Ethel M. Wood Biblical Collection

The Ethel M. Wood Biblical Collection comprises over 400 English and American Bibles and books on biblical studies collected by Ethel Mary Wood, née Hogg, (1876-1970), daughter and biographer of the merchant and philanthropist Quintin Hogg (1845-1903). The collection began as a deposit in 1950 and was bequeathed, with additional volumes, in 1970. Additions are made to the collection from time to time from a modest purchase fund (see items [E.M.W.] 420 and following).

The earliest item in the collection is the Expositio Hymnorum, printed by Antoine Caillaut in 1492/3 (ISTC IE00150500). Among the 32 sixteenth-century and 51 seventeenth-century works, notable items include first editions of the Matthew (1537), Taverner (1539) and Geneva (1560) Bibles. A number of volumes are illustrated with fine historiated initials, engravings and maps, and several have notes typical of family Bibles or interesting provenances: Pierre-Robert Olivétan’s 1535 French translation of the Bible, for example, comes from the Bibliothèque de Mello. Bindings includes an example by Samuel Mearne (1624-1683), fore-edge paintings, and Art Nouveau-style bindings from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. A number of the modern items have their original dust wrappers.

Items from the collection can be found on the Main Catalogue. To gain an overview of the collection, do a mixed classmark search on [E.M.W.]. An author search on “Wood, Ethel” as former owner will isolate items from the original collection.

The Ethel M. Wood Bibles complement Bibles in the Durning-Lawrence Library and holdings in the general special collections.

A short article about the collection appeared in Senate House Library Newsletter (Summer 2011), p.9.

shl.specialcollections@london.ac.uk 020 7862 8470