Team Stainforth is excited to report that we are in dialogue with the British Library to obtain high-resolution digital copies of three small collections belonging to Stainforth that are currently in BL holdings. These include scrapbooks in which he pasted poems by women cut-out from magazines, newspapers, letters, pamphlets, and other sources. These scrapbooks even contain letters that women writers mailed directly to Stainforth with their original verse included — proof that women writers knew that he was collecting their work, and additionally, that it was desirable for them to have their work collected by Stainforth.
Though we are still working with the British Library to solidify these digital acquisitions, we are excited about the opportunity to potentially have high-resolution digital access to all of Stainforth’s collections pertaining to women’s writing. And don’t forget that we have Stainforth’s original manuscript catalog of his library in Special Collections archives, call no. WPRP 290.
The British Library’s Stainforth holdings include:
- Title: [A Poetical Scrap-Book; being a collection, made by F. J. Stainforth, of short pieces by English Authoresses; for the most part of modern date.]
- Publication Details: [1690-1861.]
- Identifier: System number 001143073
- Physical Description: fol.
- Shelfmark(s): General Reference Collection 11621.k.2.
- UIN: BLL01001143073
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- Title: [A collection of poems by women writers, for the most part single sheets or folders, with some MS. verse. Collected by F. J. Stainforth.]
- Author: Francis John STAINFORTH
- Publication Details: [1690-1861].
- Identifier: System number 003474472
- Physical Description: 35 cm.
- Shelfmark(s): General Reference Collection 11621.k.2.
- UIN: BLL01003474472
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- Title: [A collection of engraved and lithographed Portraits of English poetesses; made by F. J. Stainforth, together with a few autograph letters, etc.]
- Contributor: Francis John STAINFORTH
- Publication Details: [1610?-1860?]
- Identifier: System number 002963777
- Physical Description: 2 vol. ; fol.
- Shelfmark(s): General Reference Collection 1876.f.22.
- UIN: BLL01002963777