Francis Douce and His Collection: an Antiquarian in Great Britain, 1757- 1834
Joby Topper. Francis Douce and His Collection: An Antiquarian in Great Britain, 1757- 1834. A Master’s paper for the M.S. in L.S. degree. April, 2002. 76 pages. Advisor: David W. Carr. This paper is a study of the English antiquarian Francis Douce and his collection of books, prints, drawings, coins, and artifacts. The major theme of the collection—the manners, beliefs, and customs of the world—is connected to three of Douce’s most remarkable collecting interests: children’s books and games; fools and jesters; and the sublime, including his collections of death, demonology, and witchcraft. The collection, divided between the Bodleian Library and the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford, remains an invaluable resource for scholars in a wide variety of fields. It is hoped that this paper will emphasize the vision according to which Douce developed a distinctive collection; that it will shed additional light on British collecting and collectors of Douce’s lifetime, 1757- 1834; and that it will serve as a lesson in collecting that might be used by librarians and non-librarians alike. Headings: Douce, Francis, 1757-1834. Collectors and collecting—Great Britain. Antiquarians—Great Britain—History—19th century FRANCIS DOUCE AND HIS COLLECTION: AN ANTIQUARIAN IN GREAT BRITAIN, 1757-1834 by Joby Topper A Master’s paper submitted to the faculty of the School of Information and Library Science of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Library Science. Chapel Hill, North Carolina April, 2002 Approved by: _______________________________ Advisor 2 Acknowledgments This paper is the result of a seminar in librarianship co-sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of Oxford and held at Rewley House and the Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, May 20-June 2, 2001.
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