Huth library

Henry Huth. Project Gutenberg.

Approximately 400 items from the Huth collection are now at the Folger. Henry Huth (1815–1878) collected the bulk of the library. His son, Alfred Henry Huth (1850–1910), inherited the collection, and continued to add to it. Alfred Henry bequeathed fifty books of their choice to the British Library (then the British Museum); the remainder of the Huth family library was dispersed at auction.

Huth collection printed catalogs

Scanned copies of the Huth collection catalogs are available through Hathi Trust.

  • A catalogue of the printed books, manuscripts, autograph letters, and engravings, collected by Henry Huth, with collations and bibliographical descriptions... (1880): five volumes
  • Catalogue of the fifty manuscripts and printed books bequeathed to the British Museum by Alfred H. Huth (1912): one volume
  • Catalogue of the famous library of printed books, illuminated manuscripts, autograph letters, and engravings, collected by Henry Huth and since maintained and augmented by his son Alfred H. Huth ... sold by auction by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, auctioneers
    • Engravings and woodcuts (4–6 July 1911): one volume
    • Autograph letters (12–13 June 1911): one volume
    • Books and manuscripts (15 November 1911–25 June 1920): nine volumes
    • Books unsold or returned as imperfect (27 February 1922): one volume

Notable items now at the Folger

Henry Oxinden, Miscellany of Henry Oxinden [manuscript], ca. 1642-1670. Call number: V.b.110 and LUNA Digital Image

Edmund Spenser, The shepheardes calender. London: Printed by Hugh Singleton, dwelling in Creede Lane neere vnto Ludgate at the signe of the gylden Tunne, and are there to be solde, 1579. Call number: STC 23089 and LUNA Digital Image

Robin Good-Fellovv, his mad prankes and merry iests. Full of honest mirth, and is a fit medicine for melancholy. London: by Thomas Cotes, and are to be sold by Francis Groue, 1639. Call number: STC 12017 and LUNA Digital Image

Huth bookplates

Items from the Huth library are identified by distinctive oval leather bookplates with legend "EX MVSAEO HVTHII." Read more in a blog post by Peter Kidd about the Huth bookplates.

  • Huth Exlibris, from STC 23089, Edmund Spenser's The shepheardes calender

    Huth Exlibris, from STC 23089, Edmund Spenser's The shepheardes calender

  • Huth Exlibris, from STC 9, Martin Aray's Discoverie and confutation of a tragical fiction

    Huth Exlibris, from STC 9, Martin Aray's Discoverie and confutation of a tragical fiction