Arquivo KING - Papers of C. W. King

Zona de identificação

Código de referência

KING

Título

Papers of C. W. King

Data(s)

  • 19th c. (Produção)

Nível de descrição

Arquivo

Dimensão e suporte

12 boxes

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Nome do produtor

(1818-1888)

História biográfica

C. W. King was born on 4 September 1818 at Newport in Monmouthshire and entered Trinity College in 1836. He graduated with first class honours in the Classical Tripos of 1840 and was elected a Fellow of Trinity in 1842. He remained a Fellow all his life and lived in College for most of that time, except for the period 1845–50, which he spent chiefly in Italy.
During his residence on the continent King was able to pursue various antiquarian interests, in particular the study of engraved gems which was to occupy him for the rest of his life. He began to acquire examples of such work, and by a series of judicious purchases over the following years he formed an important collection of Greek, Roman and other early gems. Towards the end of his life he sold the collection. It is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Returning from Italy in 1850, King adopted a quiet existence at Trinity, publishing a number of works on antiquarian subjects, including Antique Gems (1850), Handbook of Engraved Gems (1866, 1885), and Early Christian Numismatics and other Antiquarian Tracts (1873), besides many papers contributed to joirnals and learned societies. He also wrote on The Gnostics and their Remains (1864) and translated works of classical literature such as Plutarch's Morals (1882). Although he took no part in College teaching or administration, King was by no means reclusive; he formed longstanding friendships both at Trinity and elsewhere, and was often consulted as an authority by the gem collectors his works had helped to inspire.

In later years King was troubled with failing eyesight, and he was obliged to give up the detailed close work his collecting demanded. But he continued to study and write, and was in regular correspondence until shortly before his death, which occurred after a short illness on 25 March 1888.

História do arquivo

Fonte imediata de aquisição ou transferência

King's books and papers were bequeathed to Trinity College on his death in 1888

Zona do conteúdo e estrutura

Âmbito e conteúdo

The archive is divided into 5 classes. Papers relating to works published by King (Section A), other archaeological and antiquarian material (B), correspondence (C), personal papers (D) and family papers (E)

Avaliação, seleção e eliminação

Incorporações

Sistema de arranjo

At the time of cataloguing, no arrangement of the papers was discernible with the exception of items A1-14, which were accompanied by a brief list. Individual bundles have been preserved where they existed and their order maintained: hence the varied contents of D3 and D4.

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Condiçoes de reprodução

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      Unidades de descrição relacionadas

      A series of drafts of various works by King and thirteen bound volumes of correspondence c 1865-1879 have been catalogued separately and can be found at classmarks O.10a.1-22.

      Descrições relacionadas

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      Pontos de acesso - Assuntos

      Pontos de acesso - Locais

      Pontos de acesso - Nomes

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      This fonds-level description was made by Jonathan Smith in 2020, based on the catalogue made by Diana Turner in 1998.

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