Common Heritage

This is the second volume of research findings from the Common Heritage Project. It concerns two areas: on the one hand, the photograph collections in Windsor and Coburg, on the other, the private libraries of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and the Dukes of Coburg ending with the death of Queen Victoria in 1901. Notable in Windsor are the early photographs; Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were interested in photography from the earliest days of the new medium, and used it systematically for private as well as public purposes. In Coburg, the most illuminating parts of the collection deal with Duke Alfred, illustrating his whole life, from his childhood and sea voyages through to his reign as Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and his burial. The libraries reveal prominently the intellectual background and the knowledge available in printed form. The project has made use of historic catalogues for the libraries of these principal figures connecting Britain, Coburg, and Gotha: the private libraries of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, housed in Buckingham Palace, and the private library of the dukes of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha.