A glimpse into Miss Scripps's library

Works – Shakespeare

Miss Scripps owned a 21-volume set of Shakespeare plays, which composed the whole of the corpus of his works. She possessed the "Connoisseur's Edition of the Extra Illustrated Henley Shakespeare," which was published in Edinburgh by T&A Constable, from 1901-1904. The set was limited to just 26 lettered copies — Miss Scripps had letter "S." 

In reflection of the finite copies and "Extra Illustrated" designation, the volumes were beautifully bound. Each was bound in red leather, with gold and blue etchings decorating the front covers. The inside covers had images relating to the plays in each book, and there were multiple illustrations sprinkled throughout the text. 

The piece de resistance with her Shakespeare texts was done after the binding, however — an artist had gone into the texts and hand painted watercolor illustrations of certain scenes right next to the text. 

A magnificently bound and illustrated work, it showcases the detail and luxury which many of the books Miss Scripps had were created, and it highlights the playwright section of her library, as well as showing how her collection was firmly rooted in collecting all of the classics. 

Complete Works – John Keats

Miss Scripps owned a set of The Complete Works of John Keats, which consisted of 4 volumes. No ordinary Keats set, Miss Scripps owned the "Artists' Water Color and Hand Illuminated" edition, which, as suggested by the title, featured beautiful, hand pained illustrations throughout the text. 

Limited to 26 lettered and signed copies, Miss Scripps owned letter "E." Bound in full leather, on the inside front cover of the books were the gold embossed initials of John Keats, in addition to other gold embossed patterns.

The inclusion of Keats — already cemented as one of the most prominent Romantic poets by Miss Scripps's time — and his works among Miss Scripps's library reflects her commitment to the Western canon and its distinguished poets. Additionally, the detail and luxury represented in the binding of the books again represent the splendor of many of Miss Scripps's books.

The Novels Complete and Unabridged – Victor Hugo

Consisting of 41 volumes, Miss Scripps's set of Victor Hugo's The Novels Complete and Unabridged took up no small amount of space on her bookshelves. The books were printed in Philadelphia during 1893-94 by G. Barrie. 250 copies were printed on Japanese vellum, of which Miss Scripps had copy number 5.

Despite the number of books in the set, no detail, care, or attention was sacrificed in the publication and binding of the books. Featuring her initials embossed in gold on the front of each book in the set, the works also featured illustrations of certain scenes throughout the text. 

A beautifully bound edition, the Hugo set reflects the prose and fiction portion of Miss Scripps's library. It also showcases Miss Scripps's interest in and habit of purchasing expansive, uniform sets of authors' works.

Beaux and Belles of England

The 14 volume set Beaux and Belles of England described the lives, histories, and legacies of the following ten historical figures from England: Lady Hamilton & Lord Nelson, Lady Blessington, Nell Gwyn, Lord Chesterfield, The Sheridans, Beau Brummel, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Siddons, and Count Grammont. 

Printed by The Grolier Society in London and featuring a half-blue leather binding with gold etchings on the spine, only 150 copies were produced for both England and America — of which Miss Scripps had number 79. 

The set showcases the wide range of topics Miss Scripps collected books on: from playwrights to poets to historical figures. Additionally, Beaux and Belles of England represents Miss Scripps's interest in non-fiction topics, especially historical figures and episodes. Despite her study of U.S. social issues and history, she still retained an interest in global affairs (or, at the very least, in English affairs and history).

Twenty Years at Hull-House – Jane Addams

This edition of Twenty Years at Hull-House by Jane Addams, with illustrations featured throughout, was published in 1910 by the MacMillan Company in New York. While the majority of the books in Miss Scripps's library were written by male authors, books like Addams's text reflect the aspect of Miss Scripps's library that consisted of distinctly feminist and social work-based texts and ideas. These ideas weren't just contained in literature for Miss Scripps — they were values that she espoused in her own life.

Miss Scripps had many feminist and community-oriented tendencies: for example, she supported suffrage, opened one of the first public playgrounds in La Jolla, and donated money to help found Scripps College — a dedication to giving money and time to bettering communities and social fabrics very in line with Jane Addams's philosophies.

Works – John Burroughs

Miss Scripps's set of the Works of John Burroughs consisted of 14 volumes of Burroughs's works. Known as "the Riverby edition," the set contained portraits and many illustrations in addition to the text itself. 

Miss Scripps had a personal connection with Burroughs. In 1920, Burroughs and his son spent the month of January with Miss Scripps and her sister at their estate in La Jolla, California. Burroughs was very fond of his experience staying with Miss Scripps and remained in contact with her after. Reflecting this personal connection, Volume I of the Works of John Burroughs contains two separate handwritten notes from Burroughs to Miss Scripps in the beginning pages. 

In addition to the personal connection, the Burroughs set also represents Miss Scripps's deep interest in natural history. She had a substantial set of natural history books in her library, on topics from California flora and fauna to Egyptian studies and archaeology.

Summer Melodies – Emma Peirce

In the winter of 1931, several family members, friends, and acquaintances of Miss Scripps opened their mailboxes to find a copy of Summer Melodies by Emma Peirce waiting for them. Accompanied by a Christmas greeting card from Miss Scripps, the sleek volume contained multiple short poems by Peirce with simple illustrations.  Published in La Jolla in 1931, the book represents a local connection for Miss Scripps, who spent a majority of her life in La Jolla.

Giving books as gifts was a consistent theme throughout Miss Scripps's life. In an 1864 letter from Annie, her sister, Annie documents how Miss Scripps was the only person to remember her birthday, and she sent her a book. In 1931 — 67 years later — Miss Scripps was still just as interested in literature and still giving books as gifts and a means of connection. 

Essays to Do Good – Cotton Mather

Essays to Do Good Addressed to All Christians, Whether in Public or Private Capacities is a religious text published in London in 1808. A slim volume, especially when compared to others in Miss Scripps's collection, it's one of the oldest texts in her library.

On the title page, there's a signature that says "Eliza Saunders 1808." Miss Scripps's mother's maiden name was Ellen Mary Saunders, so it seems likely that the book originally belonged to a relative — most likely Miss Scripps's grandmother, although perhaps also an aunt.

Despite being over 210 years old, the book is in fairly well-preserved condition, showcasing the attention Miss Scripps devoted to her books. Although the work is a smaller and less pretty than some of the others in her library, it remained largely free of excessive wear and tear, and she retained it despite the variety and number of places she lived.