[TICKNOR, George] - George HILLIARD

The Life, Letters, and Journals of George Ticknor

Boston: James R. Osgood, 1877. Two volumes in six. 8vo. (8 7/8 x 5 3/4 inches). Profusely EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED, with over 300 inserted portraits and views.

Nineteenth-century full red morocco gilt, decorative gold endpapers bound by Kaufmann.

Provenance: Sophia Augusta Brown (signature on titles)

A "grangerized" set of the Life of Ticknor, with provenance to John Carter Brown's daughter.

George Ticknor (1791-1871) was an American author and academic, specializing in the subject areas of languages and literature, and is best known for his education reforms and scholarly work on the history and criticism of Spanish literature. In 1817, Ticknor was selected as Smith professor of French and Spanish languages and literatures and professor of belles-lettres at Harvard University, where he would teach for the next 16 years. Influenced by his studies of German universities, during his time at Harvard, Ticknor advocated for a number of education reforms, including the creation of departments, the grouping of students in divisions according to proficiency, and the establishment of the elective system. He was a popular professor among the students and introduced the study of contemporary writers, with the curriculum having previously been confined almost exclusively to the classics. In the years of his professorship, he amassed a valuable and extensive library, which became one of the largest private collections in the country and included an impressive collection of Spanish and Portuguese literature. In 1848, Ticknor helped found the Boston Public Library, which he donated his collection to.

Item #35932

Price: $3,500.00