Studies in the South and West, with Comments on CanadaWarner, Charles Dudley
History
Studies in the South and West, with Comments on Canada
Warner, Charles Dudley
Canada -- Description and travel; United States -- Description and travel
I hope that it will have ample space for, and that it will receive,
certain literary collections, such as are the glory and the attraction,
both to students and sight-seers, of the great libraries of the world.
And this leads me to speak of the treasures of Mr. Gunther, the most
remarkable private collection I have ever seen, and already worthy to
rank with some of the most famous on public exhibition. Mr. Gunther is a
candy manufacturer, who has an archaeological and “curio” taste, and for
many years has devoted an amount of money to the purchase of historical
relics that if known would probably astonish the public. Only specimens
of what he has can be displayed in the large apartment set apart for the
purpose over his shop. The collection is miscellaneous, forming a varied
and most interesting museum. It contains relics—many of them unique, and
most of them having a historical value—from many lands and all periods
since the Middle Ages, and is strong in relics and documents relating to
our own history, from the colonial period down to the close of our civil
war. But the distinction of the collection is in its original letters
and manuscripts of famous people, and its missals, illuminated
manuscripts, and rare books. It is hardly possible to mention a name
famous since America was discovered that is not here represented by an
autograph letter or some personal relics. We may pass by such mementos
as the Appomattox table, a sampler worked by Queen Elizabeth, a
prayer-book of Mary, Queen of Scots, personal belongings of Washington,
Lincoln, and hundreds of other historical characters, but we must give a
little space to the books and manuscripts, in order that it may be seen
that all the wealth of Chicago is not in grain and meat.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account