As a confessed, obsessed bibliophile, spending time in Wightwick's library learning more about the book collection was, in the words of Mary Poppins: 'practically perfect in every way'. Picking the brain of Stephen Massil, a research librarian, who is cataloguing Wightwick's paperbacks, pamphlets, and all myriad of publications of poetry, politics and the Pre-Raphaelites (amongst many other topics that unhelpfully do not begin with a P!), my goal was to understand how one would go about creating a database of the books in Wightwick's collection. How to describe, identify, group and code them and furthermore, how entries are created and corrected on the NT Collections Management System. Stephen patiently answered my wide ranging, and occasionally wacky, questions, explained the differences and similarities between book collections, how to examine them and drew my attention to key features to remark on. He also crucially described how the history of the collection of books charts the history and relationships of the family. He even remarked that he could in fact write a book on his specific insights into the collection and what they reveal about the Mander family.
Stephen helpfully pointed to: a geology book given to Geoffrey by his Grandfather, Henry Paint; frontispieces bearing the stamp of Theodore Mander; devotional books belonging to Flora; and sweetly, poetry books given by Theodore and Flora to each other for their anniversaries. He knowingly explained that these books are important not only for their published content, for the themes they discuss, the views proposed within their typed texts, but also for their ability to be tools to unearth family ties, charting the relationships, achievements, tastes and ambitions of the Mander family. It was truly fascinating to listen to Stephen, and to hear his views of Wightwick and the Mander family from the perspective of the books that dwell within.
The book I became enamoured with bears the marks of Geoffrey as an eighteen year old undergraduate at Cambridge. Although this book was used by Geoffrey more than a century ago, it's chemical stains appear as fresh as the signs of spring. These experiments that have coloured, mottled, scorched and dissolved parts of the papers of this chemistry text book, are enriched by handwritten footnotes, diligently noting the scientific processes observed. The book came alive with the imprints of Geoffrey's early scholarly triumphs and tribulations, and I had to resist the urge to bring the page to my nose to see if I could get a whiff of long since completed chemistry experiments.
Hannah
The format of Stephen's cataloguing I spent time learning about.
Stephen working diligently in the library at Wightwick Manor.
The chemistry tome I became enamoured with. Here Geoffrey has declared ownership with his name, Trinity College, Cambridge, 20th November 1900.
Another view of the book, entitled Notes on Qualitative Analysis, with telling marks of a book well used.
