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.
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 |
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.
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.
Back to TopThe 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.
Back to TopArrangement: 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.
1 volume.
Box 2 |
Volume 1: album, half green morocco, gilt, from which letters were removed #11038, Series: "2. Volumes" Box 2 |
Processed by: Roslyn Holdzkom, September 1986
Encoded by: ByteManagers Inc., 2008
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