The University of London’s Earliest Books (1838): 185 Volumes Presented by Nathaniel Vye, Esq.

One of the first acquisitions of the University of London Library (now Senate House Library, University of London) was a gift recorded in 1838 of 185 volumes presented by Nathaniel Vye, Esq. Nothing indicates the further identity of the donor, the motivation for the donation, or the nature of the books, but many of the books given by Vye can be identified from markings within them, and others can be traced with varying levels of certainty from the Library's first catalogue. On the basis of the library catalogue printed in 1876 and an examination of the library shelves, this article reconstitutes and analyses the Vye gift. In age, language, and subject matter it stands out from other early library acquisitions generally and from named donations of recent books given by their authors particularly, for the Vye books were predominantly German eighteenth-century octavos, with divinity (especially sermons) being the main subject. The article further touches on Vye's identity, the provenance of the books, and the University of London's attitude towards them.