Elkin Mathews Ltd. mss., ca.
1919-1987
Summary Information
Repository
Lilly Library (Indiana University, Bloomington)
Lilly Library
Indiana University
1200 E. Seventh St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-5500
Phone: 812-855-2452
Fax: 812-855-3143
Email: liblilly@indiana.edu
Creator
E. Mathews (Firm)
TitleElkin Mathews Ltd. mss., ca.
1919-1987
Collection No.
LMC 2341
Extent
69,334 items.
Language
Materials are in English.
Abstract
The Elkin Mathews, Ltd. mss., ca.
1919-1987, consists of the correspondence and business papers of Elkin Mathews,
firm, booksellers, as well as the personal papers of Percival Horace Muir,
1894-1979, bookseller and author.
Access Restrictions
This collection is open for research.
Historical Note
Founded in 1885 by Charles Elkin Mathews, the business began in the Cathedral Close
at Exeter but moved to London in 1887 when Elkin Mathews and John Lane went into
partnership. Within a very few years publishing became the principle interest of the
firm, now Elkin Mathews and John Lane Ltd., with retail sales of books, old and new,
taking a secondary place. The two men parted company in 1894 and Mathews, although
continuing to publish, returned to a greater concentration on bookselling. He died
in 1922. A.W. Evans, ex-curate, ex-journalist, and himself a collector and customer
of Elkin Mathews, acquired the business as a going concern from Mathews' widow.
Percy Muir joined the firm, as a partner, in January 1930, becoming managing
director in 1939. It was under his stewardship that the firm moved from London
during the German blitz to Blakeney, Norfolk.
Muir was associated with the firm until his death in 1979. He was a founder and first
president, 1945-1947, of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association and played a major
role in the establishment of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
(ILAB), serving as its first president, 1948-1950, and subsequently as first Life
President of Honor. The author of several bibliographies and books on book
collecting, as well as an autobiography:
Minding My Own
Business
(Chatto & Windus, 1956), he also made frequent
contributions to
Colophon,
Library, and various bibliographical journals such as
Bookman's Journal. He was also a founder and
member of the editorial board of
Book Collector.
Arrangement
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Correspondence; II.
Business - Financial; III. Business - General; IV. Personal.
Scope and Content Note
The Elkin Mathews, Ltd. mss., ca. 1919-1987, consists of the correspondence and
business papers of Elkin Mathews, firm, booksellers, as well as the personal papers
of Percival Horace Muir, 1894-1979, bookseller and author. The correspondence
pertains to both the business dealings of Elkin Mathews, Ltd. and the personal life
of Percy Muir. The business papers include cancelled checks, cash books, bank
statements, customer sales receipts, share certificates, stock inventory, clippings
and tear sheets, photographs, book reviews, writings, and a page proof for Ian
Fleming's
"Spying is Big Business in Britain"
for
The Sunday Times, ca. 1960.
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Indexing Terms
-
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in
IUCAT, the IU Libraries'
online catalog. Materials about related topics, persons or places can be found by
searching the catalog using these terms.
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Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Acquired 1969.
Usage RestrictionsPrior arrangements are not necessary before coming to the Library, however,
patrons from out of town are encouraged to communicate with the Library in
advance of their visits to ascertain availability of materials.
Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly
Library.
Preferred Citation
Elkin Mathews, Ltd. mss., Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington,
Indiana.
Series:
Box 1
I. Correspondence
Arranged chronologically, followed by individual files for Charles Scribner's
Sons, Ltd., Harold W. Edwards and Ian Fleming.
1927 - 1937, Apr.
11
Box 2
1937, Apr. 12 -
Sept.
Box 3
1937, Oct. -
1938, Mar. 19
Box 4
1938, Mar. 20 -
Aug.
Box 5
1938, Sept. -
1939, Mar. 9
Box 6
1939, Mar. 10 -
Sept.
Box 7
1939, Oct. - 1940,
Feb.
Box 8
1940, Mar. -
Oct.
Box 9
1940, Nov. - 1941,
May
Box 10
1941, June - Nov.
19
Box 11
1941, Nov. 20 -
1942, Apr.
Box 12
1942, May -
Oct.
Box 13
1942, Nov. - 1943,
Mar.
Box 14
1943, Apr. -
Aug.
Box 15
1943, Sept. -
1944, Jan. 20
Box 16
1944, Jan. 21 -
June
Box 17
1944, July -
Dec.
Box 18
1945 - 1947,
May
Box 19
1947, June -
Oct.
Box 20
1947, Nov. -
1948, Mar. 20
Box 21
1948, Mar. 21
- Aug. 10
Box 22
1948, Aug. 11 -
Dec.
Box 23
1949, Jan. - May
20
Box 24
1949, May 21 -
Oct.
Box 25
1949, Nov. -
1950, Feb. 19
Box 26
1950, Feb. 20
- Aug. 13
Box 27
1950, Aug. 14 -
Dec.
Box 28
1951, Jan. -
Apr.
Box 29
1951, May -
Nov.
Box 30
1951, Dec. - 1952,
Apr.
Box 31
1952, May -
Oct.
Box 32
1952, Nov. - 1953,
Mar.
Box 33
1953, Apr. -
Aug.
Box 34
1953, Sept. -
1954, Feb. 20
Box 35
1954, Feb. 21 -
July
Box 36
1954, Aug. -
Nov.
Box 37
1954, Dec. - 1955,
Apr.
Box 38
1955, May -
Oct.
Box 39
1955, Nov., - 1956,
May
Box 40
1956, June -
Nov.
Box 41
1956, Dec. - 1957,
Apr.
Box 42
1957, May -
Nov.
Box 43
1957, Dec. - 1958,
June
Box 44
1958, July -
Dec.
Box 45
1959 - 1984
Charles Scribner's Sons, Ltd., 1937 - 1944
(12 folders)
Edwards, Harold W. Dec., 1939 - 1940
Fleming, Ian, 1935
- 1966
(3 folders)
Box 81: Oversize
Fleming, Ian. Page proof for Fleming's
"Spying is Big Business in Britain"
for
The Sunday Times,
ca. 1960
Series:
Box 46
II. Business - Financial
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Box 46
Bank statements. 1936 - 1953
(6 folders)
Cancelled checks. 1944 - 1953
(14 folders)
Cash books. 1922 -
1935
(2 volumes)
Box 47
Cash books. 1932 -
1980
(9 volumes)
(see also: Box 80)
Commissions paid on sales
(2 volumes)
Counterfoils for checks
(see: Box 78)
Credit notes. 1936
- 1947
(4 folders)
Box 48
Customer sales records:
American. 1927
- 1940
(4 folders)
British. 1927 -
1973
(9 folders)
Foreign. 1937 -
1969
(6 folders)
Box 49
Customer sales records: Miscellaneous 1938
-1939
Foreign exchange statements. 1940 - 1952
(9 folders)
The Guild House. Sales, 1950
Invoices. 1935,
May - 1945
Box 50
Invoices. 1949, May - 1956, Apr.
Monthly totals for 1928 - 1939. Also includes: Foreign purchases for
1948 -
1953 and New books on order for 1948
(1 volume)
Petty cash. 1938, Oct. - 1941, May
(1 volume)
Box 51
Petty cash. 1941, Nov. - 1979
(5 volumes)
Postage books. 1938 - 1954, Jan.
(3 volumes)
Purchases. 1933, Apr. - 1954, Oct.
(2 volumes)
Quarterly statements. 1932-1939. Includes accounts receivable
for 1970
(1 volume)
Receipts. W.H. Smith & Son, Ltd., 1940-1957
Receipts. 1933 -
1934
Box 52
Receipts. 1934
(cont.) - 1936
Box 53
Receipts. 1936
(cont.) - 1937
Box 54
Receipts. 1937
(cont.) - 1939
Box 55
Receipts. 1939
(cont.) - 1942
Box 56
Receipts. 1942
(cont.) - 1947
Box 57
Receipts. 1947
(cont.) - 1949
Box 58
Receipts. 1949
(cont.) - 1952
Box 59
Receipts. 1952
(cont.) - 1955
Box 60
Receipts. 1955
(cont.) - 1968
Sales day registers. 1940, Mar. - 1951, Feb.
(2 volumes)
Sales day registers. 1951, Mar. - 1984, Apr.
(9 volumes)
Register for 1964 - 1965 includes purchases for Aug. 1973 - 1980;
register for 1968 - 1969 includes various notes for 1985-1987; register
for 1974, Aug. - 1978 includes purchases for 1980 - 1983 and employee
wages, 1965 - 1970; register for 1983, May - 1984, Apr includes
purchases and petty cash records for 1983 - 1984.
Sales ledgers (profits). 1934, Oct. - 1942, May
(2 volumes)
Share certificates
(see: Box 80)
Stock inventory. ca. 1936 - 1951
(2 volumes)
(see also: Box 80)
Tax papers. 1933 -
1955
(8 folders)
Miscellaneous pages from ledgers, etc.
Box 78
Counterfoils for checks
Box 80: Oversize
Cash book. 1968, Aug. - 1979, July
(1 volume)
Share certificates. 1922 - 1932
(1 volume)
Stock inventory. 1951 - 1973
(1 volume)
Series:
Box 62
III. Business - General
Arranged alphabetically by subject, followed by card files.
Addresses. Address books, changes of address cards,
etc.
(5 folders)
Advertisements. Typescripts, page proofs for
The Times Literary Supplement, tear sheets,
etc. for catalogues and individual items offered by Elkin-Mathews,
Ltd.
Appraisals. Ann MacDonald children's book collection, 1969; Arnold Bennett manuscripts, undated; Gerald E.
Coke collections, 1936,
1938,
1947; Mary Webb Library, undated
(5 folders)
Books in parts. Notebook
Catalogues. Typescripts, page proofs, galleys for various Elkin
Mathews, Ltd. catalogues, 1940s - 1950s
Counterfoils for post office deliveries
The Guild House. Application to display advertisement, drawings
for signage, etc.
Import/Export. Lists of exported items, applications for
licenses, related printed materials
Insurance. Policies, etc., 1919 - 1952
Legal. Mostly agreements concerning share holdings, partnerships,
and personnel appointments. 1922 - 1956
Lists. Nos. 1-38. Mimeograph lists of secondhand books for sale
from Stortford Bookshop Ltd., later Elkin Mathews, Ltd. No. 38 is
incomplete. undated
Box 63
Lists - Miscellaneous. Elkin Mathews, Ltd. want lists or stock
lists
Locations list. undated
Notes. Concerning individual items and collections
"Notes for the Guidance of Customers."
1954?
(see: Box 78)
Paper. Orders for letterhead, labels, and order blanks; samples
of paper;
Photographs. Advertising, catalog illustrations, etc.
Rationing. Mostly printed instructions concerning food and
clothing rationing for employers
(9 folders)
Renovations. Specs and floor plans, 1948 - 1951
(3 folders)
Rental agreements. 1922 - 1933
(4 folders)
Want lists from various individuals and book dealers. Typescript
and printed. 1934 -
1948
(8 folders)
Box 64
Want lists... (cont.). 1949 - 1954
(1 volume)
Printed. Mostly book dealer catalogues and
advertisements
(4 folders)
Clippings and tear sheets
Miscellaneous
Card files. Arranged alphabetically by author, subject, "Sold" and miscellaneous:
Box 65
Authors: A - Colen
Box 66
Authors: Coleridge - Gq
Box 67
Authors: Gr - L
Box 68
Authors: M - Rothenstein
(13 folders)
Box 69
Authors: Rothenstein (cont.) - Whis
(3 folders)
Box 70
Authors: Whit - Z; miscellaneous authors; Subjects:
Advertising - Arts & Crafts (A-D)
(4 folders)
Box 71
Subjects: Arts & Crafts (E-Z) -
Catastrophes
Box 72
Subjects: Children - Fine Printing (A-O)
(2 folders)
Box 73
Subjects: Fine Printing (O-Z) - Jest
Box 74
Subjects: Language - Photography
Box 75
Subjects: Puzzles, games, etc. - Travel
Box 76
Subjects: Typography - Writing books; miscellaneous
subjects
Box 77
"Sold"
Box 78
Miscellaneous
Series:
Box 79
IV. Personal
Arranged alphabetically by subject.
Advertisements and order forms for books written by
PM
Antiquarian Booksellers' Association. 1938 - 1956. Annual
reports, programs, newsletters, minutes, etc.
Antiquarian Booksellers' Association. Training scheme, 1948-1949
The British Council, Books and Publishing Advisory Panel agenda.
Oct. 31, 1952
Cash book. 1945 -
1947
National Book League. 1947 - 1952. Minutes, annual reports,
etc.
Organizations, societies, etc. Announcements, minutes,
etc.
Photographs: PM in BBC studio; two group photographs
(8 folders)
Royalty statement. 1948 For
Book-Collecting as a
Hobby
Share certificates (Nos. 7-9) for The Stortford Bookshop;
"Summary of Share Capital and Shares of Elkin
Matthews (sic)"
- PM, William Greville Worthington and Ian
Fleming named as directors
Takeley Welcome Home and War Memorial Fund Committee. Minutes of
meetings, 1945-1947 and miscellaneous papers
Writings:
(2 folders)
A Book Collector's Group, [1949?]
Book Collecting (Part II). Contract only
Books from Abroad, undated
A Deathbed Repentance, Noblesse Oblige, the Count de Fumerol
(play), undated
The Fifty Book of the Year, undated
The French Book Trade Exhibition, Mar. 1952
Goethe and the Book Collector, [1948?]
The History of Children's Books, Apr. 3, 1947
Impressions of the Dorchester Luncheon, June 1947
The International Conference at Copenhagen, the Social Side,
1947
Is There Money in Old Bibles? [1949?]
The John Gribbell Sale in New York, [1941?]
The Library of St. Clement Danes, June 18, 1942
The Man of Property, undated
The Modern Library at Watlington Park, undated
Mr. Carter Reports Progress, [1938]
The Newton Sale: Third and Final Section, undated
Notes on Sales, 1937 - 1944
A Personal Chapter, [1947]
Post-War German Printing, undated
The Price of Rare Books, [1944?]
Printing for the Blind: A Short History of Its Typography
[1938]
Private Libraries: Dr. and Mrs. Philip Gosse, undated
Private Libraries: Mr. Boies Penrose, undated
(4 folders)
Private Libraries: Mr. Gerald Coke, undated
Private Libraries: Mr. Maurice Buxton Forman, undated
Private Libraries: Mr. Roland Knaster, undated
Private Libraries: Professor A. Wolfe, undated
Private Libraries: The Rev. Canon R. B. Fellows, undated
Private Libraries: Sir Ambrose Heal, undated
Rare Book Notes, undated
Robert John Thornton and His Temple of Flora, May 21, 1947
Rousseau's Emile, [1947?]
The Simplicity of Book Collecting, [1938?]
What Is a First Edition (with O. E. Deutsch), undated
Writings: book reviews; lectures/speeches; untitled and
fragments
Writings by others
Miscellaneous
