British Isles Literature

Our collection includes strong holdings across several centuries of English and Irish literature. A few particular strengths include Victorian novels and the illustrations of George Cruikshank, publications from Virginia Woolf’s Hogarth Press, and early editions of James Joyce’s works. Also significant are the many examples of work from William Morris’ Kelmscott Press, as well as later fine presses. 

Additional foci within this collecting area include archival material relating to Victorian Critic Algernon Charles Swinburne, including manuscripts of his works and correspondence, and the Parker Family Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Collection. Donated by Dr. Philip Parker in 2008, this collection of approximately 2,000 items includes Doyle’s works of poetry, fiction, true crime, war and propaganda, and spiritualism. It features early and recent editions of the Sherlock Holmes stories, as well as a rich gathering of Holmes ephemera, photographs and biographical materials, and a large body of scholarship on Holmes and Doyle.

Acquisitions in this area are selective and build on existing strengths, with particular attention to acquiring 18th and 19th century works by women. In the sphere of archival collections, we occasionally acquire additional material for the Swinburne Collection.  

These collection materials are housed in the Special Collections Research Center.