Exhibition: The Sampson Low Collection

The Sampson Low Collection

Who originally compiled the Sampson Low Collection?

Sampson Low’s grandson, Reverend Frederick William Low of Sandon in Essex (1860-1924), compiled the letters into two bound 'autograph' volumes in about 1913. There is a photograph of them on this page with one of the volumes open to display the letter written by Charles Dickens to Sampson Low in 1860.

Reverend Low was the son of William Henry Low and the grandfather of George Low - who deposited the volumes with The Open University in 1992. He arranged the letters in loose chronological order and added handwritten notes about the authors of the letters on approximately 50 of the pages, around a quarter of the collection. His entry for the illustrator John Tenniel includes the comment “…was born in 1820 and is still alive at the end of 1913” which dates the written entry, and most probably the creation of the volumes, to that year.

You can read the comments Reverend Low wrote about Charles Dickens, Charles Allston Collins, Hablot Knight Browne and Florence Nightingale in the images on this page. The transcriptions are as follows:

"Charles Allston Collins, second son of William Collins R.A., & brother of the novelist, Wilkie Collins, was born in 1828. In 1860 he married the younger daughter of Charles Dickens. In addition to the 'Eye Witness' essays referred to in the subjoined letter, he wrote two novels, and other works. He died in 1873."

"Hablot Knight Browne, artist, the "Phiz", of many clever and humorous book illustrations, was born June 15th, 1815. His illustrations to many of Dickens' works and other books are as well known as those of this contemporary, George Cruikshank. He died July 8. 1882."

"Florence Nightingale, "The Lady with the Lamp", famous for all time for her devoted efforts for the sick and wounded soldiers during the Crimean War. Born 1820, died 1910." 

The entry for Dickens simply states, "Charles Dickens, the immortal". 

Reverend Low glued most of the letters into the volumes and although some have come loose, several remain glued in and therefore some lines of text are obscured, and unfortunately some letters have suffered slight damage from the adhesive seeping through the paper over the years. However without being glued into the volumes, many of these letters may have been scattered and lost over time.