Cole, George Watson, 1850-1939

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Epithet: Librarian Henry E Huntington Library

British Library Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue : Person : Description : ark:/81055/vdc_100000000498.0x0000ab

George Watson Cole: school teacher, 1872-1876; admitted to Massachusetts Bar, 1876, and practiced law until 1885; from 1885-1886 compiled the Classified Catalogue of the Fitchburg Public Library; in 1886 became Librarian of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn; from 1888-1891 worked for Newberry Library in Chicago; from 1891-1895 worked for the Free Public Library of Jersey City; from 1901-1915 worked on compiling bibliographies; in 1915 became Librarian of the Henry E. Huntington Library.

From the description of George Watson Cole papers, 1883-1935 (inclusive). (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 702168543

George Watson Cole: school teacher, 1872-1876; admitted to Massachusetts Bar, 1876, and practiced law until 1885; from 1885-1886 compiled the Classified Catalogue of the Fitchburg Public Library; in 1886 became Librarian of the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn; from 1888-1891 worked for Newberry Library in Chicago; from 1891-1895 worked for the Free Public Library of Jersey City; from 1901-1915 worked on compiling bibliographies; in 1915 became Librarian of the Henry E. Huntington Library.

George Watson Cole was born at Warren, Conn., September 6, 1850. His early education was received in the public schools of his native county and at Phillips Academy, Andover, Mass. After teaching school for four years, during which time he read Law, he was admitted to the bar in 1876 and practiced law in his native county until 1885, when he abandoned law to engage in library work.

During 1885 and 1886 he compiled the printed Classified Catalogue of the Fitchburg (Mass.) Public Library . From Fitchburg he went to New York in the autumn of 1886 to become the Librarian of the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn; at the same time he attended the Library School at Columbia University, from which he was graduated in 1888. For the next three years he was connected with the Newberry Library in Chicago, which he left in January 1891 to become the Librarian of the Free Public Library of Jersey City, N.J., then being organized. In December 1895, because of ill-health, Mr. Cole resigned his position as Librarian and devoted the next three years to travel.

On his return to this country he became interested in bibliography; in December 1901, he began compilation of the extensive and valuable collection of American and English Literature and Miscellany in the Library of the late E. Dwight Church, of Brooklyn. The result of his labors was a catalogue comprising seven volumes, containing in all 3,789 pages, with 1,755 facsimiles of title pages, colophons and other interesting features of the collection.

In October 1915, Cole became Librarian of Henry E. Huntington's collection, then housed in New York. He continued to hold the position after the collection was transferred in 1920 to the present location of the Huntington Library in California.

In 1924 he became Librarian Emeritus. Thereafter he continued to publish articles and books on bibliographical and other topics. He died on October 10, 1939.

From the guide to the George Watson Cole papers, 1883-1935, (Manuscripts and Archives)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
creatorOf Cole, George Watson, 1850-1939. George Watson Cole papers, 1883-1935 (inclusive). Yale University Library
creatorOf Iles, George, 1852-1942. Letters : to George Smillie, 1894 June 11-1921 Jan. 11. Boston Athenaeum
creatorOf Merrill, William Stetson, 1866-. Papers, 1888-1959 (bulk 1888-1918) Newberry Library
creatorOf Cole, George Watson, 1850-1939. Questionnaires and check lists regarding the Shakespeare Folios by George Watson Cole [manuscript], ca.1907. Folger Shakespeare Library
creatorOf George Watson Cole papers, 1883-1935 Yale University. Department of Manuscripts and Archives
referencedIn Papers, 1846-1948 (inclusive), 1918-1939 (bulk). Houghton Library
creatorOf Letter from George Watson Cole of the Henry E. Huntington Library to T. J. Wise, concerning Cole's English Literature and Miscellanea in the Church Library; 22 June 1922. [Ashley Library Catalogue, i, p. 190].includes:f. 142 George Watson Cole, Lib... British Library
creatorOf Excuse my dust [art original] / Sarah Seager Archives of American Art
creatorOf Cole, George Watson, 1850-1939. Letter, 1926 April 20. 1445 Lombardy Road, Pasadena CA to Mitchell Kennerley. The University of Tulsa, McFarlin Library
referencedIn Letters of condolence and thanks, 1915. Houghton Library
referencedIn Wilberforce Eames papers, 1850-1937, 1900-1937 New York Public Library. Manuscripts and Archives Division
creatorOf Thompson, Henry Yates, 1838-1928. Letter to George Watson Cole, 1921. Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens
referencedIn Grolier Club. Library. Records of the librarians, 1897-1970. Grolier Club
referencedIn Amy Lowell correspondence, 1883-1927 (inclusive), 1910-1925 (bulk). Houghton Library
referencedIn Henrietta C. Bartlett papers, 1471-1961 Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Adam, R. B. (Robert Borthwick), 1863-1940 person
associatedWith Bartlett, Henrietta C. (Henrietta Collins), 1873-1963 person
associatedWith Eames, Wilberforce, 1855-1937 person
correspondedWith Grolier Club. Library. corporateBody
associatedWith Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery. corporateBody
associatedWith Iles, George, 1852-1942. person
associatedWith Kennerley, Mitchell, 1878-1950. person
associatedWith Livingston, Flora Virginia Milner, 1862- person
correspondedWith Lowell, Amy, 1874-1925 person
associatedWith Merrill, William Stetson, 1866- person
associatedWith Quinn, John, 1870-1924. person
associatedWith Seager, Sarah, 1958- person
associatedWith Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 person
associatedWith Thompson, Henry Yates, 1838-1928. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Europe
Europe
Subject
Bibliography
Bibliogrphy
Libraries
Literature
Occupation
Librarians
Activity

Person

Birth 1850-09-06

Death 1939-10-10

Americans

English

Information

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