Papers relating to the sale of the Bennett Collection of manuscripts and early printed books, formed by Mr Richard Bennett of Manchester in the late nineteenth century. Bennett was an eccentric collector of incunabula and manuscripts; it was said he would not keep any volume taller than thirteen inches. In 1897 Bennett purchased, for £18,000, the library of William Morris, which contained 112 manuscripts. He sold unwanted items at a Sotheby's sale on 5 December 1898. In 1900, with a view to sale, Bennett published a catalogue of his library, comprising 559 incunabula and 107 manuscripts of vellum, nearly all illuminated.
In 1902 the collection was offered through H. Sotheran & Co. for sale to Mrs E.A. Rylands, but she refused it. The same year, the Collection was purchased by J. Pierpont Morgan for £140,000. It forms one of the core collections of the Morgan Library and was the largest single purchase made for the Library.
This series comprises descriptions of the Bennett Collection, correspondence of Railton with E.A. Rylands and J. Pierpont Morgan concerning the proposed sale, February 1902, and a cutting regarding the completed sale. Partially paginated (denoted here within square brackets).
- /1-2: Typescript summary and list of the Bennett Collection, annotated and signed by A.B. Railton, with summary of sale.
- /3-4: Printed description of collection of manuscripts and early printed books for sale by Henry Sotheran & Co. [presumably part of the Bennett Collection], pasted onto paper.
- /5: Copy letter [blurred] to Mrs Rylands, 19 February 1902, concerning the [as yet unnamed] Bennett Collection, and reply, 20 February 1902, commenting that the matter 'is of a most tempting character, and yet unless I can have some approximate idea of the price asked or likely to be asked, it is impossible to say whether I can entertain it or not'. [2]
- /6: Copy letter to Mrs Rylands, 21 February 1902, quoting an approximate price of £150,000 and suggesting that the manuscripts would complement the Crawford Collection, and reply, 23 February 1902, declining the purchase, as 'my hands just now are very full in having my late purchase fully classified catalogued and arranged before transferring to the John Rylands library'. [3]
- /7: Draft letter to J. Pierpont Morgan, 22 February 1902, proposing the purchase of the Bennett Collection [unnamed], and copy letter to J. Pierpont Morgan, 26 February 1902, concerning the Collection. [4]
- /8-9: Cutting from The Times, dated 2 [actual date 7] July 1902, titled 'The exportation of rare books to America. A famous library sold', concerning the sale of the Bennett Collection to J. Pierpont Morgan. [5-6]