The Carl H. Pforzheimer Collection of Shelley and his Circle

Pforzheimer (1879‐1957) was born in New York City and had a humble start in life. But by age 23 he had started his own firm, specializing in oil stocks, and eventually became very rich. As soon as he was able, he began to collect books and manuscripts, and this passion culminated in his unrivalled collection on the Romantic Revival in English Literature. When he died in 1957 the collection became an asset of the Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Foundation, Inc. and in 1986 the Foundation presented the collection to the New York Public Library, which would have been Carl’s wish....