Important acquisitions

Rare Book Collections works to build up the national collections through purchases (through dealers or at auction) and donations. This directory gives details of around 1100 of the most important items we have acquired since 2000. We update it regularly as new material comes in. The description gives information about why it was chosen and what makes it particularly interesting. You can order the list by date of acquisition, date of publication, author or title.

Please let us know what you think of this resource, if you have information to add about an acquisition, or if you have rare Scottish books that you would like to donate or sell. Email us at rarebooks@nls.uk.

Search for aquisitions

Changing this field will automatically reload the page.

Aquisitions

Title Author Publication date Acquisition date Shelfmark
Slander retorted or L-r's thanks Niel Douglas 1803 28/08/15 AB.2.215.23
Letters and Sermons John Newton 1798 31/07/15 AB.1.215.100-108
Address by the principal native gentlemen and other inhabitants of Bombay to Sir Charles Forbes, Baronet, on the occasion of erecting a statue of him at Bombay. Anon 1840? 26/06/15 AB.9.215.05(1-2)
Musalmani din ka Raddi: or Refutation of Muhammadism, in Hindustani. 2nd edition. John Wilson 1840 19/06/15 AP.1.215.21
The voice of our exiles or Stray leaves from a convict ship. Daniel Ritchie ed. 1864 15/05/15 RB.s.2917
Notice. The Magistrates, in consequence of a complaint by the possessors of shops between the North Bridge and the Stamp Office Close … hereby give notice ... Given at Edinburgh, this 4th day of March 1814 years. Edinburgh (Scotland) Town Council [1814] 15/05/15 AP.7.215.04
Itinerary of the Lord Chancellor Broggam and Broomstick. [Anon] [1834?] 15/05/15 AP.1.215.20
Linda Tressell Anthony Trollope [1880?] 15/05/15 AB.1.215.79
Die eiserne Maske. Eine schottische Geschichte von Ottokar Sturm. Friedrich Eberhard Rambach & Ludwig Tieck 1792 06/03/15 AB.1.215.67
The history and love adventures of Roswal and Lillian Anon 1788 06/03/15 AP.1.215.14
Lettres patentes du roy : portant privilege au Sieur Law & sa Compagnie d'establir une Banque generale. [John Law] 1716 06/03/15 RB.m.759
The letters of Zariora and Randale [John Hood] 1814 27/02/15 AB.1.215.58
The works of Robert Burns Robert Burns 1801 20/02/15 AB.1.215.40-43
[Volume of 16 early 19th-century Scottish chapbooks, mostly printed in Kilmarnock] [Anon] [1815-1820] 20/02/15 AB.1.215.52(1-16)
Phisionomia Magistri Michaelius Scoti. Scotus, Michael. [c. 1527] 13/02/15 RB.s.2912
Saggi filosofici sull' umano intelleto David Hume 1820 10/02/15 RB.s.2913-2914
St. Clair, der Eilaender oder die Geachteten von Barra Elizabeth Helme 1811 06/02/15 AB.1.215.69-70
A postehaste conveyance for S-[cottish] members [Anon] 1784 30/01/15 AP.6.215.05
Marie Stuard, Reine d'Ecosse, Tragedie. Boursalt, Edme, (1638-1701) 1691 16/01/15 RB.s.2908
The distillery of Scotland a national benefit; and the importation and use of foreign spirits, a national detriment. Anon. 1755 09/01/15 AB.2.215.06
Noticia e Circunstancias da Felicissima hora, em que a Senhora Rainha da Grao Bretanha deu a luz o suspirado Principe de Gales, herdeiro dos Reynos de Inglaterra, Escocia, & Irlada. Anon 1688 19/12/14 RB.s.2910
List of skips for the Royal Caledonian Curling Club grand match to be played on Castlesemple Loch, Lochwinnoch + Railway arrangements for the Royal Caledonian Curling Club grand match. Royal Caledonian Curling Club 1876 12/12/14 AP.5.215.02
The great Protestant demonstrations of 1892 Primmer, Jacob, (1842-1914) [1892?] 21/11/14 AP.5.215.01
An ode made on the welcome news of the safe arrival and kind reception of the Scottish collony [sic] at Darien in America. Anon. 1699 31/10/14 RB.l.285
Field memoranda for Tasmanian botanists Robert Mackenzie Johnston 1874 29/08/14 AB.1.214.67
Caledonian Mercury [15 issues for September - October 1737] 1737 29/08/14 RB.m.758
Dialogues of the dead. 5th edition. George Lyttelton, Baron Lyttelton 1768 20/07/14 AB.2.214.41
Le rapporteur de bonne-foi, ou Examen sans partialitie & sans pretention du differend survenu entre M. Hume & M. Rousseau de Geneve Anonymous 1766 13/07/14 AB.1.214.44
Four Dissertations. I. The Natural History of Religion. II. Of the Passions. III. Of Tragedy. IV. Of the Standard of Taste Hume, David, (1711-1776) 1757 13/07/14 RB.s.2893
Neuer brittischer Plutarch oder Leben und Charaktere beruehmter Britten. Friedrich Wilhelm Gillet 1804 13/07/14 AB.2.214.37
A letter to the Marquis de Ruvigny Frederick Rolfe 1959 04/07/14 Trag.C.1
Elucidatio fabricae ususque astrolabii, Ioanne Stoflerino iustengensi authore. Stoeffler, Johannes 1570 04/07/14 RB.s.2906
The Highland rogue: or, the memorable actions of the celebrated Robert Mac-gregor, commonly called Rob-Roy. Anon. 1723 04/07/14 RB.s.2905(2)
The history of Netterville, a chance pedestrian. Anon. 1802 27/06/14 RB.s.2903-2904
The noble pedlar! Or the late chance-sellor & present broom seller!! Anon. 1816 27/06/14 AP.7.214.17
Japan from India: letters & notes of the journey of two travellers, chiefly by one of them. Anderson, Grace Scott & John [1884] 06/06/14 AB.2.214.28
The trial of William Brodie wright and cabinet maker in Edinburgh William Brodie, Aeneas Morison 1788 30/05/14 AB.3.214.146
W. Blacker's art of angling, and complete system of fly making and dying [sic] of colours William Blacker 1842 23/05/14 RB.s.2898
La Bible qui est toute la saincte escriture du Vieil & du Nouveau Testament Bible 1616 16/05/14 RB.s.2899
Picturesque California and the region west of the Rocky Mountains, from Alaska to Mexico. John Muir (ed.) 1888 16/05/14 AB.10.214.07-09
[A collection of 5 items printed by Lloyd Osbourne in Davos-Platz Switzerland] Robert Louis Stevenson 1882 16/05/14 RB.s.2894 ; RB.s.2895 ; RB.s.2896 ; RB.s.2897(1) ; RB.s.2897(2)
For the benefit of Madame Frederick, on Friday evening, December 26, 1800, will be performed the favorite comedy of The wonder! ... to which will be added a grand historical romance ... taken from Ossian's poems) called Oscar & Malvina or The Hall of Fingal. Theatre Royal, Newcastle-upon-Tyne 1800 16/05/14 AP.el.214.03
De rebus Peruanis, R di P. Dieghi de Torres, Societatis Iesu Presbyteri commentaries a Ioanne Hayo. Diego de Torres Bollo 1604 16/05/14 RB.s.2900
Epistle to the deil by Holy Willie of Prussia. Second edition. Anon [1871] 16/05/14 AP.1.214.35
Pen pictures: transmitted clairaudiently and telepathically by Robert Burns Seymour, Mina S. 1900 16/05/14 AB.2.214.31
Account of the discoveries at Pompeii, communicated to the Society of Antiquaries of London by the Hon. Sir William Hamilton. Sir William Hamilton 1777 16/05/14 AB.3.214.145
[Photographs taken by James Law Blair in and around Bandawe when employed by the African Lakes Company circa 1900.] Blair, James Law 1900? 09/05/14 Phot.med.125
The Edinburgh Review, or Critical Journal 1814-1860 04/04/14 AB.3.214.09-141
The song of Solomon Anon 1897 28/03/14 Bdg.m.176
A famous Fife trial: the Kirkcaldy duel case. Anon. 1893 28/03/14 AB.1.214.31