CLD Online Tutorial

Section 3:

The Pitman Collection
Introduction

CLDs in practice: Introduction

Prose description

[From a grant application to catalogue material in the Collection]

The Pitman Collection [Title] is based on the library of Sir Isaac Pitman [Name] and [Collector Name], the inventor of the shorthand [Concept] system. It was formerly housed with the Pitman Publishing House in London, and then transferred in 1970 to Bath University [Custodial history] and [Owner name] as a gift from the Pitman family, notably Sir James Pitman [Name], grandson of Sir Isaac, and formerly a Bath M.P. and a Pro-Chancellor of the University. In December 1977 the Collection was increased by the books and non-book material of Sir James Pitman [Custodial history] relating to his own interest: the library of the Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) Foundation [Sub-collection] and [Concept]. Sir Isaac Pitman lived in Bath from 1839 and opened his first printing press there in 1845. It is thus particularly appropriate that this internationally unique and rare collection [Strength] of books, papers and manuscripts [Physical characteristics] should be housed in the city with which the Pitman family have been so closely associated.

The Collection has been added to by the Pitman Company [Name] and [Accrual status] and by a number of people concerned with shorthand in one way or another and who have made varying contributions from time to time [Accrual status]. Through Sir James, the Collection also contains entries submitted in the competition for a new alphabet [Concept] arising from the will of G.B. Shaw [Name]. Most of the Collection is in an air-conditioned special collections room, secure, yet accessible to researchers under supervision [Access control].

[From the University of Bath Library [Administrator: organisation] and [Super-collection] web site]

Some 7,300 items on the history of shorthand, writing systems and orthography [Concept]. This is mainly the private library of Isaac Pitman, the Bathonian inventor of Pitman's shorthand, and his grandson James. [This brief description used as for [Description]

Contact Lizzie Richmond [Administrator: name], Room L3.19
tel 01225 383 464 [Administrator: tel. no.]
Email E.Richmond@bath.ac.uk [Administrator: email address]