Excerpt from Historical Music Loan Exhibition, Albert Hall, London, June October, 1885: A Descriptive Catalogue of Rare Manuscripts Printed Books Chiefly Liturgical, Exhibited by Her Majesty Queen Victoria; The Universities of Cambridge, Cracow, and Oxford; The Archbishop of Mechlin; The Earl of Ashburnham, Earl Spencer, W. H. Cummings, A
The Historical Music Loan Exhibition of 1885 may fairly be characterised as a great opportunity lost. A wonderful treat to the few, it might and it ought to have been a source of instruction to the many. The relegation of the Collection to the Gallery of the Albert Hall was, perhaps, unavoidable, but pains should at least have been taken to make its importance known to the public. Any committee gathering together a collection of this sort is morally bound to issue a proper catalogue on the day of opening, or very shortly after. On this occasion weeks and weeks rolled by; at last, after numerous complaints had appeared in the newspapers, a "Guide to the Loan Collection" was issued, drawn up, apparently, by a clerk, from the slips attached to the objects exhibited, but so carelessly that I do not remember ever to have seen a worse. It is difficult to understand the reason of this; but one thing is certain, that collectors will be chary of lending their treasures if those who ask for their loan do not show a better appreciation of their value. There is always a risk in transporting valuable works of art, and the only justification for incurring such risk is the impulse thereby given to research and the advance of knowledge.
Towards the close of the Exhibition Mr. Quaritch, justly indignant at the neglect of the committee, offered to publish a Catalogue of the Liturgical Manuscripts and Printed Books - which formed by no means the least interesting portion of the very important collections there brought together - if I would undertake to draw one up. Hence this volume, which will, I trust, be found a useful record of this section of the Exhibition.
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