“PASSIONATELY IMBUED WITH THE SPIRIT OF JOURNALISM”

DASENT, Arthur Irwin. John Thadeus Delane. Editor of "The Times." His Life and Corresponence. London: John Murray, 1908. Two volumes. Octavo, mid-20th century three-quarter blue morocco gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, uncut. $600.

First edition of this biography and collected correspondence of one of the Victorian era’s most influential newspaper editors, illustrated with six plates, handsomely bound by Morrell.

"Even while an undergraduate [Delane] had written for the press with success. He was 'passionately imbued with the spirit of journalism' (Kinglake)… At the age of 23, a year after leaving Oxford, John Delane succeeded [Thomas Barnes] as editor of the Times. That post he retained for 36 years, his brother-in-law, George Dasent, acting as his colleague from 1845-70. From this time his career was that of his newspaper. He shrank from publicity, and was careful to preserve the impersonality of an editor. He was not a finished scholar; he was not so brilliant as Barnes; he hardly ever wrote anything except reports and letters, both of which he wrote very well. For some time he was the youngest of the Times staff; yet this newspaper, which had become great under his predecessor, became greater still under Delane. 'The influence of the Times newspaper,' says Mr. Reeve, 'during the ensuing ten or 15 years can hardly be exaggerated…' The period of his editorship was one of great change… He felt strongly the responsibility of the great power which he wielded, and although he had to insure the correctness of the whole 48 columns of the Times, yet, by dint of unsparing industry and energy, he made singularly few mistakes" (DNB). Illustrated with frontispiece in each volume and four plates. Small sticker to rear pastedown of Volume I.

A fine copy, handsomely bound.