A catalogue of the library of the United Service Museum : Middle Scotland Yard, London

The Royal United Service Institution is a British defense security think tank founded in 1831 by the Duke of Wellington, Sir Arthur Wellesley. The original mission of the institution was to study naval and military science. The institution's Museum was first located at Whitehall Court, London. In 1833 the institute moved to Inner Scotland Yard. The Museum relocated in 1895 next door to the Banqueting House at Whitehall Palace, its current location. The museum library is under the auspices of the Council of the Royal United Service Institution and was originally known as the Naval and Military Library Museum.

This printed library catalog with interleaved blanks is the house copy of the United Service Museum. The volume has copious annotated bibliographic entries on the printed pages and interleaved blanks to accommodate additions to the library. The volume was in use from the years 1836 to 1841 probably by the institute's librarian. Council room is written on the verso of the fly leaf where volume was likely kept. There is a table of contents following the title page providing the organization and arrangement of the library's collection. The library is divided into subjects labeled as classes. Each class is divided into sections. The handwritten sixth section Numismatics was and addition to the History class. Each subject section is organized by author and if the author is not available the title is used. Following the contents is an alphabetical index with notations and additions. The blank pages facing and following each printed page has numerous handwritten additions to the library. Some works were also subtracted from the library. A column created on the left side of each page has numerical or alphabetical values, possibly indicating a shelf location. The works in the library's collection span the years from 1510 to 1841. A stamped label on the back cover reads: Library catalogue, station list, U.S. Museum. Spine label reads: U. S. M. library. There are 112 printed pages in the volume. The interleaved blanks are unnumbered. The spine is cracked and partially detached.

Class I. Theology, education, and moral philosophy.

Class II. Jurisprudence, government, statitstics, commerce, and political economy.

Class III. Sciences and th arts.

Class IV. History.

Class V. Biography.

Class VI. Voyages and travels.

Class VII. Belle lettres.

Class VIII. Periodicals.

Atlases and books of maps, plans, charts &c.

Sold by Antiquates Fine & Rare Books (Wareham, England), 2018.

Use

Copyright restrictions may exist. For most library holdings, the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania do not hold copyright. It is the responsibility of the requester to seek permission from the holder of the copyright to reproduce material from the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts.

Preferred Citation

Catalogue of the library of the United Service Museum, 1836-1841, Ms. Codex 1933, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, University of Pennsylvania

Publisher

University of Pennsylvania: Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts

Finding aids author

Donna Brandolisio

Date

June 2018

Creator

Royal United Service Institution (Great Britain)

Subject

Private libraries

Armed Forces

Language

English

Form

Hybrid books

Library catalogs

Annotations

Codices (bound manuscripts)