AZ ORSZÁGOS SZÉCHÉNYI KÖNYVTÁR ÉVKÖNYVE 1968-1969. Budapest (1971)

IV. Könyvtörténeti és művelődéstörténeti tanulmányok - Kelecsényi Ákos: Literáti Nemes Sámuel útinaplója - A travel diary by Sámuel Literáti Nemes

A travel diary by Samuel Literati Nemes Á. KELECSÉNYI The holdings in the collections of manuscripts and old printings in the National Széchényi Library were enriched in a considerable degree by the material Miklós Jankovich had sold the Library. This collector lived in the first half of the 19th century and bought charters, manuscripts, old printings, coins and other art treasures not only all over Hungary but in the neighbouring countries as well. However we have known few details about his way of collecting. He had several agents and one of them was a Transylvanian-born antiquary, Sámuel Literati Nemes who ran an antiquarian's shop in Buda and was in connection with all the outstanding Hungarian collectors of the time. In the manuscript collection of the National Széchényi Library there is a diary written -by him during one of his collecting tours from Pest to some Transdanubian cities and villages and then through Croatia and Dálmatia as far as Venice (see map). Reading his diary we get a very interesting picture not only of his acquisitions but his business tricks and curious adventures as well. The life-work of this interesting character is a mixture of scientific intentions and individual profit tinted by some national prejudice so characteristic for the epoch. As a whole, his work has proved useful for research work .and many of his acquisitions collected on this tour are to be found in the holdings of the .National Széchényi Library. 330