Archive
Autumn 1991 – Chester Beatty and the Phillipps Manuscripts
By Christopher de Hamel
‘Chester Beatty first came to visit Thirlestaine House on 14 December 1921. Few private collectors at this time were allowed access to the Phillipps manuscripts which were jealously guarded by Fitzroy Fenwick who had firm ideas of the commercial value of his manuscripts and was suspicious of booksellers and rogues.”
This article from The Book Collector’s Autumn 1991 issue follows the valuation and purchase of a ‘major haul’ of manuscripts by Chester Beatty from the Phillipps library. It includes notes from Beatty’s own notebook and comments on the important role played by Chester’s wife, Edith Beatty.
Click on the link below to read the article in full.
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