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Percy Muir was associated with the antiquarian bookselling firm, Elkin Mathews, Ltd. from 1930 until his death in 1979. 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.
Percy Muir was president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association in Britain from
1945-1947, and chaired the first conference of the International League of
Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB) in 1947. He became president of the ILAB from
1950-1952 and was subsequently elected the first Life President of Honor. The author
of several bibliographies and books on book collecting, as well as an autobiography:
The collection is organized into the following series: I. Elkin Mathews, Ltd.; II. Muir.
The Elkins Mathews series contains correspondence, papers and business records of the company. The Muir series is the personal correspondence and writings of Percy Muir.
Acquired: 2000
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Photocopying permitted only with permission of the Curator of Manuscripts, Lilly Library.
[Item], Muir mss. II, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Processed by Craig Simpson.
Completed in
Mimeographs lists of books for sale, followed by chronologically arranged business materials.
(master copies), 1-35
(master copies), 36-73 (lacks 57)
(master copies), 74-108
(master copies), 109-133 (lacks 121)
(master copies), 134-150
(master copies), 151-166
(master copies), 167-189
(master copies), 1-56 (lacking 6, 30, 41)
John Lane letters to Grant Richards
Miscellaneous notes, invoices, printed pieces
Oversized share certificates
Arranged alphabetically by correspondent or subject. Range of years of the correspondence follows each name
Arranged alphabetically by title or subject of book or article, followed by reviews Andre Poursin, obituary. 1969
1st item in volume of miscellaneous writings
Arranged alphabetically by author and title of book reviewed.