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Collection Overview
Title: Charles E. Mudie Collection, 1816-1897
ID: 01/01/MSS00042
Primary Creator: Mudie, Charles E. (1818-1890)
Extent: 0.43 Cubic Feet
Arrangement: The collection is arranged in two major series: correspondence and mixed materials. Correspondence is arranged in alphabetical order.
Subjects: Libraries
Languages: English, Italian
Scope and Contents of the Materials
The Charles E. Mudie Papers dates from 1816 to 1897. Correspondence in the Mudie Papers comprises the most voluminous resource, with letters sent to and written by Mudie and family members. A wide array of mixed materials include photographs, broadsides, passports and a travel diary from 1859. Topics from the letters shed light on Mudie's Circulating Library subscription system and the book trade, and discussions of 19th century books. Conversations about British politics, the Italian unification, European travel, the opening of Mudie's Great Hall in 1860, literary matters, family genealogy and personal matters are also recorded in the letters and mixed materials.
Collection Historical Note
Charles Edward Mudie (1818-1890) was a publisher, author, and the founder of Mudie's Select Library. Located initially in London, Mudie introduced through his innovative library the concept of lending books by way of a circulating system operated by membership. With the help of his wife Mary and son Arthur Oliver, Mudie established during the Victorian era a network with publishers and writers to support and maintain the library. Collections of books in the library were curated or selected by Mudie in accordance with Victorian morals, limiting titles to subjects pertaining to science, biographies, fiction and "adventure" (travel). The lending of books operated by having multiple copies available for subscribers to borrow. The concept of Mudie's Select Library proved successful with the opening of three branches outside of London, in York, Manchester and Birmingham. Upon his dead in 1890, his son Arthur Oliver Mudie succeeded him as Chairman of the Library.
Subject/Index Terms
Administrative Information
Repository:
Rare Book & Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Access Restrictions:
Open to researchers.
Use Restrictions:
The RBML reproductions policies can be found here:
http://www.library.illinois.edu/rbx/ReproductionServices.htm
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted materials.
Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specified conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study scholarship or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement.
This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgement, fulfillment of the order would damage materials or involve violation of copyright law.
Box and Folder Listing
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence],
[Series 2: Mixed Materials],
[
All]
- Series 2: Mixed Materials
- Box 1
- Folder 77: British passport granted to Charles E. Mudie, his wife, children, governess, and maid, 1860 July 6
- Folder 78: Italian route sheet issued by the city of Bologna, and an Italian visa or abroad passport, 1848 June 19, 1849 July 3
- Folder 79: Great Hall opening guest list, 1860 December 17
- Folder 80: Travel diary titled, The travels of two children through France and Italy in 1859 aged 11 and 9 1/2, 1859
- Folder 81: Newspaper clipping of an ad titled, Sisters' Charity: ₤25,000 as Grants for the Poor, and clipped illustration published by D. Ardley, from the town of Torquay, undated
- Folder 82: Check for the amount of three guineas paid to Charles Haddon (C.H.) Spurgeon, undated
- Folder 83: Textual and pictorial materials related to Giuseppe (Joseph) Mazzini, undated
- Folder 84: Mudie Circulating Library pamphlet, undated
Browse by Series:
[
Series 1: Correspondence],
[Series 2: Mixed Materials],
[
All]
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