How to Find the Manuscript, Catalog Records

The manuscript catalog of Francis Stainforth’s library is held in Special Collections at University Libraries, University of Colorado Boulder (CUB). Find its library catalog record here. It also has a more detailed record within the Women Poets of the Romantic Period Collection (WPRP). The library record for the manuscript contains a link directly to The Stainforth Library of Women’s Writing project and the digital edition of the manuscript.

Description

The manuscript measures 23 cm. high, 18.5 cm wide, 5.5 cm deep. The cover is made of roan-backed (sheepskin) boards that have been re-backed, according to the dealer’s description. Some of the edges of the book have been chipped.

The dealer describes the book as a “thick quarto account book of 373 leaves, of which 254 leaves comprise the catalogue and 92 leaves comprise Stainforth’s wants lists.” The account book is ruled with 24 lines per page and 2 columns on each page. The left column is narrow and the top row is deeper than the rest. It is written in tête-bêche (head-to-toe) format such that the “Wants” section that begins on p.507 is inverted, and what appears to be the back cover is the front cover for the “Wants” list.

The library records link to this “flippable” digital copy of the manuscript from CU Digital Library, which gives a good sense of the condition and contents of the book.

Tête-Bêche

See the video below for a demonstration of handling the Stainforth library catalog manuscript as a tête-bêche. (credit: Michael Harris)

Provenance

There are some marks of provenance in the catalog, including stamps. There is a stamp for “Mercantile Library, Philad” on page 2. Inside the front cover there is a manufacturer label for H. Gosbell, Stationer. Account Book Manufacturer, M6, High Holborn, Corner of Kingsgate Street. Engraving, Printing & Bookbinding.