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Richard Francis Burton Library Manuscripts Collection: Finding
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mssRBL 1-139
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Title: Richard Francis Burton Library
Manuscripts Collection
Dates (inclusive): 1842-1890
Collection Number: mssRBL 1-139
Creator:
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
Extent: 152 items in 13 boxes
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Manuscripts Department
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection consists mainly of manuscripts, correspondence, drawings, and printed
material related to the work of British explorer and writer Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) and his interests in swords,
fencing, and Middle Eastern poetry and history.
The collection contains research
material and early drafts of Burton's The Book of the Sword and To the
Gold Coast.
Language: English, also
Arabic,
French,
German,
Italian,
Persian, and Spanish.
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services
Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to
quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such
activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is
one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
[Identification of item]. Richard Francis Burton Library Manuscripts Collection,
The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Acquired from The Christensen Fund, November 1997.
Custodial History
At the time of Isabel Burton’s death in 1896, the main part of Richard Burton’s
surviving manuscripts and library were deposited at the Central Library,
Kensington; in 1955, the Royal Borough of Kensington gave the library to the
Royal Anthropological Institute for safe-keeping. In 1986, The Christensen Fund
acquired the entire library from the R.A.I., and deposited it at the Huntington
Library, until November 1997, when The Christensen Fund formally gave the
manuscripts and 2,500-volume library to the Huntington Library (Acc. No.
1861).
1. As noted in the acquisition information at the beginning of this finding aid this
material has been owned by Burton, as well as several institutions over the years.
Therefore, the manuscripts contain autograph notes by Burton, as well as autograph
annotations by various catalogers, including pencilled page numbers and the
“Kensington Public Libraries” stamp on many of the pages. The notes by Burton are
noted on the folders and in the finding aid only if substantive.
2. Burton was in the habit of heavily annotating his printed books as well as
inserting all manner of extra material into the books in his library; this material
included letters, clippings, articles and other printed matter. It was decided not
to remove any of this material from the books but include detailed information in
the electronic record for each book. The Burton Library is part of the Rare Books
Department; please consult the Huntington Library Online Catalogue for information
about this material and contact the Rare Books Department for paging information or
any questions about this material.
3. A small number of letters were removed from the manuscripts and cataloged in
Correspondence; the original location of these letters were noted on the folders and
in the finding aid.
4. There are references to swords, sword-play and fencing throughout the entire
collection; it was decided that, unless it was a substantive reference, it would not
be noted as a subject on the folders or in the finding aid.
Related Materials in the Huntington Library
- Burke E. Casari Papers (1748-2004) (Call number: mssHM 78795-78885) Also, Richard F. Burton and African explorers related rare books, pamphlets and reports from the Library of Burke E. Casari are cataloged separately in the Huntington Library Online Catalog.
- Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890. “Last Eruptions in Iceland,” A.MS.S., ([1875]) (Call number: mssHM 79379)
- Sir Richard Francis Burton Papers, (1846-2003, bulk 1846-1939) (Call number: mssRFB 1-1368). This collection was given to the Huntington as a gift by Edwards H. Metcalf, October 1992
- Burton-Smithers Papers (1884-1892) (Call number: mssHM 27955, 78887-79014)
- Richard and Isabel Burton material listed in the Guide to Literary Manuscripts in the Huntington Library (p. 77); for detailed information about this material, please consult the Manuscripts Card Catalogue.
Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) was a British explorer, linguist, writer,
diplomat and translator; he explored Africa, the Middle East, South America and
Iceland, and translated, among many other titles,
The Arabian
Nights.
Burton married Isabel Arundell (1831-1896), in 1861, and she,
thereafter, accompanied Burton on many of his travels, and became his amanuensis and
editor, as well as publishing her own travel volumes and an autobiography. Burton
died of a heart attack on October 19, 1890, and Isabel Burton died from
complications of ovarian cancer on March 22, 1896.
Bibliography
Dictionary of Literary Biography. “British Travel
Writers, 1837-1875,” vol. 166, eds. B. Brothers and J. Gergits (Detroit: Gale
Research Company, 1996), pp. 98-119.
Dictionary of Literary Biography. “Nineteenth-Century
British Book-Collectors and Bibliographers,” vol. 184, eds. W. Baker and K. Womack
(Detroit: Gale Research Company, 1997), pp. 46-55.
Dictionary of Literary Biography. “Victorian Prose
Writers Before 1867,” vol. 55, ed. W. Thesing (Detroit: Gale Research Company,
1987), pp. 25-40.
Kirkpatrick, B. J. (ed.)
A Catalogue of the Library of
Sir Richard Burton, K.C.M.G. held by the Royal Anthropological Institute
(London: Royal Anthropological Institute, 1978). Lovell, Mary S.
A Rage to Live (New York: W. W. Norton & Co.,
1998).
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Vol. 9, eds.
H.C.G. Matthew and B. Harrison (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004), pp. 34-40.
Also online resources including: Google, Library of Congress and
The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.
This collection consists mainly of manuscripts, correspondence, drawings and printed
material related to Burton's work and interest with swords, fencing, and his
interest in Middle Eastern poetry and history; the collection contains research
material and early drafts of Burton's The Book of the Sword, Vols. I-III, and To the
Gold Coast. The correspondence includes letters from, among others, Verney Lovett
Cameron, Richard S. Charnock, Chatto & Windus, Dominic E. Colnaghi, Alexander
Fergusson, Violet Greville, John Latham, Augustus H. L. Pitt-Rivers, Bernard
Quaritch, William Tinsley, H. Schütz Wilson, Henry Yule and Hermann Zotenberg.
The papers consist of the following series:
1. Manuscripts - Volumes (Boxes 1-5) are arranged alphabetically by author and
title. The volumes include one manuscript by Burton, and manuscripts by other
authors, which reflect Burton’s interest in Iceland and Middle Eastern history and
poetry, including the
Arabian Nights.
This series also includes printed material, clippings, catalogues, pamphlets,
illustrations used and annotated by Burton; there is also one folder of Ephemera.
2. Manuscripts - Folders (Boxes 6-10) are arranged alphabetically by author and
title. This series mainly consists of Burton’s work on the sword and fencing,
including
The Book of the Sword,
Infantry Sword Exercise, “Selected System of Fencing” and “The Sentiment
of the Sword…;” it also includes a page from
The Highlands of
Brazil
and an early draft of
To the Gold Coast…: A
Personal Narrative
. There are a few manuscripts by other authors, mainly
dealing with swords and fencing.
3. Manuscripts - Drawings (Box 11) are arranged by subject. This series is mainly
drawings and illustrations for
The Book of the Sword,
Vols. I-III, and one illustration for
North Borneo.
4. Correspondence (Boxes 12-13) is arranged alphabetically by author. The majority
of the letters are written to Richard Burton and deal with his ongoing work and
interest in swords and fencing; there are a few letters to Isabel Burton. This
series includes letters by, among others, Verney Lovett Cameron, Richard S.
Charnock, Chatto & Windus, Dominic E. Colnaghi, Alexander Fergusson, Violet
Greville, John Latham, Augustus H. L. Pitt-Rivers, Bernard Quaritch, William
Tinsley, H. Shütz Wilson, Henry Yule and Hermann Zotenberg.
Organized in the following manner:
- 1. Manuscripts - Volumes (Boxes 1-5)
- 2. Manuscripts - Folders (Boxes 6-10)
- 3. Manuscripts - Drawings (Box 11)
- 4. Correspondence (Boxes 12-13)
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890. In Sir John Macdonald, d. 1850, letter to [My dear Edmond], ([1850]). RBL 100.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Edwin H. Baverstock, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884, Dec. 3). RBL 55.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Richard Stephen Charnock, 1820-1904 or 5, letters and postcards to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884-1885).
RBL 62-73.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Chatto & Windus (Firm), letters to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1876-1877). RBL 74-75.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In W. Wareing Faulder, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884, Mar. 4). RBL 78.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Alexander Fergusson, 1830-1892, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884, May 6). RBL 79.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Frederick W. Foster, letters to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884). RBL 81-83.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In Joseph Grego, 1843-1908, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1883, Sep. 21). RBL 87.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
The Book of the Sword. In William Tinsley, letters to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1875). RBL 123-124.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
New System of Sword Exercise. In M---- G---- Mattilich, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1876, Aug. 19). RBL 103.
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
Ultima Thule; or, A Summer in Iceland. In Richard Stephen Charnock, 1820-1904 or 5], note to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, ([ca. 1874]?). RBL 60.
Hartzenbusch, Juan Eugenio, 1806-1880. In Sebastián de Mobellán, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1879,
Apr. 27). RBL 108.
Livingstone, David, 1813-1873. In [C---- W---- G----?], letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, ([1872], Sep. 23).
RBL 85.
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton), 1841-1904. In [C---- W---- G----?], letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, ([1872],
Sep. 23). RBL 85.
Urbani, D. (Domenico).
Difesa di un Vecchio Pugnale Veneziano. In D. (Domenico) Urbani, letter to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1879, Sep. 19). RBL 126.
Beville, Francis Granville, 1867-1923. Autograph letter (1876, June 4), following H---- Burgess letter to Sir Richard Francis
Burton, 1821-1890, (1876, June 4). RBL 57.
Cameron, Verney Lovett, 1844-1894. Joint author with Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890,
To the Gold Coast…, ([1882]). RBL 36(1-8).
Chandler, Henry W. (Henry William), 1828-1889. Letter to Isabel Burton, (1887, Aug. 27), laid into [
Arabian Nights, Vols. 3-4…], ([ca. 1887]). RBL 18.
Chatto, Andrew, 1841-1913. Autograph letters written for Chatto & Windus (Firm), to Sir Richard Burton, 1821-1890, (1876-1877).
RBL 74-75.
Drawing. Following letter from Percy Fielding to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1881, Oct. 13). RBL 80.
Lentaigne, John Francis O’Neill, Sir, 1802-1886. Inscription to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, on [Gulistán], ([before
1890 Oct.]). RBL 6.
Mobellán, Sebastián de. Addressee for Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch, 1806-1880, (1879, Apr. 23). RBL 91.
Quaritch, Bernard, 1819-1899. Addressee for Edward Spencer, (1876, Sep. 13). RBL 121.
Sketches. In letter from George Thomas Cavendish Paget, 1853-1939, to Sir Richard Francis Burton, 1821-1890, (1884, Apr.
19). RBL 111.
Stisted, Georgiana M. Addressee for F. K. J. (Francis Kingston John) Shenton, d. 1893, (1877, Jan. 6). RBL 119.
Wilson, H. Schütz (Henry Schütz), 1824-1902. Addressee for John Latham, d. 1880, (1876). RBL 96-98.
Zotenberg, Hermann, 1836-1894. Autograph notes on [Zayn al…], ([before 1888]). RBL 11.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the
Huntington Library's Online Catalog.
Burton, Isabel, Lady,
1831-1896.
Burton, Richard
Francis, Sir, 1821-1890.
Authors, English -- 19th
century.
Business letters -- 19th century.
Drawings -- 19th century.
Ephemera -- 19th century.
Letters (correspondence) -- 19th
century.
Manuscripts -- 19th century.
Translations -- 19th century.
Burton, Isabel, Lady, 1831-1896,
recipient.
Cameron, Verney Lovett, 1844-1894.
Charnock, Richard Stephen, 1820-1904
or 1905.
Colnaghi, Dominic E. (Dominic Ellis),
Sir, 1834-1908.
Fergusson, Alexander, 1830-1892.
Greville, Violet, Lady, 1842-1932.
Latham, John, -1880.
Pitt-Rivers, Augustus Henry Lane-Fox,
1827-1900.
Quaritch, Bernard, 1819-1899.
Tinsley, William, 1831-1902.
Wilson, H. Schütz (Henry Schütz),
1824-1902.
Yule, Henry, Sir, 1820-1889.
Zotenberg, Hermann, 1836-1894.
Chatto & Windus (Firm).