Charles Theodore Hagberg Wright
Encyclopedia
Sir Charles Theodore Hagberg Wright, LL.D.
(November 17, 1862, Middleton Tyas
, Yorkshire
– March 7, 1940 in London
) was the Secretary and Librarian of the London Library
from 1893 until his death. He managed expansion of the library and compiled a comprehensive catalogue of its collection
. The Times
called him "the guiding genius" of the library, the driving force behind the four decades of its growth. The Library itself hails Wright as "the real architect of the London Library as it is today".
Wright was a highly public person and frequently engaged in political debates. His scholarly interests ranged from the history of the colonization of Africa
to translation of Leo Tolstoy
. He had a reputation of a liberal russophile
and was involved in Russian radical politics and wartime humanitarian aid
to Russian soldiers and academics.
into a family of mixed Anglo-Irish
and Swedish
descent. He was the third son of reverend Charles Henry Hamilton Wright. His father was ordained deacon
in 1859; later in life he officiated in Belfast
, Dublin and Liverpool
and managed the Protestant Reformation Society. His mother was the daughter of Nils Almroth, Governor of Swedish Royal Mint in Stockholm
. His brother Almroth Wright
became a prominent bacteriologist and anti-feminist
.
Wright was privately educated in Russia
, France
and Germany
, and attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
and the Trinity College
in Dublin. In January 1890 he was appointed to the National Library of Ireland
and in the following three years catalogued its collection according to the Dewey system
. In 1893 he was elected Secretary and Librarian of the London Library
.
buildings in London. Its present-day eclectic facade, Main Hall and Reading Room date back to Wright's time; the library as a whole has been substantially expanded in 1920s, 1930s and 1990s. The library stock grew through purchases and private donations to 250,000 volumes in 1913 and to 400,000 volumes in 1928 (the 500,000 mark was passed in 1950). When notable book collections were slated to be auctioned to foreign buyers, as was the case of Sir Henry Clinton's library, Hagberg publicly rallied to keep them in the country.
Wright's purchases concentrated in the fields of literature and social sciences
, particularly the works of British learned societies
. Books on general sciences and natural history
were (and still remain) scarce, books on medicine
and technology
nonexistent. In 1920 the library purchased the Allen collection of books on Biblical studies
and Reformation
, including some incunabula. In late 1920s Wright disposed with what was then perceived "minor 19-th century fiction". T. S. Eliot
, who was elected President of the library twelve years after Wright's death, said: "I do not believe that there is another library of this size which contains so many books which I might want, and so few of the books which I cannot imagine anyone wanting."
Before Wright, the library's catalogue evolved through annual addendums to its 1842 founding catalogue. The practice seemed inadequate, and Wright concentrated on producing a proper modern catalogue. The first edition, compiled by Wright and Christopher Purnell, was printed in 1903, the second in 1914–1914. It contained 1626 pages; supplementary volumes were printed in 1920 and 1929. The catalogue was arranged in six volumes for the general public and in 38 folio volumes for daily internal use. In addition, Wright published companion Subject Index (1909, 1923, 1938). His catalogues earned reputation for scrupulous research and attribution of anonymous and pseudonymous publications, and became a standard reference database for British and overseas librarians. His catalogue system forms the foundation of present-day electronic database.
Wright was knighted
on January 1, 1934. His greatest desire was to guide the London Library through its centennial in 1941.
to the first issue of the Journal of the African Society
. After the outbreak of World War I
Hagberg Wright signed the Reply to German Professors by British Scholars asserting that "we must carry on the war on which we have entered. For us, as for Belgium, it is a war of defense waged for liberty and peace." During the war he campaigned for the establishment of libraries for the Russian prisoners in Germany.
Wright had a reputation of a liberal russophile
. He translated works by Leo Tolstoy
, and wrote that Tolstoy's greatness "has been obscured from us rather than enhanced by his duality: a realist who strove to demolish the mysticism
of Christianity
and became himself a mystic in the contemplation of Nature." In 1908 Wright personally presented Tolstoy a letter signed by more than 700 English admirers. Wright noted Tolstoy's "apparent serenity" but did not mention his aversion to public events. Tolstoy lamented in his diary: "At this advanced age, when there is nothing left to think about but death, they want to bother me with that!". Later, Wright provided legal support to Tolstoy's secretary Vladimir Chertkov
and his family after their emigration to England.
Wright welcomed Maxim Gorky
, Vladimir Nabokov
, Alexey Tolstoy
to London and introduced them to English writers and publishers of his circle. He was an important figure of the Anglo-Russian Committee, an organization that regularly exposed Russian political troubles to the British public. Before World War I he actively engaged in radical Russian politics. In 1908 Wright, Henry Nevinson
, and Peter Kropotkin
campaigned to raise money for the escape of Russian revolutionary Maria Spiridonova
, who was serving life sentence for a murder. Spiridonova declined the offer and stayed in Siberia
. During the Russian Civil War
Wright joined the British Committee for Aiding Men of Letters and Science in Russia. He contributed to the publications of primary documents related to the final years of the House of Romanov and the revolutions of 1917.
Legum Doctor
Legum Doctor is a doctorate-level academic degree in law, or an honorary doctorate, depending on the jurisdiction. The double L in the abbreviation refers to the early practice in the University of Cambridge to teach both Canon Law and Civil Law, the double L indicating the plural, Doctor of both...
(November 17, 1862, Middleton Tyas
Middleton Tyas
Middleton Tyas is a village and civil parish in the Richmondshire district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located nearby to Scotch Corner.-History:The name Middleton is of Anglo-Saxon origin and it means middle-farm or middle-settlement...
, Yorkshire
Yorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
– March 7, 1940 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) was the Secretary and Librarian of the London Library
London Library
The London Library is the world's largest independent lending library, and the UK's leading literary institution. It is located in the City of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom....
from 1893 until his death. He managed expansion of the library and compiled a comprehensive catalogue of its collection
Library catalog
A library catalog is a register of all bibliographic items found in a library or group of libraries, such as a network of libraries at several locations...
. The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called him "the guiding genius" of the library, the driving force behind the four decades of its growth. The Library itself hails Wright as "the real architect of the London Library as it is today".
Wright was a highly public person and frequently engaged in political debates. His scholarly interests ranged from the history of the colonization of Africa
Colonisation of Africa
The colonisation of Africa has a long history, the most famous phase being the European Scramble for Africa during the late 19th and early 20th century.- Ancient colonialism :...
to translation of Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
. He had a reputation of a liberal russophile
Russophilia
Russophilia is the love of Russia and/or Russians. The term is used in two basic contexts: in international politics and in cultural context. "Russophilia" and "Russophilic" are the terms used to denote pro-Russian sentiments, usually in politics and literature...
and was involved in Russian radical politics and wartime humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian aid is material or logistical assistance provided for humanitarian purposes, typically in response to humanitarian crises including natural disaster and man-made disaster. The primary objective of humanitarian aid is to save lives, alleviate suffering, and maintain human dignity...
to Russian soldiers and academics.
Family roots and early years
Charles Theodore Hagberg Wright was born in YorkshireYorkshire
Yorkshire is a historic county of northern England and the largest in the United Kingdom. Because of its great size in comparison to other English counties, functions have been increasingly undertaken over time by its subdivisions, which have also been subject to periodic reform...
into a family of mixed Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish
Anglo-Irish was a term used primarily in the 19th and early 20th centuries to identify a privileged social class in Ireland, whose members were the descendants and successors of the Protestant Ascendancy, mostly belonging to the Church of Ireland, which was the established church of Ireland until...
and Swedish
Swedes
Swedes are a Scandinavian nation and ethnic group native to Sweden, mostly inhabiting Sweden and the other Nordic countries, with descendants living in a number of countries.-Etymology:...
descent. He was the third son of reverend Charles Henry Hamilton Wright. His father was ordained deacon
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
in 1859; later in life he officiated in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Dublin and Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
and managed the Protestant Reformation Society. His mother was the daughter of Nils Almroth, Governor of Swedish Royal Mint in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. His brother Almroth Wright
Almroth Wright
Sir Almroth Edward Wright, KBE, CB was a British bacteriologist and immunologist.He is notable for developing a system of anti-typhoid fever inoculation, recognizing early on that antibiotics would create resistant bacteria and being a strong advocate for preventive medicine.-Biography:Wright was...
became a prominent bacteriologist and anti-feminist
Antifeminism
Antifeminism is opposition to feminism in some or all of its forms. Modern antifeminists say that the feminist movement has achieved its aims and now seeks higher status for women than for men.-History:...
.
Wright was privately educated in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, and attended the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
and the Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
in Dublin. In January 1890 he was appointed to the National Library of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
The National Library of Ireland is Ireland's national library located in Dublin, in a building designed by Thomas Newenham Deane. The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism is the member of the Irish Government responsible for the library....
and in the following three years catalogued its collection according to the Dewey system
Dewey Decimal Classification
Dewey Decimal Classification, is a proprietary system of library classification developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876.It has been greatly modified and expanded through 23 major revisions, the most recent in 2011...
. In 1893 he was elected Secretary and Librarian of the London Library
London Library
The London Library is the world's largest independent lending library, and the UK's leading literary institution. It is located in the City of Westminster, London, England, United Kingdom....
.
London Library
The London Library acquired its first own building in 1879. In 1896–1898 it was completely rebuilt and became one of the first steel frameSteel frame
Steel frame usually refers to a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal -beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame...
buildings in London. Its present-day eclectic facade, Main Hall and Reading Room date back to Wright's time; the library as a whole has been substantially expanded in 1920s, 1930s and 1990s. The library stock grew through purchases and private donations to 250,000 volumes in 1913 and to 400,000 volumes in 1928 (the 500,000 mark was passed in 1950). When notable book collections were slated to be auctioned to foreign buyers, as was the case of Sir Henry Clinton's library, Hagberg publicly rallied to keep them in the country.
Wright's purchases concentrated in the fields of literature and social sciences
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, particularly the works of British learned societies
Learned society
A learned society is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline/profession, as well a group of disciplines. Membership may be open to all, may require possession of some qualification, or may be an honor conferred by election, as is the case with the oldest learned societies,...
. Books on general sciences and natural history
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
were (and still remain) scarce, books on medicine
Medicine
Medicine is the science and art of healing. It encompasses a variety of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
and technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
nonexistent. In 1920 the library purchased the Allen collection of books on Biblical studies
Biblical studies
Biblical studies is the academic study of the Judeo-Christian Bible and related texts. For Christianity, the Bible traditionally comprises the New Testament and Old Testament, which together are sometimes called the "Scriptures." Judaism recognizes as scripture only the Hebrew Bible, also known as...
and Reformation
Protestant Reformation
The Protestant Reformation was a 16th-century split within Western Christianity initiated by Martin Luther, John Calvin and other early Protestants. The efforts of the self-described "reformers", who objected to the doctrines, rituals and ecclesiastical structure of the Roman Catholic Church, led...
, including some incunabula. In late 1920s Wright disposed with what was then perceived "minor 19-th century fiction". T. S. Eliot
T. S. Eliot
Thomas Stearns "T. S." Eliot OM was a playwright, literary critic, and arguably the most important English-language poet of the 20th century. Although he was born an American he moved to the United Kingdom in 1914 and was naturalised as a British subject in 1927 at age 39.The poem that made his...
, who was elected President of the library twelve years after Wright's death, said: "I do not believe that there is another library of this size which contains so many books which I might want, and so few of the books which I cannot imagine anyone wanting."
Before Wright, the library's catalogue evolved through annual addendums to its 1842 founding catalogue. The practice seemed inadequate, and Wright concentrated on producing a proper modern catalogue. The first edition, compiled by Wright and Christopher Purnell, was printed in 1903, the second in 1914–1914. It contained 1626 pages; supplementary volumes were printed in 1920 and 1929. The catalogue was arranged in six volumes for the general public and in 38 folio volumes for daily internal use. In addition, Wright published companion Subject Index (1909, 1923, 1938). His catalogues earned reputation for scrupulous research and attribution of anonymous and pseudonymous publications, and became a standard reference database for British and overseas librarians. His catalogue system forms the foundation of present-day electronic database.
Wright was knighted
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
on January 1, 1934. His greatest desire was to guide the London Library through its centennial in 1941.
Public activities
In 1901 Wright was the founding member of the African Society and contributed an article on the German colonization of AfricaGerman colonization of Africa
The German colonization of Africa took place in the following areas:*German East Africa*German West Africa*German South-West Africa*Togoland-See also:*German colonial empire*List of former German colonies*German colonization of the Americas...
to the first issue of the Journal of the African Society
African Affairs
African Affairs is a peer-reviewed academic journal published quarterly by Oxford University Press on behalf of the London-based Royal African Society. The journal covers any Africa-related topic: political, social, economic, environmental and historical...
. After the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
Hagberg Wright signed the Reply to German Professors by British Scholars asserting that "we must carry on the war on which we have entered. For us, as for Belgium, it is a war of defense waged for liberty and peace." During the war he campaigned for the establishment of libraries for the Russian prisoners in Germany.
Wright had a reputation of a liberal russophile
Russophilia
Russophilia is the love of Russia and/or Russians. The term is used in two basic contexts: in international politics and in cultural context. "Russophilia" and "Russophilic" are the terms used to denote pro-Russian sentiments, usually in politics and literature...
. He translated works by Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
, and wrote that Tolstoy's greatness "has been obscured from us rather than enhanced by his duality: a realist who strove to demolish the mysticism
Mysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and became himself a mystic in the contemplation of Nature." In 1908 Wright personally presented Tolstoy a letter signed by more than 700 English admirers. Wright noted Tolstoy's "apparent serenity" but did not mention his aversion to public events. Tolstoy lamented in his diary: "At this advanced age, when there is nothing left to think about but death, they want to bother me with that!". Later, Wright provided legal support to Tolstoy's secretary Vladimir Chertkov
Vladimir Chertkov
Vladimir Grigoryevich Chertkov was a Russian writer and secretary of Leo Tolstoy, and one of the most prominent Tolstoyans.-Family and childhood:...
and his family after their emigration to England.
Wright welcomed Maxim Gorky
Maxim Gorky
Alexei Maximovich Peshkov , primarily known as Maxim Gorky , was a Russian and Soviet author, a founder of the Socialist Realism literary method and a political activist.-Early years:...
, Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
, Alexey Tolstoy
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy
Aleksey Nikolayevich Tolstoy , nicknamed the Comrade Count, was a Russian and Soviet writer who wrote in many genres but specialized in science fiction and historical novels...
to London and introduced them to English writers and publishers of his circle. He was an important figure of the Anglo-Russian Committee, an organization that regularly exposed Russian political troubles to the British public. Before World War I he actively engaged in radical Russian politics. In 1908 Wright, Henry Nevinson
Henry Nevinson
Henry Woodd Nevinson was a British campaigning journalist. He was known for his reporting on the Second Boer War, and slavery in Angola in 1904-1905....
, and Peter Kropotkin
Peter Kropotkin
Prince Pyotr Alexeyevich Kropotkin was a Russian zoologist, evolutionary theorist, philosopher, economist, geographer, author and one of the world's foremost anarcho-communists. Kropotkin advocated a communist society free from central government and based on voluntary associations between...
campaigned to raise money for the escape of Russian revolutionary Maria Spiridonova
Maria Spiridonova
Maria Alexandrovna Spiridonova was a figure in Russian revolutionary circles at the beginning of the 20th century.- Biography :She joined the Socialist-Revolutionary Party during her training to become a nurse....
, who was serving life sentence for a murder. Spiridonova declined the offer and stayed in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. During the Russian Civil War
Russian Civil War
The Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
Wright joined the British Committee for Aiding Men of Letters and Science in Russia. He contributed to the publications of primary documents related to the final years of the House of Romanov and the revolutions of 1917.
Further reading
- Grindea, MironMiron GrindeaMiron Grindea was a Romanian-born literary journalist and the editor of ADAM International Review, a little magazine published for over 50 years....
(1978). The London Library. London: The Boydell Press. ISBN 0851150985 - Gillam, Stanley (1967). Hagberg Wright and the London Library. Libr. History, volume I no. 1 (Spring 1967).
- Wells, John (1991). Rude Words: a discursive history of the London Library. London: Macmillan. ISBN 0333475194.
- Founders & Followers: literary lectures given on the 150th anniversary of the founding of the London Library. London: Sinclair-Stevenson