the manuscript collections of the maryland historical societyby avril j. m. pedley
TRANSCRIPT
The Manuscript Collections of the Maryland Historical Society by Avril J. M. PedleyReview by: Fred ShelleyThe American Archivist, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Jan., 1969), p. 34Published by: Society of American ArchivistsStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/40291094 .
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Reviews of Books EDWARD E. HILL, Editor
Washington National Records Center
Guides
The Manuscript Collections of the Maryland Historical Society, compiled by Avril
J. M. Pedley. (Baltimore, Maryland Historical Society, 1968. 390 p. $15.) The Maryland Historical Society has performed a signal service in sponsoring
the compilation and publication of a guide to the one million or so manuscripts in its
custody. The task required more than 2 years of intensive and devoted labor by Avril J. M. Pedley, the compiler; a small staff; and officers of the society. The result of this considerable effort is the handsome volume under review.
The heart of the guide is the listing in alphabetical order of 1,724 manuscript groups. If entries for the papers of B. Henry Latrobe, Roger B. Taney, the Calvert and the Carroll families, William Pinkney, William Wirt, and other well known
figures and records like those of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad attract first notice and attention, entries for many names not so readily recognized outside Maryland will be found rewarding to the scholar who previously had no satisfactory way to learn the extent and nature of the society's holdings. The remarkable J. Thomas Scharf collection falls into the second category, and the Augustus W. Bradford, the Francis J. Dallam, the Robert Garrett, the Howard family, the James A. Pearce, the David B. Warden, the John Campbell White, and the William H. Winder
papers are other examples. There are of course many entries to manuscripts of
largely local or State interest. The 68-page index helps guide the user to names and
subjects that appear in various entries. One does not often feel a need to mention the dust jacket of a book reviewed, but
this one is an exception. The manuscript of the "Star Spangled Banner" is repro- duced on the jacket and invites the reading of F. S. Key's words. On the back of the jacket is a line drawing of the niche at the society where the manuscript is
preserved. Many users of the guide in libraries will probably never see this attractive
jacket. The technical apparatus employed by Mrs. Pedley in the guide is generally very
satisfactory, but archivists and curators of manuscripts may wonder at the need to
apply numbers to the alphabetically arranged entries. Apparently one should call for or identify the Robert C. Buchanan Papers as "MS 159" rather than "entry 262." Perhaps of more importance is the uncertain use of such terms as "papers" and "collections" ; examples include what are certainly the records of the Baltimore Steam Packet Co. (called papers in no. 134) ; the records of the Baltimore Exchange Hotel (called collection in no. 108) ; and an autobiography of H. Winter Davis
(called papers in no. 436). Marylanders will recognize certain italicized words as the names of land or country houses. Those not familiar with Maryland customs
may be puzzled at an editorial practice more often used to identify names of ships, titles of books and pamphlets, etc. But this bit of nitpicking should in nowise detract from the general excellence of a guide that is eagerly and gratefully welcomed.
National Historical Publications Commission Fred Shelley
Books for review and related communications should be sent to Edward £. Hill, Archives Branch, Washington National Records Center, Washington, D.C. 20409.
34 THE AMERICAN ARCHIVIST
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