Papers re Warwick Castle Shakespeare Library

Papers relating to the Warwick Castle Shakespeare Collection, established by the Shakespeare scholar James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps (1820-1889). Halliwell-Phillipps sold his collection of Shakespeare 'Reliques' to Lord Warwick in December 1853 for £194 (Spevack, p. 285), and over the following twenty years helped Warwick build up a 'fine Shakespearian Library' (De Ricci, p. 148). Halliwell-Phillipps continued to collect Shakespeariana and bequeathed most of his papers to the University of Edinburgh (ref. Coll-103). In a Sotheby's auction in July 1895, Henry Folger purchased some Halliwell-Phillipps Shakespeareana through the agency of Sotheran's, but the bulk of the collection had been withdrawn from sale (it was sold two years later to Marsden J. Perry of Providence, Rhode Island). In March 1896, Henry Clay Folger wrote to A.B. Railton enquiring after a collection of Shakespeare editions which had been on the market. Railton investigated on Folger's behalf and in January 1897 raised the possibility of purchasing the Lord Warwick Shakespeare Collection instead. By March Lord Warwick had decided to sell, and the collection was inspected by Railton. Henry Nattali (b. 1834?), a London bookseller, appears to have acted as Warwick's agent. In April 1897 Folger offered £10,000; this was accepted and the purchase was completed through Messrs Christie, Manson and Woods, auctioneers.

Henry Clay Folger, president of the Standard Oil Company, built up the world's largest Shakespeare Collection, the first major puchase of which was the Warwick Collection. In 1908, Marsden J. Perry sold the main Halliwell-Phillipps collection to Folger and in 1932 Henry Folger founded the Folger Shakespeare Library.

This series documents the sale of the Warwick Castle Shakespeare Collection to Henry Clay Folger. It includes an article on Warwick Castle, detailed notes on the collection, a list of coins and antiquities in the collection, and correspondence primarily between Railton and Henry Clay Folger. The papers represent the whole process of acquisition, from Folger's preliminary enquiries, through to the valuation, completion and arrival in America. There is also some correspondence relating to attempted acquisition by Folger of other Shakespeare items.

• /1-14: Published article on the history of Warwick Castle, dated by Railton 11 December [18]97, from the Pall Mall Magazine, Vol XI, No. 45, [? published January 1897] [11 sheets plus 3 blank].
• /15-16: Two small notebooks (labelled 1and 2) containing notes by Railton on Warwick Castle, 11-12 March 1897, taken for the purpose of drawing up a report on the collection, with some additional notes concerning packaging of the collection.
• /17: Manuscript summary of the purchase of the Shakespeare Library at Warwick Castle, signed by Railton.
• /18: Typescript list by Railton of coins and antiquities which accompanied the Warwick Shakespeare Library, March 1897, annotated by Railton in manuscript with dates of a number of items.
• /19: Letter from H.C. Folger Junior, of New York, to A.B. Railton 24 March 1896, enquiring after a collection of Shakespeare Folios and Quartos which had been on the market in London for £7,000.
• /20: Letter from H.C. Folger 27 April 1896 agreeing to purchase a First Folio and stating that he does not know any details about the collection previously on the market, as the dealer had not given any clues as to the owner.
• /21: Letter from H.C. Folger, 25 January 1897, concerning his intention to purchase Shakespeare Quartos, and asking for a quotation for Quartos in the Ashburnham Library,
• /22: Copy letter to H.C. Folger 6 February 1897, concerning the Ashburnham and Warwick Castle collections and other privately held collections. Railton notes the rarity of Shakespeare first editions and their high cost.
• /23: Letter from H.C. Folger 6 Feburary 1897 concerning Shakespeare Quartos.
• /24: Letter from Henry Nattali [?to Sotheran], 8 March 1897, stating that Lord Warwick had been contacted and that the Warwick Library had never been offered for sale in America.
• /25: Letter from H.C. Folger, 16 March 1897, concerning the possibility of refusing items in the Warwick Collection which are not Shakespeare editions or Shakespeariana.
• /26: Copy of letter to [? J H] Woods, 11 March 1897. Railton had been looking at the Shakespeariana in the Warwick Library, but had 'been compelled to do without the catalogue as a housekeeper... states that a gentleman who called to look at the Library about 18 months ago (I presume Mr Nattali) not only brought it but also took it away', Railton asks for a copy of the catalogue and a statement of the lowest cash price for the collection including the relics described by Halliwell in his catalogue.
• /27: Copy of letter, 12 March 1897, concerning negotiations for the Warwick collection, according to the lawyer 'no offer had been made nor price mentioned & they suggested that some one had put the rumour about with a view to depress the price'.
• /28: Copy letter to H.C. Folger, 16 March 1897 concerning the Warwick collection, the previous week the agent of Lord Warwick had informed them that it had been decided to sell the Shakespeare Collection and it was inspected by Railton, the letter summarises the Shakespeare editions and Shakespeareana in the collection [some text is very faint].
• /29-32: Letter from H. C. Folger, 2 April 1897, concerning shipping of the books should his offer of £10,000 be accepted and duties charged, with two copy letters on this issue, 2 April [to Folger] and 7 April 1897 [to the agent for Lord Warwick], and letter to Mr Cecil [H. Sotheran & Sons], 4 April 1896 [misdated for 1897], concerning packaging of and paying for the collection.
• /33: Copy letter to H.C. Folger, 7 April 1897, concerning completion of the purchase and summarising the contents of the cases sent to New York so they could be checked against the catalogue.
• /34-36: Letter from H.C. Folger 24 April 1897, reporting that the collection had arrived in America but was in the hands of the customs officers, and listing a number of items in the Halliwell catalogue which were missing in the Warwick Castle catalogue, with two letters from H.C. Folger 27 April 1897, the second noting an entry in the Warwick Castle catalogue which includes a number of the 'missing' items.
• /37-39: Letter from H.C. Folger, 10 August 1897, concerning checking of items received, copy note by Railton on the contents of cases, and copy reply to H.C. Folger.