Heather Murray

“Chance volumes of the most miscellaneous character”

Introduction

“chance volumes of the most miscellaneous character”. Explore Reverend Henry Scadding's 19th-century Toronto book displays, showcasing settler reading culture, local history, and an original theory of colonial cultural connectivity.

Abstract

From 1885 to 1898, the Reverend Dr. Henry Scaddding (a polymathic Toronto cleric, local historian, and bibliophile) drew upon his extensive personal collection to curate annual book displays at the Toronto Industrial Exhibition. (These displays were staged under the aegis of the York Pioneers, and proved to be very popular.) While the annual themes differed over the years, each display was designed to demonstrate to visitors the state of “incipient lituratureism” in York (early Toronto), and the reading materials and reading tastes of the settler-reader. Scadding also used the accompanying catalogues to develop an original and somewhat eccentric theory of the operations of colonial cultural connectivity. Since Scadding had amassed perhaps the most important private library in nineteenth-century Toronto, the displays also show how he mobilized his collection for the purposes of public education. For book historians of today, the Log Shanty displays are of particular interest for their focus on reading culture and book access in pre-Rebellion Toronto.

Review

This article promises a unique and deeply engaging examination of Reverend Dr. Henry Scaddding’s curatorial efforts in late 19th-century Toronto. The intriguing title, "Chance volumes of the most miscellaneous character," immediately signals a focus on the eclectic and often overlooked elements of cultural production and reception. The abstract outlines a study centered on Scaddding's annual book displays at the Toronto Industrial Exhibition, portraying him as a polymathic figure who not only amassed a significant private library but also actively leveraged it for public education and the articulation of a distinctive theory of colonial cultural connectivity. This focus on an influential yet perhaps underappreciated local figure, combined with the detailed context of the York Pioneers and the displays' popularity, sets the stage for a rich historical investigation. The proposed article offers substantial contributions across several historical sub-disciplines. For book historians, the detailed analysis of Scaddding's "Log Shanty displays" promises invaluable insights into reading culture, book access, and the very concept of "incipient lituratureism" in pre-Rebellion Toronto. Scaddding’s use of his extensive personal collection to illustrate settler reading tastes and the state of local literary development is particularly significant, as it moves beyond mere bibliographic enumeration to explore the active mobilization of cultural capital for public pedagogical purposes. Furthermore, the abstract highlights Scaddding's original (and "somewhat eccentric") theory of colonial cultural connectivity, suggesting a valuable intellectual history component that could reveal new dimensions of how colonial societies understood their own cultural evolution and relationship to imperial centers. This work appears to be highly relevant for scholars of Canadian history, cultural studies, and the history of libraries and public institutions. By focusing on the intersection of private collecting, public display, and local intellectual theorization, the article is poised to illuminate the complex processes through which colonial identities and cultural landscapes were shaped. It addresses a critical gap in understanding how cultural knowledge was disseminated and interpreted outside formal academic or institutional frameworks in a rapidly developing urban center. The piece will undoubtedly appeal to anyone interested in the social life of books, the role of collectors as public educators, and the dynamics of cultural formation in 19th-century settler communities, offering a fresh perspective on Toronto’s intellectual and cultural heritage.

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