The second paragraph of this letter from Reed to the City Librarian William Barker McEwen (1870-1933) clearly indicates that Reed was thinking of donating his collection of rare books and manuscripts to the Library as early as 1926.
Case 2 - Reed’s Original Gift of 1948
By 1948, Reed was 72 years old and felt the time was right to hand over his collection of rare books and manuscripts to the Dunedin Public Library as he had for many years intended.
It was to be known as the Alfred and Isabel Reed Collection and was made over to the City of Dunedin by deed of gift dated 16 January 1948. The gift was delivered to Dunedin Public Library on 31 March 1948, and a formal opening occurred on Wednesday 5 May 1948 in the Library’s Lecture Hall.
The official opening of the Reed Collection on 5 May 1948 was attended by numerous local dignitaries, as well as members of the literary and educational community. This case features a small sample of notes of reply from: poet and literary editor Charles Brasch (1909-1973), bookbinder Eleanor Joachim (1874-1957) and Whitman Collection donor Dorothy Heywood Stewart (1887-1974).
The official opening of the Reed Collection on 5 May 1948 was attended by numerous local dignitaries, as well as members of the literary and educational community. This case features a small sample of notes of reply from: poet and literary editor Charles Brasch (1909-1973), bookbinder Eleanor Joachim (1874-1957) and Whitman Collection donor Dorothy Heywood Stewart (1887-1974).
Local media coverage of Reed’s original gift was low key but this photograph, along with a short article describing the collection, appeared in the Otago Daily Times following the official opening of 5 May 1948.