Administrative Information

Access Restrictions

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Use Restrictions

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Preferred Citation

Papers Pertaining to the Sadleir-Black Collection of Gothic Fiction, Accession #717,-a,-b,-c,-d,-e, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

Accession numbers 717, -a, -b, -c were given to the University of Virginia Library by Robert K. Black, Upper Montclair, New Jersey, on January 24, July 22, and August 1 & 2, 1970. Accession number 717-d was given to the Library by William A. Buell on March 14, 1974. Accession 717-e was transferred to the Manuscripts Division from Rare Books Division on December 3, 1974.

Scope and Content Information

This collection consists of papers and correspondence, ca. 75 items, ca. [1915?], 1938-1941, and undated, all pertaining to the Sadleir-Black Collection of Gothic Fiction in the University of Virginia Library Special Collections. This includes a signed original typescript, and a carbon and electrostatic copy of "The Introduction to a catalogue of the Sadleir-Black Collection of Gothic Novels " by Michael Sadleir (22 pages), written prior to 1940 (#717); two undated bibliographical listings of Gothic books and undated "Notes on Gothic Romances " by Montague Summers of Surrey, England (#717-a & -b); "The Castle Spectre, " a fifty-seven page bound mimeographed typescript adapted from the original by Matthew Gregory Lewis written in 1797, [ca. 1915], and used as the prompt copy by the stage manager and possibly as an actor's copy by the leading actress (#717-d); about fifty undated brief bibliographic descriptions and notes concerning book sales on index cards, printed sources, and note paper (#717-e); business and calling cards of Mrs. M.T.H. Sadleir (#717-e); and an undated black bound notebook, which Sadleir in a letter, May 19, 1938, describes as "an index and register made some years ago of Gothic Romance writers and of other various books. It is not a catalogue of your collection, but may I think be helpful as showing what other works were written by the authors there represented, and in which directions the collection can, with good fortune, be extended" (#717-e).

There are four letters from Michael Sadleir to Robert K. Black (#717-b,-c), all in May 1938, discussing the details of the packing and shipping of the Sadleir Gothic books to their new owner, Robert Blackadlier also mentions the biography of [Matthew Gregory ?] Lewis (1775-1818) by Phipps and discusses Sir Walter Scott's comments in the preface The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole which were similar to Scott's essay in the Ballantyne series (1938 May 14).

There are seven letters from Montague Summers (1880-1948) to Robert K. Black (#717-a), 1939-1941, concerning the Sadleir-Black Book Collection. In the earliest letter, Summers mentions his work A Gothic Bibliography, The Gothic Achievement, and The Gothic Quest, Black's offer to allow him to see a copy of The Hero, and the controversy over the authorship of The Church of St. Siffrid (1939 Sep 27).

He also shares his nervousness about the publication of A Gothic Bibliography, the title of which he calls a misnomer since it contains all sorts of bibliographical information useful to students and scholars but "my book will have to go forth - with all its faults"; believes The Hero was written by the sister of Matthew Gregory Lewis, the subject of another book by Summers; and mentions other Gothic writers for which he is doing a bibliography (1940 April 16).

Summer expresses his thanks for all of Black's help and reveals his surprise, "It is extraordinary how excessively rare these Gothic romances are - the explanation is, I suppose, that when this vogue ceased they were thrown out of the circulating libraries as lumber and destroyed" (1940 May 13).

In another letter, he thanks Black for loaning him the card index and two books, A Tale of Mystery, or, Celina and The Hero, for taking notes and wishes that his publisher would have supported his bibliography as well as the Bibliographical Society and the Oxford University Press had served Miss Blakey. Summers complains that his publisher hurried the completion of his bibliography due to the times of disorder and crises of the war. He also writes of the changes in literature, "Forty years ago in England many old- fashioned people were quite familiar with and understood an allusion to The Mysteries of Udolpho while in old-fashioned households The Monk was still a banned book. The change in recent years - since 1905 say - has been far greater than was the change between 1830 and 1900. In very many ways that is to be understood. I could tell you delightful stories of the traditions of England before 1900. No unmarried lady allowed to read Tom Jones. No unmarried lady unless of fairly mature age would dream of hearing La Traviata. Elderly people still speaking of Shelley and Byron as rather shocking poets. It was really very charming" (1940 Jun 10).

Summers congratulates Black on owning such a wonderful collection and writes about his own bibliography, "I am beginning to wish that I had not cast my net quite so wide in my bibliography. I have recorded some writers and included some books for no better reason perhaps than that in times past when I have sought for information upon such a one or such a romance I could find nothing until I had searched through half-a- dozen volumes and with difficulty pieced together the very bare statements of as many forgotten biographies" (1940 Jun 15).

Summers asks for Black's help in locating copies of books by John Frederick Smith (1804-1890) whose romances were published in book form in New York, especially a copy of Fred Arden; or, The Jesuit's Revenge and discusses other Gothic writers (1940 Jul 22 & Nov 1). The last letter apparently accompanied a copy of A Gothic Bibliography sent to Black by Montague Summers (1941 Jan 20).