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Press ReleaseThe New York Public Library Acquires Rare 18th-Century Works and Papers of Voltaire, Rousseau, and DiderotThe Rare Books Division of The New York Public Library has acquired the Martin Gross Collection of Voltaire, a world-class collection of 421 titles by authors of the French Enlightenment dating from the 18th century. The Gross Collection comprises works by François Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and Denis Diderot, including autograph letters, first and second editions, and pamphlets in a number of languages and from various European printing locations. With this acquisition, The New York Public Library now maintains a study collection of important and exceedingly rare editions of Voltaire's work, including a number of volumes that are not available at other major libraries with holdings on the French philosopher. The Library maintains exceptional holdings of 19th- and 20th-century editions and scholarly works on Voltaire and his contemporaries, but until now, did not own original 18th-century editions. "The Gross Collection of Voltaire fills an important gap in our collections," said Dr. Paul LeClerc, President of The New York Public Library and himself a Voltaire scholar. "It is my hope that the addition of significant research material on Voltaire, Rousseau, and Diderot will inspire substantial new contributions to the world of scholarship." Dr. Robert Darnton, Professor of History at Princeton University, scholar of French literature and culture, and New York Public Library Trustee said, "With one great leap, the Martin Gross Collection makes The New York Public Library a major center for scholarship on the French Enlightenment. The production and diffusion of Voltaire's works in particular can now be studied with new precision, and that study promises to open up new vistas in cultural history. To understand the full force of these works' impact on intellectual life, one must come to the Library and study them in all their editorial reincarnations." The Martin Gross Collection was begun nearly ten years ago by Mr. Gross of Livingston, NJ. His initial objective was to assemble the English translations of Voltaire printed during the 18th century. Soon thereafter, his collecting embraced the works of Rousseau and Diderot. In the end, the scope of the Gross Collection was expanded to include all lifetime editions of the three authors involved, wherever published. Virginia Bartow, curator of the Library's Rare Books Division, said, "In order to form a great library, one must begin with good collections. The Gross Collection is a fine acquisition and it provides the Library with an outstanding opportunity to develop a new collecting initiative." The Gross Collection has more than 40 first editions of Voltaire in French, as well as many other important printings, and a number of editions that were never officially recorded. Of the 18 known continental editions of Candide printed in 1759, the collection has twelve. The Gross Collection also has a large selection of English printings of the works of Voltaire in French, including more than 40 London editions. There are more than 50 first English translations of works by Voltaire; a number of which were thought to be reprints of earlier versions until now. The works of Rousseau and Diderot in the Gross Collection number 77 items, and range from first editions to translation editions, letters, pamphlets, and plays. Highlights of the Gross Collection include:
The acquisition of the Martin Gross Collection was made possible by Martin Gross and funds contributed by Library Trustee Barbara Goldsmith. A catalog will be published in the near future, and an annual budget for acquisitions will be established to allow the collection to grow. ### The Rare Books Division is located in The New York Public Library's Center for the Humanities, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Providing service to readers in the Brooke Russell Astor Reading Room for Rare Books and Manuscripts (Room 328), the Division houses one of the world's foremost collections of rare books with particular emphasis upon the history of books and printing, travel and exploration, and Americana. Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. 6 p.m.; Thursday, Friday, Saturday, 10 a.m. 6 p.m.; Closed Sunday and Monday A card of admission to the Rare Books and Manuscripts Division collections is required, obtained by visiting the Office of Special Collections, Room 316, in person. Cards of admission are non-transferable, and granted for specific subjects and limited periods. The Center for the Humanities, often referred to as the "main branch," is the magnificent Beaux-Arts landmark building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street. Housing rich and diverse collections in the humanities, social sciences, and special collections, these noncirculating graduate-level collections were initially formed from the consolidation of the Astor and Lenox Libraries, and have evolved into one of the world's preeminent public resources for the study of human thought, action, and experience from anthropology and archaeology, to religion, sports, world history, and literature. Admission is free. Hours: Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, 10 a.m.6 p.m.; Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 a.m. 7:30 p.m.; Closed Sunday. Hours for the Special Collections will vary, call (212) 661-7220 for specific division hours of service. rchurchill:pro:10/8/97 |