Enriqueta Rylands: Private collector of a public library

This paper describes the role of Enriqueta Rylands in the formation of the John Rylands Library. It will explore how her modesty and personal privacy enabled her to undertake an ambitious project without stepping too controversially into the public sphere, but have obscured the full extent and character of her contribution. This contribution will be explored through evidence from the Library’s archives of her active engagement in the acquisition and management of manuscripts and papyri. The intersection between private collecting and public library will be explored, particularly with regard Enriqueta’s intention that the collections be useful, and the impact of this intention on acquisition, cataloguing and access. This paper will place Rylands papyrus collections in the context of Enriqueta’s personal interest in the Bible and in ancient Egypt, and demonstrate the continuing impact of her emphasis on use.