WORKS OF DUMAS!

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22205, 4 September 1935, Page 8

WORKS OF DUMAS!

MK. F. W. BEED'S HOBB*!! HOW COLLECTION II EG AN V OPPORTUNITY FOR READING , The circumstances in which his lov«, developed for the works of Dumas, writer upon whom he is now regarded, as one of the foremost authorities, are described by Mr. F. W. Reecl, of Wha» - ; ngarei, in an article that appeared re- 4 cently in a special issue of " The Chemist and Druggist." Mr. Reed, yipi 19126, executed a. deed of declaration of trust, vesting in the Auckland City Council his Dumas collection, the fin. est of its kind outside Europe, with the intention that it should ultimately find a home in the Auckland Public Library. A natural and never-satiated love for reading, especially of history and romance, states Mr. Reed, was consoli. dated by the long hours of attendance ho had to observe as a pharmacist in a New Zealand township 40 years ago,' .; In those dayt medical practitioners had often to traverse long distances on | horseback. In Mr. Reed's district his • wl Hereabouts had constantly to be known by the physician, who might require his services on the latter's return from a journey. " In my case this tended to confirm and intensify, if that were needed, an already strong inclination to spend most leisure hours with my books," | states Mr. Reed. " This condition of affairs, though latterly not so necessary, extended throughout my 38 years' devotion to pharmacy, perhaps because of the ingrained habit." First Dumas Hovel ftead As a boy in England he had read all the historical noveld he could lay his hands upon, including one by Dumas—- " The Queen's Necklace." "So different was this from all I had made acquaintance with from the pens of English authors, that I was entranced," states Mr. Reed. Shortly after that, at the age of 12, he came to New Zealand and began his collection of Dumas' works. In 191€ Mr. Reed communicated with the late Mr. R. S. Garnett, the greatest authority in his day upon Dumas. That marked the beginning of a 16 years' correspondence, which ended with Mr. Garnett's death. During that period Mr. Reed, received 330 letters, all dealing with matters of Dumas interest. Hithei-to Mr. Reed had been content with English works and translations, but to acquire a more complete knowledge of Dumas he began the task of teaching himself French. Since then he had translated into English the whole of Dumas' known signed plays, the work occupying over 8000 typed quarto pageis. With one exception, these plays had not previously been translated into English.' Other translations had also been made by Mr. Reed. French Government's Honours In 1927 Mr. Reed was honoured by the French Government with the decoration of " officier d'Academie," and last year with the greater distinction of " officier d«i I'instruction publique " for his services to French literature. Between 1928 and 1929 he arranged information he had gathered from many sources into tiro typed volumes, totalling 858 pages. One set was presented to the British Museum and another to the Bibliotlneque Nationale. In 1933 a chronologically-ordered array of Dumas' works was published by Mi:. Reed. Mr. Reed states that the Combined collection he possesses is unique and amounts to well over 2000 volumes. The collection includes 1000 large sheets of Dumas' own writings in his holograph, volumes in the author's own handwriting, early drafts of plays, and a number of first editions.