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Actions Help FAQs Can't find what you're looking for? Browse Collections A-Z University of London	Gerald Duckworth and Co Ltd Remove from selection Add to selection Request this item TitleGerald Duckworth and Co Ltd Held atSenate House Library, University of London Reference codeMS959 Datec1933-c1998 Creator Gerald Duckworth and Co LtdMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator The publishing house of Duckworth was founded in 1898 by Gerald de L'Etang Duckworth. In 1901 he was joined in partnership by George Harry Milsted. Thomas Balston became the third partner in 1923. Duckworth died in 1937, and in 1938 Mervyn Horder and Patrick Crichton Stuart bought interests in the firm and joined the Board of Directors. In 1950, George Milsted retired, and in 1955 Crichton Stuart moved on, leaving Mervyn Horder to become the Managing Director of the firm. By 1956 he had been joined by Charles Gifford as a director. Such figures as Jonathan Cape and Anthony Powell were amongst the publisher's distinguished staff. Early authors included Hilaire Belloc, D. H. Lawrence and Evelyn Waugh. The firm also published the Sitwells, the plays of John Galsworthy and novels by Elizabeth Goudge. In earlier years, the firm published a wide range of material, including novels and plays, but by the 1950s it was primarily publishing educational material. Series published by the firm include the “Great Lives” series and the “Hundred Years” series, which was aimed at university students and gave accounts of the developments in various fields during the preceding hundred years. There were also two theological series – “Studies in Theology” and the Colet Library – and the “Modern Health Series”, originally edited by Mervyn Horder’s father, Lord Horder. Duckworth was bought in 1968 by Colin Haycraft and Tim Simon. The firm was based at the Old Piano Factory, Hoxton Square, London from 1972 until 1998. Scope and ContentThe initial deposit of this collection, c1933-c1958, comprises general correspondence files containing letters dealing with a wide variety of matters that affected the publishing house (reference MS959). The files contain considerable correspondence between the publisher and its authors. Many letters relate to day to day practical matters, such as the canvassing and selection of manuscripts. Other issues are broader responses to the politics of the time such as the depression of the book trade as a result of the rise of Fascism. Many of the firm’s records were destroyed as a result of enemy action in 1942 and in a fire in 1953, meaning that there are no records of sales or any accounts of the firm, beyond some invoices and receipts from the 1950s. An earlier fire in 1929 destroyed many of the records of the firm, and the general correspondence occasionally makes reference to the firm’s inability to consult their early correspondence in response to enquiries. A second deposit of files made in August 1998 (reference MS959B) contains files of press-cuttings and journal reviews, mainly c1970s-1980s, relating to books published by Duckworth as well as 'Author Files' and papers of former Managing Director, Colin Haycraft. Includes files on Penelope Fitzgerald, A. N. Wilson, Nicholas Kaldor, Brian Redhead, A.L. Rowse, Ernie Wise, Michael Dummett, Kenny Everett, Kenneth Dover, A. J. Ayer, Mary Beard, John Toshack, Francis Wyndham, Jack Trevor Story, John Vaizey, Ronald Dworkin, Quentin Crisp, Herbert Butterfield, Louis Blom-Cooper, Roy Porter, Geoffrey Grigson, John Sparrow, Rachel Kempson, and Isaiah Berlin. Conditions governing accessOpen for research although access to particular files may be restricted under the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details. At least 24 hours notice is required for research visits. Extentc350 boxes System of ArrangementThe collection has been arranged according to the labelling from its original boxes. The series are as follows: MS959/1 General and Editorial Correspondence; MS959/2 Literary and Authors Agents Correspondence; MS959/3 Publishers Association Correspondence; MS959/4 Publishers Correspondence; MS959/5 Printers and Binders Correspondence; MS959/6 Accounts; MS959/7 Press Cuttings; MS959/8 Orders and Despatch; MS959/9 Miscellaneous. The second deposit (reference MS959B) has been listed at file level as it was found in the boxes. This is prior to a full on-line catalogue. Finding aidsThe initial deposit (reference MS959) is fully catalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). Pdf versions of the hard copy of this catalogue and of the box list of the subsequent deposit of later Duckworth archives (reference MS959B) are also attached to this description. M. J. Grant, "The Duckworth Papers in the University of London Library: A Sample of the Records of a Publishing House", University of London Library (1978) is available in the Special Collections reading room, Senate House Library. Related files http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/MS959.pdf http://archives.ulrls.lon.ac.uk/resources/MS959B.pdf The British Library, London, holds correspondence between Gerald Duckworth and Albert Mansbridge, 1934 (Ref: Add Ms 65259). Level of descriptionfonds Hierarchy browser contains 10 parts Gerald Duckworth and Co Ltd MS959 \| c1933-c1998 fonds

TitleGerald Duckworth and Co Ltd

Held atSenate House Library, University of London

Reference codeMS959

Datec1933-c1998

Creator
- Gerald Duckworth and Co LtdMore Info on CreatorLess Info on Creator
  The publishing house of Duckworth was founded in 1898 by Gerald de L'Etang Duckworth. In 1901 he was joined in partnership by George Harry Milsted. Thomas Balston became the third partner in 1923. Duckworth died in 1937, and in 1938 Mervyn Horder and Patrick Crichton Stuart bought interests in the firm and joined the Board of Directors. In 1950, George Milsted retired, and in 1955 Crichton Stuart moved on, leaving Mervyn Horder to become the Managing Director of the firm. By 1956 he had been joined by Charles Gifford as a director. Such figures as Jonathan Cape and Anthony Powell were amongst the publisher's distinguished staff. Early authors included Hilaire Belloc, D. H. Lawrence and Evelyn Waugh. The firm also published the Sitwells, the plays of John Galsworthy and novels by Elizabeth Goudge. In earlier years, the firm published a wide range of material, including novels and plays, but by the 1950s it was primarily publishing educational material. Series published by the firm include the “Great Lives” series and the “Hundred Years” series, which was aimed at university students and gave accounts of the developments in various fields during the preceding hundred years. There were also two theological series – “Studies in Theology” and the Colet Library – and the “Modern Health Series”, originally edited by Mervyn Horder’s father, Lord Horder. Duckworth was bought in 1968 by Colin Haycraft and Tim Simon. The firm was based at the Old Piano Factory, Hoxton Square, London from 1972 until 1998.

Scope and ContentThe initial deposit of this collection, c1933-c1958, comprises general correspondence files containing letters dealing with a wide variety of matters that affected the publishing house (reference MS959). The files contain considerable correspondence between the publisher and its authors. Many letters relate to day to day practical matters, such as the canvassing and selection of manuscripts. Other issues are broader responses to the politics of the time such as the depression of the book trade as a result of the rise of Fascism.

Many of the firm’s records were destroyed as a result of enemy action in 1942 and in a fire in 1953, meaning that there are no records of sales or any accounts of the firm, beyond some invoices and receipts from the 1950s. An earlier fire in 1929 destroyed many of the records of the firm, and the general correspondence occasionally makes reference to the firm’s inability to consult their early correspondence in response to enquiries.

A second deposit of files made in August 1998 (reference MS959B) contains files of press-cuttings and journal reviews, mainly c1970s-1980s, relating to books published by Duckworth as well as 'Author Files' and papers of former Managing Director, Colin Haycraft. Includes files on Penelope Fitzgerald, A. N. Wilson, Nicholas Kaldor, Brian Redhead, A.L. Rowse, Ernie Wise, Michael Dummett, Kenny Everett, Kenneth Dover, A. J. Ayer, Mary Beard, John Toshack, Francis Wyndham, Jack Trevor Story, John Vaizey, Ronald Dworkin, Quentin Crisp, Herbert Butterfield, Louis Blom-Cooper, Roy Porter, Geoffrey Grigson, John Sparrow, Rachel Kempson, and Isaiah Berlin.

Conditions governing accessOpen for research although access to particular files may be restricted under the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details. At least 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Extentc350 boxes

System of ArrangementThe collection has been arranged according to the labelling from its original boxes. The series are as follows: MS959/1 General and Editorial Correspondence; MS959/2 Literary and Authors Agents Correspondence; MS959/3 Publishers Association Correspondence; MS959/4 Publishers Correspondence; MS959/5 Printers and Binders Correspondence; MS959/6 Accounts; MS959/7 Press Cuttings; MS959/8 Orders and Despatch; MS959/9 Miscellaneous. The second deposit (reference MS959B) has been listed at file level as it was found in the boxes. This is prior to a full on-line catalogue.

Finding aidsThe initial deposit (reference MS959) is fully catalogued online (click on the "contains" icon below). Pdf versions of the hard copy of this catalogue and of the box list of the subsequent deposit of later Duckworth archives (reference MS959B) are also attached to this description. M. J. Grant, "The Duckworth Papers in the University of London Library: A Sample of the Records of a Publishing House", University of London Library (1978) is available in the Special Collections reading room, Senate House Library.

Related files

The British Library, London, holds correspondence between Gerald Duckworth and Albert Mansbridge, 1934 (Ref: Add Ms 65259).

Level of descriptionfonds

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