Robarts - University of Toronto - The History of the Speculative Society - 1905-1905

Owned and inscribed by William Dunbar, Librarian of the Speculative Society in the year of this book’s publication.
Quarter red roan over textured paper covered boards with dried white marks near the foreedge; rubbing to hinges; tenderness to outer hinges. Top edge gilt; untrimmed foreedge and lower edge. Ownership inscription of ‘Wm Dunbar March 1905’ with a post-it note from the vendor of the book to us which reads: ‘Grandfather. Member + Librarian See Index p190 p206’. Spotting to preliminaries and endpapers. Dunbar appears as the most recent of the librarians in the list at page 206 with his admission and qualifications (Oxford and Edinburgh advocate) given at page 190.

The Speculative Society is a Scottish Enlightenment society dedicated to public speaking and literary composition, founded in 1764 and mainly, but not exclusively, an Edinburgh University student organisation. Former members include Walter Scott and Robert Louis Stevenson. This history is uncommon.