Monday, May 21, 2007

Manford's Monthly

Manford's Monthly ran monthly (gee) from 1859 to 1895.
During most of it's run, it was a two person publication - mainly Rev and Mrs Manford (atlhough after his death, she ran it for awhile before she sold it. The new owners kept it going for around 3-4 years or so).

It was very much a one family show (and the only Universalist magazine with the editor's name on the cover), and I suspect that what wasnt by the editors was taken from other publications.
It has fiction - incuding some by Dime Novelist Sylvanus Cobb Jr, articles by other Universalist ministers - including the man who saved California for the Republic: Starr King, and articles on Manford's debates and preaching.

A little on southern Universalism (he had ideas about preaching down south), but not much.
So not something I generally talk about here.


Currently I own about 4 years of this 36 year publication - in about two weeks I will own 16 of the 36 years. Looking at holdings at some libraries, I dont see an archive with more than what I will have.

Will i be the owner of the largest collection of Manford in the nation? and if so, what should I do with it on my (hopefully not soon) demise?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

S,

I'd pick a library of an university or of a theological school, which is serious about archived periodicals, to which to donate it. Or the UUA itself, but I don't know how seriously they take their responsibilities. Or the Library of Congress. One other possiblity: the state library of So. Carolina.

Tom

Steven Rowe said...

Thanks Tom, the UUA archives are at Harvard, and they have a small representive collection of Manford; so that might be the place for mine when Im through (with them or just through!)....