Jackson Society Chooses Rare First Editions for Special Collections and University Archives

Group I:
British Victorian Literature
Collection (click to enlarge)

The Jackson Society's Members Choice Event was held recently, and members again chose some rare titles to add to the collections of the Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives.  In thanking the members for their support, Assistant Dean for Special Collections and University Archives Keith Gorman wrote:

"The event was held on Thursday, May 19 at 5:30.  Attendees examined 28 British and American literary works from the 19th century.  All of these rare works were first editions.  Attendees were presented with three groupings of works...Selection #1--British Victorian Literature, Selection #2--Works of Thoreau and Longfellow, and Selection #3--Assorted British and American 19th Century Literature.  

Attendees were asked to cast their votes for the three groupings.  They placed poker chips in assigned ballot boxes.  Votes were than tabulated.
Jackson Society Members voted for the collection of British Victorian Literature (Selection #1).  The British Victorian Literature Collection includes:

•     Thomas Hardy, Jude the Obscure
•     Charles Dickens, Little Dorrit
•     Arthur Conan Doyle, The Hound of the Baskervilles
•     Robert Louis Stevenson, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
•     Oscar Wilde, A House of Pomegranates
•     Anthony Trollope, The Last Chronicle of Barset

Jackson Society Members had a certain amount to spend on titles.  With the group voting to purchase Selection #1,  there was still money remaining to spendm so attendees were asked to cast their votes for specific titles.  Jackson Society members were asked to place their chips next to the titles that they wanted to vote for.  The two winners of this second round of voting were:

•     Henry David Thoreau, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers
•     Mark Twain, Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc

What an exciting evening.  All of these titles are wonderful editions to our permanent holdings in Special Collections at Jackson Library.  I want to thank the Members of the Jackson Society for helping to grow our collection and to meet the needs of current and future faculty and students."