A selection of 50 volumes from the remnant of a family archive relating to the life and work of Sir Theodore Martin (1816-1909), Edinburgh-born lawyer and man of letters, and his wife the actress Helen Faucit (1817-1898). It comprises printed books (some 'grangerised' with letters, photographs and engravings), scrapbooks and associated manuscript items, and playbills for Lady Martin's performances, some of which were in Scottish theatres. The collection contains copies of most of Sir Theodore's publications in book form - he was also a regular contributor to 'Blackwood's Magazine' - and his copy of his wife's volume of essays 'On some of Shakespeare's female characters', with inserted letters from Dickens, Browning, Ruskin, Tennyson, Bulwer Lytton and others.

Organisation

The books have been catalogued individually and have the shelfmark 'Mart.'.

Acquisition

The collection was purchased by the Library in 1981.

Related collections

The manuscript letters bound in the collection are catalogued as MSS.16438-16445. Other correspondence by, and relating to, Theodore Martin can also be found in the Library's archive and manuscript collections.