19th Century Manuscripts Collection
User Collection Public
This collection showcases a selection of nineteenth-century handwritten documents (manuscripts) from Special Collections and University Archives at the University of Victoria Libraries dating from roughly 1800 to 1900. Documents such as artwork, autograph albums, letters, diaries, and scrapbooks can be found in the collection.
Collection highlights include:
Peter Lowens Collection: letters written by illustrators of Charles Dickens' works such as Edmund Yates, George Cattermole, William Powell Frith, and Alfred Chantrey Corbould.
Kidman Family Fonds: art album and autograph albums, dating from 1828 to 1930, created by sisters Lilian Kidman and Ella Kidman, and their father Henry Kidman.
Edward Morrell Holmes scrapbook: containing approximately 250 seaweed specimens collected between 1895 and 1918.
Permalink: http://vault.library.uvic.ca/collections/773738ef-6bf3-4d4f-96ca-586178011cc8
Collection Details
- Items 80
- Last Updated 2025-07-22
Subcollections (1)
Works (79)
41. Letter from Luke Fildes to Mr. Collinson, April 27, 1887
- Title:
- Letter from Luke Fildes to Mr. Collinson, April 27, 1887
- Description:
- Autograph letter, signed.
- Creator:
- Fildes, Luke, Sir, 1844-1927
- Contributor:
- Collinson, Mr.
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1887-04-27
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Extent:
- 3 pages
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts Collection
- Provenance:
- For further information please contact Special Collections and University Archives.
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence)
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens Collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Archival Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2017-04-24
- Technical Note:
- Scanned @ 600 with Epson GT-15000 flatbed scanner; images cropped & stitched using Photoshop CS5, no colour correction by KMercer. Physical item part of Peter Lowens' personal collection, provided by him for digitization and additional metadata by Maggie Tan
42. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, March 16, 1890
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, March 16, 1890
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment. This letter has a note made at top of first page, possibly written by Henry: "Letter to my grandmother about my drawing of Uncle Hodgkinsen" done with lamp at night at York". It showed William giving some feedback on Henry's drawing.
- Subject:
- Painters, Artists--Family relationships, Families, Artists--Correspondence, Painters--Correspondence, and Artists
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1890-03-16
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 1
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
43. Cookery by Isabella B. Bennett, April 1891- March 1892
- Title:
- Cookery by Isabella B. Bennett, April 1891- March 1892
- Description:
- This “Cookery” manuscript by Isabella B. Bennett dates from April 1891 to March 1892 and contains recipes, likely transcribed into the notebook by Bennett. Last 10 pages are blank. Some of the recipes are grouped together as menus. The notebook also includes a section on “Sick-room Cookery.” Recipes include: Hot Prune Pudding, Dutch Roll, Lentil Soup, Flat Cornish Cake, Boned Shoulder of Moutton, Stewed Haddocks in Brown Sauce, Date Pudding, Hominy Balls, Italian Omelette, Snowdon Pudding, Catherine Soup, Short Crust, Stewed Rhubarb, Meringue, Rice and Cheese Balls, Liver and Bacon, Stewed Beef, Ashantee Pudding, Luncheon Cake, Mock Kidney Soup, Birds Nests, Suet Crust, Potato Cake, Aunt Elizabeth’s Pudding, Oven Scones, Girdle Scones, Macaroni and Meat Shape, Adelaide Surprise, Gingerbread, Bean Soup, Calf Foot Jelly, Custard Sauce, Soup Maigre, Beef Olives, Treacle Sponge, Boiled Artichokes, White Sauce, Cheese Savoury, Filleted and Steamed Fish, Roast and Stuffed Rabbit, Apple Tart, Rice and Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Mullagatowney Soup, Boiled Potatoes, Caledonian Creams, Potato Balls. “Sick-room cookery” recipes include: Egg Drink, Steamed Chop, Lemon Jelly, Fried Fish, Custard Pudding, Beef Tea, Raw Beef Tea, Thick Milk, Toast Water, Egg Drink, Prune Jelly, Madeira Cake, Baked Fish, Pancakes, Mutton Cutlets, Baked Tripe, Swiss Roll, Poached Eggs on Toast.
- Subject:
- Food, Cooking for the sick, Cooking, English, and Cooking
- Creator:
- Bennett, Isabella B.
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1891/1892
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- License:
- For further information please contact Special Collections and University Archives.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Call Number: TX717 B45 1891
- Extent:
- 48 pages ; 26 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England
- Coordinates:
- 52.16045, -0.70312
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Original manuscript on ruled paper, green paper wrappers.
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts Collection
- Provenance:
- Physical item part of Peter Lowens' personal collection, provided by him for digitization.
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- books, recipes, menus, and cookbooks
- Date Digitized:
- 2017-07-04
- Technical Note:
- 600 dpi TIFFS. Scanned by CDeWolfe using TTI Betterlight. Images cropped by CDWolfe to remove colour bar. No colour correction, no size reduction. Additional metadata by MT.
44. Muriel Gerrard Scrapbook
- Title:
- Muriel Gerrard Scrapbook
- Description:
- A scrapbook of greeting cards and costumes. It also includes pasted-in newspaper clippings, a variety of coloured paper cut-outs, and some chromolithography die-cuts. The scrapbook itself is a repurposed print book.
- Subject:
- Costume, Scrapbooks, Greeting cards, Chromolithography, Victorian, Children's art, and Cut-out craft
- Creator:
- Gerrard, Muriel
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1891
- Rights Statement:
- Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
- License:
- This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/StillImage
- Extent:
- 1 volume (unpaged) ; 19 x 25 x 1.5 cm
- Alternative Title:
- Victorian Child's Scrapbook
- Geographic Coverage:
- Great Britain
- Coordinates:
- 54, -2
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Scrapbook created from bound volume "Flower Painting in Water Colours" by F. Edward Hulme. Includes cover, title page, and publisher's leaves from this publication. Original content appears to have been removed and replaced by scrapbook material. Publisher's leaf inscribed: "Muriel Gerrard from her Mother on Dec.9th 1891".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts Collection
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- albums (books) and scrapbooks
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 1980-061
- Fonds Title:
- Muriel Gerrard fonds
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC236
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/muriel-gerrard-fonds
- Date Digitized:
- 2020-08-26
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook 4800 at 600 dpi TIFF on 26 August 2020 by JF ; Metadata by DS
45. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, April 24, 1892
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, April 24, 1892
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment. This letter discussed how important it is to have a good foundation of drawing first. Mentions artists Reynolds and Titian as two of the greatest colourists who ever lived, and talks about their technique.
- Subject:
- Painters, Painters--Correspondence, Families, Artists--Family relationships, Artists--Correspondence, and Artists
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1892-04-24
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 2
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
46. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, February 9, 1893
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, February 9, 1893
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment. This letter discusses more about the colours Frith uses when he paints.
- Subject:
- Artists, Artists--Family relationships, Families, Artists--Correspondence, Painters, and Painters--Correspondence
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1893-02-09
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 4
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
47. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, April 4, 1893
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, April 4, 1893
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment.
- Subject:
- Artists--Family relationships, Painters, Painters--Correspondence, Families, Artists, and Artists--Correspondence
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1893-04-04
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 5
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. A quarter of the page has been cut and is missing. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, Forest Hill, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
48. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, July 6, 1893
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, July 6, 1893
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment. This letter discusses Reynolds and Titian more, and also talks about Ruebens technique. Frith also talks about colour mixing and colour combinations he has used.
- Subject:
- Families, Artists--Correspondence, Artists--Family relationships, Painters, Painters--Correspondence, and Artists
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1893-07-06
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 3
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
49. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, July 11, 1893
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, July 11, 1893
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment.
- Subject:
- Painters, Families, Artists, Artists--Family relationships, Painters--Correspondence, and Artists--Correspondence
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1893-07-11
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 6
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- letters (correspondence) and correspondence
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.
50. Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, September 25, 1893
- Title:
- Letter from William Powell Frith to Henry Keyworth Raine, September 25, 1893
- Description:
- Part of a collection of 21 letters sent by William Powell Frith to his great nephew Henry Keyworth Raine, dating from March 16, 1890 to March 29, 1908. William Powell Frith (1819-1909), painter of historical and genre works, including large canvases such as Derby Day (1858). “The Race for Wealth” comprises five paintings, all based around a fictional central character, a corrupt financier called The Spider, and all dealing with the theme of reckless financial speculation. Inspired by characters found in the novels of Charles Dickens and Anthony Trollope, The Spider persuades his victims to invest in dubious schemes. Often compared with Hogarth’s “The Rake’s Progress,” “The Race for Wealth” portrays The Spider’s initial success, his unmasking, his trial, and ends with his imprisonment.
- Subject:
- Painters--Correspondence, Families, Artists, Artists--Correspondence, Painters, and Artists--Family relationships
- Creator:
- Frith, William Powell, 1819-1909
- Contributor:
- Raine, Henry Keyworth
- Language:
- eng
- Date Created:
- 1893-09-25
- Rights Statement:
- No Copyright - Non-Commercial Use Only
- License:
- Contact Special Collections and University Archives for access to the original. This material is made available on this site for research and private study only.
- Resource Type:
- http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text
- Identifier:
- Number on first page of letter: 8
- Extent:
- 2 pages ; 15 x 20 cm, folded to 15 x 10 cm
- Geographic Coverage:
- England--London
- Coordinates:
- 51.50853, -0.12574
- Additional Physical Characteristics:
- Handwritten in black ink. Address letterhead on right hand side: "Ashenhurst, Syndenham Rise, S.E.".
- Physical Repository:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Collection:
- 19th Century Manuscripts
- Provider:
- University of Victoria (B.C.). Library
- Genre:
- correspondence and letters (correspondence)
- Archival Item Identifier:
- Accession Number: 2022-007
- Fonds Title:
- Peter Lowens collection
- Fonds Identifier:
- SC564
- Is_referenced_by:
- Special Collections Finding Aid: https://search.archives.uvic.ca/peter-lowens-collection
- Date Digitized:
- 2022-02-10
- Technical Note:
- Scanned on Plustek OpticBook A300 at 600 DPI Tiff. Items cropped and resized for Vault. Metadata by MT.