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Isaac Dyer papers on Thomas Carlyle

 Collection
Identifier: M025

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Scope and Content

The collection contains materials compiled and created by Isaac Dyer while writing his Thomas Carlyle bibliography, including correspondence, carbon typescripts, Carlyle manuscripts, miscellaneous manuscripts, authorial notes, printed ephemera, reviews of A Bibliography of Thomas Carlyle's Writings and Ana, images of Carlyle and his family, a scrapbook, Carlyle's official seal, and a collection of Carlyle-related postcards.

Notable correspondents include: John W. Davis, F. Ernest Gruening, Archibald MacMechan, Townsend Scudder, and former Bowdoin president Kenneth C.M. Sills. Nearly all correspondence concerns the production and completion of the Carlyle bibliography.

The Thomas Carlyle Letters form a separate collection (M43).

Dates

  • Creation: 1889-1941, undated

Biographical/Historical Note

Isaac Dyer (1855-1937), Bowdoin Class of 1878, was a Portland lawyer (1881-1931), a member of the Maine State Legislature (1885-1886), U.S. District Attorney for Maine (1890-1906), and a lecturer at the University of Maine Law School. In addition to authoring A Bibliography of Thomas Carlyle's Writings and Ana, published in 1928, Dyer also authored two books on Maine law. Thomas Carlyle (1795-1881) was a celebrated Scottish essayist, historian, and man of letters who published works on important historical figures and events. His first major work was Sartor Resartus, though his second publication, the two-volume work The French Revolution, A History established his popularity. Carlyle was also an expert on German literature, having translated writers such as Goethe into English.

Extent

1.25 Linear Feet

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The collection contains materials compiled and created by Isaac Dyer while writing his Thomas Carlyle bibliography, including correspondence, carbon typescripts, Carlyle manuscripts, miscellaneous manuscripts, authorial notes, printed ephemera, reviews of A Bibliography of Thomas Carlyle's Writings and Ana, images of Carlyle and his family, a scrapbook, Carlyle's official seal, and a collection of Carlyle-related postcards.

Separated Materials

Published books by and about Thomas Carlyle that Isaac Dyer collected while preparing his Carlyle bibliography have been cataloged separately as part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives' rare book holdings.

Related Names

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Isaac Dyer Papers on Thomas Carlyle
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine 04011 Repository

http://library.bowdoin.edu/arch/index.shtml
Contact:
3000 College Station
Brunswick Maine 04011 USA
(207) 725-3288

Acknowledgment of non-neutrality

The George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.