contain materials with sensitive or confidential information that is protected under federal or state right to privacy laws and regulations, the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C.G.S. § 132 1 et seq.), and Article 7 of the North Carolina State Personnel Act (Privacy of State Employee Personnel Records, N.C.G.S. § 126-22 et seq.). Researchers are advised that the disclosure of certain information pertaining to identifiable living individuals represented in this collection without the consent of those individuals may have legal ramifications (e.g., a cause of action under common law for invasion of privacy may arise if facts concerning an individual's private life are published that would be deemed highly offensive to a reasonable person) for which the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill assumes no responsibility.

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Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom, September 1986

Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008

Expand/collapse Subject Headings

The following terms from Library of Congress Subject Headings suggest topics, persons, geography, etc. interspersed through the entire collection; the terms do not usually represent discrete and easily identifiable portions of the collection--such as folders or items.

Clicking on a subject heading below will take you into the University Library's online catalog.

Expand/collapse Related Collections

File copies of Smith, Elder publications, currently housed with John Murray Collection in Rare Books.

Expand/collapse Biographical Information

The publishing firm of Smith, Elder, and Co. was founded in 1816 by George Smith (1789-1846) in partnership with Alexander Elder. In 1843, Smith's son, George Smith (1824-1901), took over much of the firm's operations, and, upon the death of his father in 1846, became sole head of the company. Smith lived in London with his mother, Elizabeth Murray Smith (1797-1878), until 1854, when he married Elizabeth Blakeway. They had two sons and three daughters.

Smith, Elder, and Co. prospered under George Smith's leadership. Early in his tenure, the firm published works by John Ruskin, Charlotte Bronte ( Jane Eyre in 1848), and William Makepeace Thackeray ( Esmond in 1851). In 1859, Smith started The Cornhill Magazine with Thackeray as editor; in 1865, The Pall Mall Gazette, an evening newspaper with literary leanings, began publication. Both the magazine and the newspaper attracted contributions from leading writers and artists.

In his later years, Smith's chief authors were Robert Browning, Matthew Arnold, and Leslie Stephen, all of whom were close personal friends. Smith was also the founder, in 1882, of the Dictionary of National Biography.

In 1894, Reginald J. Smith, husband of George Smith's youngest daughter, joined Smith, Elder, and Co., and, in 1899, became sole head.

Expand/collapse Scope and Content

The collection consists of autograph letters chiefly addressed to George Smith, his mother, or his wife. Most of the letters are from significant writers or artists of the late nineteenth century who were the Smiths' personal friends or had business dealings with Smith, Elder, and Co. The subject matter is primarily of a social nature. There are, however, several letters on more serious topics. See the descriptions of individual items that follow.

Contents list

Expand/collapse Series Quick Links

1. Correspondence, 1850-1923 and undated.
2. Volumes

Expand/collapse Series 1. Correspondence, 1850-1923 and undated.

About 67 items.

Arrangement: alphabetical by writer.

Note:Letters were originally tipped in or loosely inserted into an album. Original order is indicated by the numeral following the date of each item. This numeral refers to the page from which the letter was removed or before which the letter(s) were inserted.

The signatures of most of the correspondents were clear enough to decipher. Names have been placed in brackets where positive identification was not possible. The recipient of letters addressed to "Mrs. Smith" before 1854 is assumed to have been George Smith's mother, Elizabeth Murray Smith. After 1854, the recipient is most likely to have been his wife, Elizabeth Blakeway Smith. Letters addressed to "Miss Smith" were most likely intended for Ethel Murray Smith, George Smith's daughter.

Folder 1	H. Allingham to [George] Smith,18 June 1894 (52) About portrait of Mrs. Reginald Smith.
Folder 2	Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) to [George] Smith, 21 March 1878 (11) Accepting invitation.
Folder 3	William Black (1841-1898) to [George Smith], 13 January 18?? (40) Suggesting Colin Hunter as illustrator forBlack's "White Wings."
Folder 4	Robert Browning (1812-1889) to Mrs. Smith, 26 March 1878 (9), 14 March 1879 (9a), (10) Three letters: accepting invitation and requesting [George Smith] to visit Browning to view Browning's son's "picture," 26 March 1878; declining invitation due to a bad cold, 14 March 1879; declining invitation because of having to go to Cambridge, 27 May 1879.
Folder 5	Frederick William Burton (1816-1900) to George Smith, 18 January-14 May 1867 (68), 16 December 1870 (34) Eight letters about illustration for poem in The Cornhill Magazine, 18 January-14 May 1867; one letter putting off meeting with Smith, 16 December 1870.
Folder 6	Elizabeth Butler [Elizabeth Southerden Butler (1856-1933)] to George Smith, 18 April 18?? (31) Short note with unclear reference.
Folder 7	Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) to George Smith, 14 November 1870, and to Mrs. Smith, 28 January 18?? (8) Suggesting a new method of royalty payments, 14 November 1870, and to Mrs. Smith declining invitation due to gout, 28 January 18??.
Folder 8	Charles Dickens (1812-1870) to Mrs. [Elizabeth] Smith, 6 June 1850 (1) Declining an invitation.
Folder 9	Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) to [Reginald] Smith, 2 April 1905 (58) Praising "William Ash," a novel.
Folder 10	Richard Doyle (1824-1883) to [George] Smith, 18 January 18?? (28) Declining commission for small drawings.
Folder 11	George du Maurier (1834-1896) to [George] Smith, 9 December 1877 (27) About illustrations du Maurier was to do.
Folder 12	Thomas Anstey Guthrie (1856-1934) to George Smith, 23 November 1882 (53), and to Mrs. Reginald [Smith], 21 October 1923 (61) Declining invitation, 23 November 1882 (53)m and to Mrs. Reginald [Smith] about "The Home of Smith Elder," a history of the company, 21 October 1923.
Folder 13	Thomas Hardy (1840 1928) to [George] Smith, 29 May 1877 (39) Acknowledging receipt of six copies of "Hand of Ethelberta" and informing Smith that Hardy has sent the re-written portion of "my new story" to the editor of The Cornhill Magazine.
Folder 14	Arthur Helps (1813-1875) to [George] Smith, 19 December 1871 (26) Transmitting work (not included) on "efficient administration."
Folder 15	Fred Herschel [John F.W. Herschel (1792 1871)] to George Smith, 1 October 1862 (30) Notifying him that Herschel has sent a translation of the second book of The Iliad in hexameter to Smith and requesting prompt publication in The Cornhill Magazine.
Folder 16	Thomas Hughes (1822-1896) to Mrs. Smith, 19 October 1878 (46) Declining invitation to dinner.
Folder 17	Leigh Hunt (1784-1859) to [George Smith], 11 October 18?? Declining invitation due to poor health.
Folder 18	Henry James (1843-1916) to Mrs. Smith, 9 December 1??? (54) Declining invitation due to the poor health of his father.
Folder 19	J. Langford [John Alfred Langford (1823-1903)] to [George Smith], 7 November 1868 (29) Requesting prompt publication of an article.
Folder 20	Frederic Leighton (1830-1896) to [George Smith], 11 January 18?? (33) Explaining that he was too busy to do drawings to accompany Robert Lytton's poem.
Folder 21	G.D. Leslie to Miss Thackeray (Anne Ritchie), undated (32) Enclosing sketches (not included) to illustrate Miss Thackeray's work.
Folder 22	[Charles James Lever? (1806-1872)] to [George Smith], 16 November(?) 1871 (21) About revisions to unnamed manuscript.
Folder 23	George Henry Lewes (1817-1878) to George Smith, 21 September 1877 (14) Discussing the plight of a mutual friend.
Folder 24	James Russell Lowell (1819-1891) to Mrs. Smith, 3 March 1883 (12) Accepting invitation.
Folder 25	Robert Lytton (1803-1873) to George Smith, 18 February 1887 (36) Acknowledging reply to Lytton's "proposal" and regretting that Smith had turned it down.
Folder 26	George MacDonald (1824-1905) to [George] Smith, 9 June 1870 (42) Remitting payment of 200 pounds plus four months' interest.
Folder 27	Helen Faucit Martin to Ethel [Murray Smith], 14 May 1878 (17) About a gift for Ethel's sister.
Folder 28	Theodore Martin (1816-1909) to Miss [Ethel Murray?] Smith, 10 January 1895 (18) About his wife's health and the weather.
Folder 29	George Meredith (1828-1909) to George Smith, 14 December 1870 (16) Accepting invitation.
Folder 30	John Everett Millais (1829-1896) to [George] Smith, 15 June 1879 (24) Thanking Smith for [prints?].
Folder 31	Mary Clarke Mohl (1793-1883) to [George Smith], 11 August 1869 (48) About work of French authoress Charles Reybaud.
Folder 32	John Morley (1838-1923) to [George] Smith, 3 January 1877 (35) Asking for review copy of an unnamed work by [Harriet] Martineau.
Folder 33	William Morris (1834-1896) to [George Smith], 23 April 18?? (19) Responding to request for contribution to The Cornhill Magazine.
Folder 34	Florence Nightingale (1820-1910) to Emily Lady Belper, 19 March 1887 (38) "So very thankful that he is so wonderfully better."
Folder 35	Caroline Norton (1808-1877) to [George Smith], undated (44) Inquiring about the possible sale of her copyrights.
Folder 36	Laurence Oliphant (1829-1888) to [George Smith], 5 December 1880 (25) Accepting dinner invitation.
Folder 37	Margaret Oliphant Oliphant (1828-1897) to Miss Murray Smith, ? April 1894 (37) About childcare arrangements.
Folder 38	William Gifford Palgrave (1826-1888) to [George] Smith, 9 October 1868 (49) Setting up meeting.
Folder 39	Charles Reade (1814-1884) to [George Smith], 10 June 18?? (22) About theater tickets.
Folder 40	Anne Thackeray Ritchie (1837-1919) to Ethel [Murray Smith], undated (4) About health and mutual friends.
Folder 41	Andrew Robertson to [George] Smith, 1869 (56) About Smith's visit to Balmoral Castle.
Folder 42	John Ruskin (1819-1900) to George Smith, 5 February 1868 (2) Extending invitation.
Folder 43	John James Ruskin (1785-1864), father of John Ruskin, to George Smith, 5 January 1854, 21 October 1857, and 6 November 1857 (66) Three letters dealing with John Ruskin's financial arrangements with Smith Elder.
Folder 44	Leslie Stephen (1832-1904) to [George] Smith, undated (15) About letter to [William?] Black.
Folder 45	John Addington Symonds (1840-1893) to [George] Smith, 5 December 1877 (41) About publication of Symonds's translation of the sonnets of Michaelangelo and Campanella.
Folder 46	Henry Taylor (1800-1886) to [George Smith], 21 ? 1871 (20) Requesting that no "quotations or panegyricks" be used in advertising Taylor's work.
Folder 47	Tom Taylor (1817-1880) to George Smith, 27 June 18?? (45) Introducing Dora Greenwell, "... one of the few women whose poetry and prose are alike worth reading."
Folder 48	Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) to Mrs. Bookfield, 18 ? 1874 (60) On hearing of the death of W.H. Brookfield.
Folder 49	George Frederic Watts (1817-1904) to [George Smith], 7 June 1876 (23) Setting date for meeting.
Folder 50	Description (in Spanish) of 2 July 1809 letter from the Duke of Wellington to the Marquis de la Romana, 5 October 1810 (62) Written on envelope, with note on verso: "Written in French. Mentioned in collection of Wellington dispatches." Contents of envelope: typed copy of letter signed Arthur Wellesley to "Monsieur," 2 July 1809, and typed copy of letter signed Wellington to "My dear Marquis."
Folder 51	Unknown to [George Smith], 10 March 1862 (5) Arranging for Mrs. Smith to meet a young girl named Florence.
Folder 52	Unknown to [George Smith], 7 ? 18?? (50) Citing misinterpretation of legal statute that appeared in the Pall Mall Gazette.

Expand/collapse Series 2. Volumes

1 volume.

Box 2

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Collection Number: 11038 Collection Title: Smith, Elder, and Co. Records, 1850-1923