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.

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Aquisitions

Title Author Publication date Acquisition date Shelfmark
Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser 1787-88 24/08/12 RB.l.281
A new drawing book of ornaments in the antique style. George Richardson 1812 24/08/12 RB.m.746
Extracts from lectures on phrenology: delivered to the Hampshire Phrenological Society, Portsmouth, in 1834. + Testimonials in favour of James Scott. Scott, James 1838 17/08/12 AB.1.213.30(1-3)
Poems on various subjects. [Cameron, William] 1780 03/08/12 Bdg.s.954
Esposizione della contestazione insorta fra il Signor Davide Hume e il Signor Gian Jacopo Russo. David Hume 1767 29/06/12 RB.s.2842
Observations on illicit distillation and smuggling: with some remarks on the reports of Woodbine Parish Esq. chairman of the excise board, on that subject. Anon. 1816 22/06/12 AB.2.213.22
Four views of the skull of Robert Burns : taken from a cast moulded at Dumfries, the 31st day of March 1834. George Combe 1834 01/06/12 AP.3.213.08
Orcadensis to William Cobbett, M.P. on the political grievances of Orkney and Zetland. Orcadensis 1833 25/05/12 AP.2.213.04
Epistola Gulielmi Brussii Scoti. Ad illustrem D. Johannen Gostomium. William Bruce 1596 25/05/12 RB.s.2843
Ellenore, a ballad originally written in German by G.A. Buerger. Buerger, Gottfried August. 1796 18/05/12 AB.10.212.45
Ivanhoe: romanja. Scott, Walter 1829 18/05/12 AB.1.212.28-30
The Triumphs of Love Nathaniel Crouch 1753 11/05/12 AB.1.212.44
A poem to the memory of Mr. Robert Sandeman. Colborn Barrel [et al.] 1771? 11/05/12 RB.s.2856
Hoyle's game of whist. Edmond Hoyle 1806 04/05/12 RB.s.2850
[Works ed. Franciscus Puteolanus] Tacitus 1487 30/04/12 Inc.218.2
Sixty-six years' residence in South Africa: an autobiographical sketch. Ainslie, William. 1899 23/03/12 AB.1.212.26
Account of a most melancholy and dreadful accident! Loss of the Comet steam-boat. 70 persons drowned. [Anon] [1825] 23/03/12 AP.el.212.01
[Volume containing 10 18th-century plays] Lund, John [et al.] 1760-1787 23/03/12 RB.s.2839(1-10)
A list of the sporting ladies who is [sic] arrived from all the principal towns in Great Britain and Ireland, to take their pleasure at Leith races, on Monday the 3d June 1776. 1776 17/02/12 RB.m.754
English Bards and Scotch reviewers. A satire. Lord Byron 1821 17/02/12 AB.2.212.07
Proclamation by his excellency Lieutenant General Sir Hugh Dalrymple = Proclamacao de sua excellencia o Tenente General Sir Huch [sic] Dalrymple. Dalrymple, Hew Whitefoord. [1808] 03/02/12 AP.4.212.01
Ivanhoe : opera en trois actes, imite de l' anglais. Deschamps, Emile & Wailly, Gustave de. 1826 27/01/12 AB.2.212.06
[Lord's prayer and Apostle's creed in Greek] [Anon] 1706 27/01/12 AP.2.212.19
Elliots Leben: nebst practischen Bemerkungen aus dessen Leben gezogen zur Bildung junger Krieger und anderer Personen vom Stande. Johann N.C. Buchenroeder 1783 23/12/11 AB.1.212.43
Edinburgh weekly miscellany. R.C.H. 1831-1832 23/12/11 AB.10.212.44
De imitatione Christi libri quatuor. Editio novissima. Thomas a Kempis 1885. 23/12/11 Bdg.s.950
Izsledovanie celoveceskago razumenia (An Inquiry concerning human understanding). Hume, David. 1902 23/12/11 RB.m.705
Poems on various subjects, (English and Scotch). Hewit, Alexander. 1823 23/12/11 AB.1.212.08
A medley, history, directory, and discovery of Galashiels George Reavely 1875 16/12/11 AB.1.212.01
The life of William Annesly. Mackenzie, Henry. 1796 16/12/11 RB.s.2835
Sentences in the Fernandian tongue. Clarke, John 1846 09/12/11 RB.s.2831
My campaign in Ireland Cardinal John Henry Newman 1896 09/12/11 AB.2.212.03
Metaphysicae seu Primae philosophicae institutiones [bound with] Institutiones physicae. Jack, Gilbert. 1638 02/12/11 RB.s.2830(1-2)
Proposals for printing by subscription ... Travels in the interior parts of Africa Association for Promoting the Discovery of the Interior Parts of Africa 1798 18/11/11 AP.5.212.01
His Majesty's most gracious declaration. James R. James, Prince of Wales, 1688-1766. 1744? 18/11/11 AP.5.212.02
The puzzling cap: a choice collection of riddles [Anon] 1784 18/11/11 RB.s.2829
Ode sur la rebellion de MDCCXLV en Ecosse Maty, Matthew 1746 21/10/11 AP.3.212.01
The jolly beggars : a cantata. Burns, Robert [1831] 07/10/11 AP.1.212.06
Matil'da Rokbi, poema v shesti knigakh. [Rokeby] Scott, Walter. 1823 07/10/11 RB.s.2826-2827
Poema posledniago barda. [Lay of the last minstrel] Scott, Walter. 1823 07/10/11 RB.s.2828
Liber tertius de fidei familia Clark, George 1640 30/09/11 RB.s.2832
The King Emperor's Indian Durbar tour 1911-1912 [1912] 23/09/11 Phot.la.79
Poems chiefly by Robert Burns, and Peter Pindar, &c. &c. To which is added the Life of Robert Burns. + The Oeconomy of love [by John Armstrong] Burns, Robert [et al.] + Armstrong, John. 1798 05/08/11 AB.1.212.02(1-2)
David Hume's vollkommne [sic] Republik [Idea of a perfect commonwealth]. Hume, David. 1799 05/08/11 RB.s.2823
Morgante maggiore. Byron, George Gordon Byron, Baron. 1825 29/07/11 AP.1.212.14
Kenel'uort. Roman Val'tera Skota obrabotan dlia iunoshestva [Kenilworth. A novel by Walter Scott adapted for youth]. Scott, Walter 1873 08/07/11 AB.1.211.056
Record Commission. Scotland. Correspondence of C.P. Cooper, Esq. Secretary to the Board, with Thomas Thomson, Esq. deputy clerk register [etc] + 2 other items Great Britain. Record Commission 1835 03/06/11 AB.3.212.03(1)
The weeping christian; or The six vices of man. [Fergusson, Thomas.] 1729 03/06/11 AP.1.212.15
Inamorulla oder Ossians Grosmuth. Ein Schauspiel in fünf Aufzügen. Nach Ossian. Wachsmuth, Karl Heinrich. 1783 03/06/11 AP.1.211.48
The book of common prayer + A companion to the altar + A new version of the Psalms of David [Binding - Scott, James of Edinburgh] 1756-57 03/06/11 Bdg.m.171(1-3)