Swift and Defoe - early novelists on display

Jonathan Swift and Daniel Defoe are remembered today for their early novels - Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels, and Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe.

These eighteenth century writers were both prodigious writers in many fields. When Monash University began in 1961, one of the earliest major purchases was of a collection of Swift items. This purchase enabled the establishment of the Rare Books collection, and the Library has maintained the special Swift collection over the years by adding early editions and manuscripts and material relating to Swift’s literary contemporaries, of whom the greatest is Daniel Defoe.

Professor Clive Probyn, of the School of English, Communications and Performance Studies at Monash, spoke of the attractions of such a special collection when he opened a new exhibition displaying some of the Rare Books Collection’s extensive holdings in the area. Items displayed include manuscripts, portraits, pamphlets and early editions.

Many items are illustrated with engravings as that was the form of illustration available at that time. Later editions of these well known novels from a number of countries show a variety of illustrative styles.

The exhibition can be seen until 31 August at the Rare Books Collection, Level 1, ISB wing, Sir Louis Matheson Library, Clayton campus.

Many early editions have now been digitised and are available online to Monash staff and students through databases such as Eighteenth century collections online. Such digitisation programs assist in preservation of these early works and provide wider access.

A virtual exhibition demonstrating the material on display and providing links where available to digitised versions can be accessed through the Library web site.

15 June 2009

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Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745), Autograph memorandum, signed, concerning St. Patrick’s Cathedral, 21 May 1739