Inglis (John B.) collection of manuscript transcripts of rare books and tracts, and Latin and Greek classics, 1780-1870
Collection context
Summary
- Title:
- John Bellingham Inglis collection of manuscript transcripts of rare books and tracts, and Latin and Greek classics
- Dates:
- 1780-1870
- Creators:
- John Bellingham Inglis
- Abstract:
- John Bellingham Inglis (1780-1870) was a prominent scholar book collector in the 19th century European book trade. This is a collection of his transcriptions and translations of various classical and early modern works in nineteen bound volumes.
- Extent:
- 1 box (0.75 linear ft.)
- Language:
- Finding aid is written in English.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], John Bellingham Inglis collection of manuscript transcripts of rare books and tracts, and Latin and Greek classics (Collection 470). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
Background
- Scope and content:
-
Collection is comprised of John Bellingham Inglis’s transcripts and translations of a wide-range of classical, humanist, and religious texts. The manuscripts were written in fine semi-italic hand on ruled paper with gold-leaf edges and quarter bound (8°) vellum in nineteen volumes. All spines have gilt backs with titles written on them, and some have their original green morocco labels still attached. A number of the volumes in this collection have been decorated by Inglis with page-cutting inserts, engravings, and hand-drawn, facsimile reproductions of printed illustrations.
- Biographical / historical:
-
John Bellingham Inglis (1780-1870) was born in London, the son of a British entrepreneur. His father was a partner in the firm of Inglis, Ellice and Co., and held the positions of Director and Chairman of the East India Company. After his father died, succumbing to financial bankruptcy in the market, Inglis retired from his independent venture in the wine trade and relied upon the remnants of his father’s depleted wealth to live in retirement at his residence in St. John’s Wood, and later, Hampstead Heath. Inglis died at 13 Albion Road, N.W. in the winter of 1870.
Inglis is most well-known for his book collecting. He began collecting at an early age and by the prime of his life he had amassed an important collection of incunabula and early printed works. Included among these were the highly sought after first edition of the Speculum Humanæ Salvationis, the Historia Sancti Johannis Evangelistæ ejusque Visiones Apocalypticæ, and a Biblia Pauperum. He also collected fine copies of works from the presses of Caxton, Machlinia, Wynkyn de Worde, Pynson, Julyan Notary and Verard of the incunable period. Moreover, Inglis owned a number of canonical early-modern works including a Heures de Rome, with illustrations by Geoffroy Tory, as well as first edition Spenseriana, most notably, the Faerie Queene.
The bulk of his collection was sold first in 1871, and then again 1900, but his books surfaced in the market via Sotheby’s auction as early as June 9, 1826. As noted by other collectors and scholars of the book trade, Inglis had a unique habit of pasting and otherwise inserting various annotations, page-cuttings and engravings in his books, a habit which has been called his "peculiar mania." This practice reflected another somewhat unusual habit Inglis had as a book collector, that he, in fact, read his fine books. In addition to being a distinguished book collector, Inglis was also a respected independent scholar and translator in his own right. In 1832, he earned the distinction of being the first to translate the Philobiblon of Richard de Bury from Latin into modern English; and he later had his translation published through his bookseller, Thomas Rodd. Additionally, Inglis made a number of translations of various other medieval and early modern editions of classical, humanist, and religious texts, that to date remain unpublished.
- Acquisition information:
- Purchased from PM Hill booksellers.
- Processing information:
-
Processed by Jesse Erickson in the Center for Primary Research and Training (CFPRT), with assistance from Megan Hahn Fraser, July 2011. Additions processed by Jesse Erickson, March 2013.
- Arrangement:
-
The collection is arranged numerically according to volume number. Texts in the collection have, in general, been group by their genre, period, and author.
- Physical location:
- Stored off-site at SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.
- Rules or conventions:
- Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard
Indexed terms
About this collection guide
- Date Prepared:
- © 2012
- Date Encoded:
- Machine-readable finding aid derived from Microsoft Word-processed finding aid, encoding added via Notetab Pro. Date of source: July 2011 .
Access and use
- Restrictions:
-
Open for research. STORED OFF-SITE AT SRLF. Advance notice is required for access to the collection. Please contact UCLA Library Special Collections for paging information.
- Terms of access:
-
Property rights to the physical object belong to the UC Regents. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission to publish where The UC Regents do not hold the copyright.
- Preferred citation:
-
[Identification of item], John Bellingham Inglis collection of manuscript transcripts of rare books and tracts, and Latin and Greek classics (Collection 470). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA.
- Location of this collection:
-
A1713 Charles E. Young Research LibraryBox 951575Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575, US
- Contact:
- (310) 825-4988