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The Soulerin Collection John M. Kelly Library, University ofSt. Michaels College University ofToronto *«*.• USMC Reverse:Jean-Mathieu Soulerin, ca. 1865. Source: Archives The Soulerin Collection By Bronwen Masemann John M. Kelly Library, University ofSt. Michaels College University ofToronto Theproduction ofthis brochure was madepossible thanksto thefinacialsupportoftheFriendsoftheJohnM. KellyLibrary andthe Canada Research Chairin BookHistory, atthe UniversityofToronto, aspartofits trainingandresearchactivities. Text by Bronwen Masemann Design and Photography by ReneeJackson Special Collections andArchives oftheJohn M. Kelly Library at the UniversityofSt. Michael's College. Joseph Sable Centre for 19th Century French Studies, Department ofFrench Studies, UniversityofToronto, 2009. 1 Contents Introduction 1 A word from the President ofthe University ofSt. Michael's College 2 A word from the Director ofLibrary and Archives, University ofSt. Michael's College 3 A word from the Superior General ofthe Congregation ofSt. Basil 4 Jean-Mathieu Soulerin, the Congregation ofSt. Basil, and the Foundation ofSt. Michael's College 5 John Elmsley, the Founding Benefactor 8 The Provenance ofthe Soulerin Collection 10 Select Items from the Collection 1 USMC St. Michael's College, ca. 1870. Source: Archives Introduction The focus ofthis publication is the Soulerin Collection in the Special Collections and Archives oftheJohn M. Kelly Library at the University ofSt. Michael's College in the University ofToronto. The collection was first brought together in its present form in the late 1970s by College librarian and archivist Fr. RobertJ. Scollard, who named it to honour the founding Superior ofthe College, ReverendJean-Mathieu Soulerin ofthe Congregation ofSaint Basil. It consists ofover three hundred titles that were owned by Saint Michael's College prior to Canadian Confederation in 1867. With works dating from the six- teenth to the nineteenthcenturies, theSoulerin Collection includes texts in English, French, Latinandotherlanguages, covering a remarkable range ofgenre and subject matter. Catholic devotional materials, historical works and travel literature arewell rep- resented, as are textbooks forthe studyofmathematics, classical and modern languages, and the sciences. Thisvarietyinlanguage, subjectmatterandpublicationhistoryisexplainedwhen thecomplexprovenanceofthecollec- tion is considered. Scollard chose to include in the collection all books bearing the signature ofFather Soulerin, as well as those bearing the librarystamp used before Canadian Confederation in 1867. Dozens ofbooks donated to the College by the family ofits great benefactor,John Elmsley, made theirway into thecollection, as did books bearingthe bookplates ofotherprominent Torontoresidents, libraryandbooksellerstampsfrom FranceandCanada, andtheinscriptions, signaturesanddoodlesofnumer- ous readersandowners on both sides oftheAtlantic. LikeSt. Michael'sCollegeitself, theCollege'sbookcollectionwasbuiltoutofcollaboration between threecommunities: themembersoftheCongregation ofSt. Basil, theElmsleyfamily, andthestudentsoftheCollege. Thecollectionhas much to tell about Catholic curriculum and education in mid nineteenth-century Canada, and about the role offamily, religious and insti- tutional ties in shaping the distribution ofbooks to and within Canada in this period.This publication provides an introduction to the historical events and individuals that shaped the Soulerin Collection and the foundation ofSt. Michael's College, as well asan overviewofthecollection'scontents andprovenance. Aselection ofseventeen ofthe mostsignificant titles in the collection follows, grouped accordingto each book's connectionwith the three foundingcommunities ofthe College. For assistance with the preparation ofthis booklet I would like to thank Professor Yannick Portebois, Director ofthe J. Sable Centre for 19th Century French Studies, Professor Dorothy Speirs, Curator ofthe Zola Archive and Research Assis- tants ReneeJackson andJenny Gilbert. Ms. Gabrielle Earnshaw, Head ofSpecial Collections and Archives at the Kelly Library, provided valuable advice and directed me to several useful documents. The Kelly Library's Head ofPublic Services, Mr. Noel McFerran, and Mr. Michael Bramah, Head of Cataloguing, also provided assistance. Evelyn Collins, MLS, Archivist of the UniversityofSt. Michael'sCollegeArchives, helpedmelocatephotographs, earlySt. Michael'sCollegeyearbooksanddocuments related to the Elmsley family. I am grateful aswell forassistance from FatherJames Rent, C.S.B., Archivist ofthe Congregation ofSt. Basil, Ms. Andrea D'Angelo, archivistat theArchdioceseofToronto, and Mr. Colin Harris, Superintendentofthe Special Collections Reading Rooms ofthe Bodleian Library, Oxford. Dr. Charlotte Masemann provided crucial assistance with Latin translation. Readers interested in learning more about the history ofSt. Michael's College and the books, authors and booksellers discussed here should refer to the extended study ofthe collection available in theJohn M. Kelly Library Special Collections, which contains complete footnotes and bibliographyaswell as listings fortwenty-two additional titles. A wordfrom the President ofthe University ofSt. Michael's College Haveyou everwondered about the early beginnings ofSt. Michael's College, when our present location on CloverHill was agreat distance from "downtown"? I invite you to explore the Soulerin Collection which is held in the Kelly Library. Your time exploring will be richly rewardedwith apictureofpre-Confederationacademicinterests, aswell asan endorsement from the TorontoMirror notingthat the College offered "young men the advantages ofChristian education and at the same time asolid instruction to prepare them forcommercial careers and liberal professions." Within the collection you will find a sampling ofmaterials that nourished the intellectual and spiritual life ofthose early Basilians and their student body. Many ofthe volumes in the collection bear the College stamp which was used prior to Confederation! TheCollectionalsoreflectsthelargesseofourbenefactors, in particularJohn Elmsleyafterwhom ElmsleyHall isnamed. Elmsleys primaryinterestwas Catholic education and he supported the first Catholicschools inToronto. Takethetime toexplore thisvolumeatyourleisureandsavourthetreasuresand makeconnectionsthatwill takeyouon newjourneys. AnneAnderson, CSJ President UniversityofSt. Michael's College