Richard Garnett
Sir Richard Garnett (1835-1906) was an influential English librarian, writer, and translator, known for his extensive contributions to literature and library science. Born in Lichfield, Staffordshire, he began his career at the British Museum in 1851, where he advanced to significant roles such as superintendent of the Reading Room and keeper of Printed Books. Garnett's literary output includes translations from various languages, volumes of poetry, and biographies of notable figures like Thomas Carlyle and John Milton. He is particularly recognized for his collection of short stories, "Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales," which are characterized by their black humor and irony.
In addition to his literary work, Garnett was a pioneer in library technology, introducing photography for copying rare books and implementing electric lighting in the Reading Room. He engaged with astrology, writing under the pseudonym A. T. Trent, and held various honors, including an honorary doctorate from the University of Edinburgh and fellowship in the Royal Society of Literature. Garnett's family legacy in literature continued through his son, Edward Garnett, and his daughter-in-law, Constance Garnett. He passed away from nephritis in 1906, leaving behind a rich intellectual and cultural heritage.
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Richard Garnett
Librarian
- Born: February 27, 1835
- Birthplace: Lichfield, Staffordshire, England
- Died: April 13, 1906
Biography
Sir Richard Garnett was born on February 27, 1835, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, England, where his father, the Reverend Richard Garnett, was the vicar of Lichfield Cathedral. His mother was Rayne Wreaks Garnett. His father later became an assistant keeper of printed books in the British Museum. Young Garnett was educated at a school in Bloomsbury and began working at the British Museum in 1851 as an assistant librarian after his father died. From 1875 to 1884, he was superintendent of the Reading Room; from 1881 to 1890, editor of the General Catalogue of Printed Books, and from 1890 until his retirement in 1899, keeper of Printed Books. After 1899, Garnett lived at No. 27 Tanza Road in Belsize in Middlesex. His books include numerous translations of Greek, German, Italian, Spanish, and Portuguese texts; several volumes of poetry; biographies of Thomas Carlyle, John Milton, William Blake, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Edward Gibbon, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge; The Age of Dryden; A History of Italian Literature; and many articles for encyclopedias and the Dictionary of National Biography. Garnett was coauthor with Sir Edmund Gosse of English Literature and discovered and edited some unpublished poems of Shelley that he published in Relics of Shelley in 1862.
Garnett is best known, however, for twenty-eight short stories that he wrote for his own amusement and that were collected in the book Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales. They are noted by critics for their black humor, irony, pessimism, and anticlericalism. Garnett was also interested in astrology and wrote books and articles on the subject under the name of A. T. Trent. He pioneered new technologies in libraries when he used photography to copy rare books and had electric lights installed in the Reading Room. Garnett received an honorary doctorate of law from the University of Edinburgh, became a companion of the Bath in 1895, was president of the Hampstead Antiquarian and Historical Society, and became a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1903. His wife was Olivia Narney Singleton. His son was the writer, critic and editor Edward Garnett, his daughter-in-law the translator Constance Garnett, and his grandson the writer David Garnett. Garnett died of nephritis on April 13, 1906.