Rare Book and Texana Collections

Highlights of specific items in the collections:

City of London (England). Corporation 
Copy of freedom, City of London : London, 1845 July 2.
DA687.C67 F74 1845

Copy of freedom, City of London, July 2, 1845
View of the scroll.

This example is from the reign of Queen Victoria.   It grants William Smith, son of William Henry Smith and apprentice of Robert John Augustus Edwards (Citizen and Goldsmith), the Freedom of the City of London.  
It is signed by Michael Gibbs, Esq., Mayor, and Anthony Brown, Esquire, Chamberlain, and has the Arms 
of the City of London on one end and the embossed seal of the Chamberlain on the other.

View of part of scroll.
Detail of the scroll.

The Libraries' also has the original wooden cylindrical case in which the Freedom was issued.  Originally, 
the Freedoms were issued in cases so that each Freeman could carry a copy with them should they need 
to prove their rights.
View of original case.
Case for scroll.
Close-up image of label on case
View of label on case.

When received by the Libraries, the scroll had attached to the back the miniature bookplate of Rabbi Kalman L. Levitan, an important collector of miniature books, a founding member of the Miniature Book Society, and author.  The bookplate has become detached, and is preserved with the scroll.

Image of Levitan bookplate.
Levitan bookplate, originally affixed to reverse of scroll.

Line