Dobson, Alban Tabor Austin and Symington, John Alexander: correspondence

Identity Statement

Reference code(s)	: GB 0096 AL361
Held at	: Senate House Library, University of London   Click here to find out how to view this collection at http://www.senatehouselibrary.ac.uk/our-collections ›
Full title	: Dobson, Alban Tabor Austin and Symington, John Alexander: correspondence
Date(s)	: 1938
Level of description	: fonds
Extent	: 7 items
Name of creator(s)	: Dobson | Alban Tabor Austin | 1885-1962 | civil servant

Context

Administrative/Biographical history:

Alban Tabor Austin Dobson, the son of the poet and critic Henry Austin Dobson, was born in Ealing, Middlesex, and died in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. He worked as a civil servant and served as Secretary to the International Whaling Commission. However, he is best known for collecting editions of his father's works; he donated this collection to the University of London in 1946 and it is now held in Senate House Library.

J A Symington (known as Alex Symington) was born in Yorkshire into a family of book dealers and printers. He became librarian to the manufacturer and philanthropist Lord Brotherton and built up a significant collection of books; he remained in charge of the collection when it was given to the University of Leeds following Lord Brotherton's death in 1930, but left in 1938 following disagreements with the university authorities. Symington was also a noted bibiliographer and a founding member (and, for a time, curator) of the Bronte Museum, Haworth.

Content

Scope and content/abstract:

Three letters from Dobson to Symington and carbon copies of 4 of Symington's replies to Dobson. Aug-Oct 1938. Topics covered include the book collection of Dobson's late father, Henry Austin Dobson; Dobson senior's correspondence with Edmund Gosse and others; Dobson's intentions to deposit his father's correspondence at Emmanuel College, Cambridge; arrangements for the correspondents to meet and library work. Autograph and typescript; Dobson's letters bear signatures but the copies of Symington's do not.

Access & Use

Language/scripts of material:
English

System of arrangement:

See hard copy catalogue.

Conditions governing access:

Access to this collection is unrestricted for the purpose of private study and personal research within the supervised environment and restrictions of the Library's Palaeography Room. Access to individual items in Senate House Library archives collections may be restricted under the Data Protection Act or the Freedom of Information Act. Please contact the University Archivist for details. 24 hours notice is required for research visits.

Conditions governing reproduction:

Copies may be made, subject to the condition of the original. Copying must be undertaken by the Palaeography Room staff, who will need a minimum of 24 hours to process requests.

Finding aids:

Typescript catalogue available in the Library's Palaeography Room.

Archival Information

Archival history:

See archivist

Immediate source of acquisition:

Purchased from G F Sims (1967).

Allied Materials

Related material:

Publication note:

Description Notes

Archivist's note:
Entry compiled by Sarah Drewery.

Rules or conventions:
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.

Date(s) of descriptions:
Jul 2008