Young Collection

University of Strathclyde Library

In 1906 the Bibliotheca Chemica written by Professor John Ferguson was published. This was a catalogue of the alchemical collection of James Young (1811-1883), a self-made Scottish entrepreneur who amassed a considerable fortune developing the paraffin industry. Young collected alchemical books because he believed that a survey of alchemy was indispensable for an understanding of the history of chemistry, rather than through a deep interest in alchemy for its own sake. However, he was able to gather some 1050 books and 7 manuscripts, and this collection was given in the late nineteenth century to the Andersonian Institute in Glasgow, which James Young held in high esteem, as he had been able in his early years to gain his knowledge of chemistry through attending classes there. The collection is now housed in the Department of Special Collections in the Andersonian Library of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow.
This collection is particularly strong in German and in 16th and 17th century works. There are 593 German and 340 Latin works.
The Librarian responsible for the collection is:
Malcolm Allen
Department of Special Collections
Andersonian Library
Cathedral Street
Glasgow G4
U.K.
Tel:0141 552 3701
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