Bibliographer: Mary Mannion
Friendship in a Nunnery; or, the American Fugitive
This project investigates concepts of circulation, which traditional bibliography gestures towards but does not thoroughly explore. With two separate Tumblr accounts created under the novel’s two titles, I experimented with 1) circulating Friendship in a Nunnery pages and metadata and 2) curating a set of images from an existing Tumblr genre that captures one of that novel’s core themes.
Traditional Description
1778
FRIENDSHIP IN A NUNNERY | OR, THE | AMERICAN FUGITIVE| CONTAINING | A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE MODE OF EDUCATION AND | LIVING IN CONVENT SCHOOLS, BOTH ON | THE LOW AND HIGH PENSION; | THE MANNERS AND CHARACTERS OF THE NUNS; | THE ARTS PRACTISED ON YOUNG MINDS; | AND THEIR BANEFUL EFFECTS ON SOCIETY | AT LARGE. | BY A LADY.
I, 256p, II 263p, Duo decimo, 12mo
Contents: first page of text B1r – Z1v text
Notes. British Library, Gale Document Number: CW115435648
In addition to the two 1778 titles, there are two 1784 titles as well.
In 1778 edition with 256 p there is a signature at the top of the title page: William Thomson. The title page has a lot of black dots on it. The “L” and “O” in “LONDON” on the bottom of the title page is covered by black blots of ink.
The second page of the book is blank save for a handwritten “1607/3460”. It also has a lot of black dots on the top of the page.
The first page of text has the same signature at the top as the title page: William Thomson. It is smudged so much that it is barely legible.
Circular emblem at the bottom of the second page of text.
On the title page of the other 1778 copy, there is the same signature at the top of the page: William Thomson. It is much more legible. On the second page of this edition there is in cursive “Margaret Thomson. Ruth Walke. 1999”. There is the same emblem at the bottom of this page as there is on the second page of text of the other 1778 copy. This emblem is seen again throughout the novel.
In both 1784 editions, the title page is different. For one, the title is different in that the order is switched. Instead of “Friendship in a Nunnery: or, the American Fugitive” it is “The American Fugitive: or, Friendship in Nunnery”. Also added to the title page is “Those who to Convents fly, will sadly find | That danger, vice, and wo of every kind, | Are surely met with there, not left behind.”
FRIENDSHIP IN A NUNNERY | OR, THE | AMERICAN FUGITIVE| CONTAINING | A FULL DESCRIPTION OF THE MODE OF EDUCATION AND | LIVING IN CONVENT SCHOOLS, BOTH ON | THE LOW AND HIGH PENSION; | THE MANNERS AND CHARACTERS OF THE NUNS; | THE ARTS PRACTISED ON YOUNG MINDS; | AND THEIR BANEFUL EFFECTS ON SOCIETY | AT LARGE. | BY A LADY.
I, 256p, II 263p, Duo decimo, 12mo
Contents: first page of text B1r – Z1v text
Notes. British Library, Gale Document Number: CW115435648
In addition to the two 1778 titles, there are two 1784 titles as well.
In 1778 edition with 256 p there is a signature at the top of the title page: William Thomson. The title page has a lot of black dots on it. The “L” and “O” in “LONDON” on the bottom of the title page is covered by black blots of ink.
The second page of the book is blank save for a handwritten “1607/3460”. It also has a lot of black dots on the top of the page.
The first page of text has the same signature at the top as the title page: William Thomson. It is smudged so much that it is barely legible.
Circular emblem at the bottom of the second page of text.
On the title page of the other 1778 copy, there is the same signature at the top of the page: William Thomson. It is much more legible. On the second page of this edition there is in cursive “Margaret Thomson. Ruth Walke. 1999”. There is the same emblem at the bottom of this page as there is on the second page of text of the other 1778 copy. This emblem is seen again throughout the novel.
In both 1784 editions, the title page is different. For one, the title is different in that the order is switched. Instead of “Friendship in a Nunnery: or, the American Fugitive” it is “The American Fugitive: or, Friendship in Nunnery”. Also added to the title page is “Those who to Convents fly, will sadly find | That danger, vice, and wo of every kind, | Are surely met with there, not left behind.”
Experimental Description
Links to Experimental Bibliographic Description:
Friendshipinanunnery.tumblr.com
Americanfugitive.tumblr.com
Friendshipinanunnery.tumblr.com
Americanfugitive.tumblr.com