John M. Wing
Distinguished Bibliophile
Compliments of the Author
Francis O'Neill
June 25th 1914
Biography:
Provenance: (From the Newberry Library):
The collection of Chicago businessman, entrepreneur, and book collector John Mansir Wing came to the Newberry in 1917.
This copy of Irish Minstrels and Musicians: with numerous dissertations on related subjects is a part of the that collection. It was presented to Mr. Wing in June of 1914 and it contains the bookplate from his personal library. It reads “Old Corner Library” with a number (4104) meant to reflect a count of volumes in his collection.
Unfortunately, Mr. Wing did not leave much information about how he acquired his books and there's not a comprehensive checklist of books that came to the Newberry after his death.
We have a small manuscript collection, the John M. Wing Papers 1867-1916, that includes some correspondence and invoices from booksellers, personal letters, and scrapbooks, but nothing that would shed any light on how he knew Francis O’Neill or under what circumstances he received this inscribed copy of Irish Minstrels and Musicians : with numerous dissertations on related subjects.
Thanks to Maggie Cusick, General Collections Services Librarian at the Newberry Library.