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UNIQUE COLLECTION.

LETTERS OF NOTED MEN. GIFT TO AUCKLAND LIBRARY. Announcement of an interesting gift to the Auckland Public Library is mads by Mr. A. H. Reed, of Dunedin. Mr. Reed has for many years been a keen collector of autograph letters. He has already presented many valuable items to the Dunedin Public Library, and is now preparing a large collection of autograph letters for presentation to that city. He is an old resident of New Zealand, having landed at Auckland on his arrival in this country, and his present offer to make a gift of a collection of autograph letters from noted people to this city is evidence that his early interest in Auckland has not abated.

Mr. Reed has a unique collection of these autograph letters, representing nearly one thousand people of note in literature, art, the sciences, industry, the services and many other fields, and it is from this collection that he proposes to select those which will go to compose the gift to Auckland. In suggesting the manner in which the letters should be prepared, he proposes the preparation of a book of 52 letters of different people, so arranged that each letter would be shown during the week that would appropriately link it with its subject.

" This link would not ne*essarily be the date of the letter," explains Mr. Reed in a letter to the chief librarian, Mr. J. Barr, " but of the birth or death of the writer, or some event of importance in his life that might have occurred during that week. The letter would appear on one side of the folio, and some interesting biographical details on the other, including, of course, the reason for exhibiting the letter on that particular day or week Such an exhibit would seem to be interesting, topical and informative, apd might tend to foster interest in biography and history. The letter would be carefully mounted or inset, and the name might be boldly handlettered, but the descriptive matter, etc., would have to be typewritten, I think. The 250 or so duplicates now available might go a long way toward providing suitable letters. As time went on I could, as opportunity offered, replace a letter of less for one of greater interest, or, as an alternative, tne two letters might provide two changes for that particular week." The offer of this collection has been accepted by the. City Council. Mr. Reed is a brother of Mr. t. vv. Reed, of Whangarei, who has already arranged to' present his almost unique collection of Dumas literature to tne Auckland Public Library.

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Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19320227.2.25

Bibliographic details

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 8

Word Count
432

UNIQUE COLLECTION. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 8

UNIQUE COLLECTION. New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21118, 27 February 1932, Page 8