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Harry S. Dickey collection of Byroniana

 Collection
Identifier: MS-0072

Scope and Contents

This collection is composed of handwritten letters and poems relating to Byron, as well as published or printed sheet music, engravings, and article clippings. Only some materials were written by Byron himself; the bulk of the collection has items created or owned by his family, friends, and admirers. A small portion of this holding includes Dickey's correspondence with rare book dealers and fellow Byron enthusiasts. Additionally, bound book lists of his rare book library are included. Notably, there are a few handwritten Oscar Wilde letters and poems, as Dickey was a collector of Wilde as well. The collection spans from 1815 to 1959, and 1981.

Dates

  • Creation: 1815-1959, 1981

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is housed off-site and requires 48-hours' notice for retrieval. Please contact Special Collections for more information.

Collection is open for use.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical / Historical

Harry S. Dickey was a Baltimore business man and collector. He was born in 1891 and received his B.A. degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 1912. Dickey managed his family's textile business and was active in civic affairs in Baltimore.

Dickey was a well-known bibliophile and collected first editions of many famous writers. He was also an ardent admirer of the English poet, Lord Byron.

Extent

1.73 Cubic Feet

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Harry S. Dickey was a Baltimore business man and collector, who was born in 1891 and received his B.A. degree from The Johns Hopkins University in 1912. Dickey an admirer of the English poet, Lord Byron. This collection is composed of handwritten letters and poems relating to Byron, as well as published or printed sheet music, engravings, and article clippings. Notably, there are a few handwritten Oscar Wilde letters and poems, as Dickey was a collector of Wilde as well. The collection spans from 1815 to 1959, and 1981.

Arrangement

The physical organization does not adhere to the original order of the scrapbooks where Dickey once housed the Byroniana, and was arranged during processing prior to the 2016 reprocessing. The current item- and folder-level arrangement, with no series, was left as is per efficient processing standards.

Physical Location

Location of the holding is in administrative view only.

Custodial History

Dickey's collection of Byroniana manuscript materials were predominantly housed in scrapbooks during his ownership, with items glued or affixed to the pages of the bound volumes. Most items were removed, sleeved, and rehoused in cloth clamshell boxes.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection was donated to the University by Harry S. Dickey from 1962 to 1963.

Accruals

One known item, sheet music, was purchased by Special Collections and added to this collection. More information is noted at the item-level description.

Separated Materials

The Byroniana manuscript materials were donated alongside Dickey's rare book collection, which is primarily housed at the Eisenhower Library, with some books housed at the Peabody Library. Please contact Special Collections for more information regarding the rare book collection.

Processing Information

This collection was processed in April 2016 by Annie Tang. This collection was previously inventoried in 1999 by Erika Cooper and processed prior to that at an unknown time in the 1990s.

Liz Beckman revised some item level Scope and Content notes and folder titles in this finding aid in September 2023 to bring them into compliance with Johns Hopkins guidelines for inclusive and conscientious description (2023). The previous version of the finding aid is available upon request.

Title
Harry S. Dickey collection of Byroniana
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Part of the Special Collections Repository

Contact:
The Sheridan Libraries
Special Collections
3400 N Charles St
Baltimore MD 21218 USA