Special Collections: Henry Watson Music Library

The Special Collections comprise early printed music and books on music, manuscript music and a collection reflecting local musical life in the North West of England for 200 years. They are all part of the Henry Watson Music Library in Manchester Central Library.

Dr. Henry Watson presented his personal library of books and music to the Corporation of Manchester in 1899. His original bequest formed the nucleus of both the current music library and the Special Collections.

Approximate size of the collections:

2000 + early printed music scores and parts

200 + early printed books on music

500 volumes of manuscript music

50 minute books and account books of local music societies and concert series

35 (in approx. 1000 volumes) of 18th and 19th century periodicals

programmes of local and national concert series

50 scrapbooks containing press cuttings, playbills and posters documenting musical life c. 1880-c.1910

200 drawings and photographs of composers and performers

The collections can roughly be divided into 3 main areas:-

Dr. Henry Watson's collection (HWWM). These are the book and music rarities donated by Dr, Henry Watson. This makes up the bulk of the collections and includes approx. 2000 pre-1800 items consisting mainly of early printed scores and books on music and several important manuscripts.

The Newman Flower Collection (NFWM). This is a collection of 368 Handel manuscripts and 52 early 18th Century Italian manuscripts added in 1965, plus some early printed Handel editions and libretti.

The Local Collection (RNCM). The third area of the collection is the material of local and regional interest. This includes items relating to music societies in the Manchester area, a collection of 50 scrapbooks containing press cuttings, playbills and posters, and over 200 drawings and photographs of composers and performers which bring together a picture of musical life in Manchester and the North West of England. This area of work is still expanding.

The Music Library also holds a rare microfilm collection of music manuscripts published by Harvester. It consists of manuscripts from the following libraries and colleges:

Series 1: Bodleian Library

Series 2: British Library

Series 3: Christ Church, Oxford

Series 4: Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

Series 5: Royal College of Music

Series 6: St Michael's College, Tenbury