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Back A Book

Back a Book

The historic libraries at Magdalene College have aided scholarship and provided public enjoyment for centuries.

Through careful monitoring and professional conservation of the books, manuscripts and prints in the Pepys Library and the Old Library, we can ensure that these items are studied and exhibited for years to come.

You can be part of this preservation of history by backing a book and supporting an item in our historic collections which needs professional conservation. On this page, we have selected items that need repair and the cost of sponsorship.

Items for Conservation


‘Miscellanea Analytica…’ by Edward Waring, 1762 (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £570.00

For the first time in the Back a Book programme, a printed book by a Magdalene student and Fellow is featured. Edward Waring (c.1736-1798) was the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics - the title also held by Isaac Newton and Stephen Hawking. Waring’s most notable contribution to mathematics is known as Waring’s Problem, to which an affirmative answer was provided by David Hilbert, a German mathematician, in 1909.

This book, Waring’s ‘Miscellanea analytica’, concentrates on number theory and algebraic equations, and was translated into Italian in 1770. Waring is known as a highly analytical mathematician, to which this publication attests.

Miscellanea analytica by Edward Waring

Conservation Work Required

Reattachment/reinforcement of upper and lower boards of this book, repair of head endcap.

Cost to conserve: £570.00


‘Les Méditations Métaphysiques’, by René Descartes, 1681 (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £760.00

This book was owned previously by Mary Astell (1666-1731) and forms part of the recent identification of her library within the Old Library of the College. The attribution to Astell of the annotations in many of the Old Library books has led to a surge of scholarly interest, which in turn requires the most fragile volumes to be conserved to enable future academic study. On the title page of Les Méditations Métaphysiques shown above, Astell discusses the various editions of the work and its translators.

Les Méditations Métaphysiques by René Descartes

Conservation Work Required

Urgent remedial work including surface cleaning, consolidation or the creation of new endbands, spine leather repairs and rebuilding of the board corners. There is a possibility that further conservation work to complement the urgent repairs will be carried out on this book at a future date.

Cost to conserve: £760.00


‘Les Principes de la Philosophie’, by René Descartes, 1652 (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £1140.00

Les Principes de la Philosophie by Descartes is Mary Astell’s most heavily annotated book in the Old Library. It has already been discussed in published works, such as Dame Athene Donald’s Not Just for the Boys: Why we Need More Women in Science (Oxford University Press, 2023), despite its relatively recent discovery.

Les Principes de la Philosophie by René Descartes

Conservation Work Required

Surface cleaning, resewing of detached pages, reinforcement of damaged pages, consolidation of endbands, spine leather repairs and rebuilding of the board corners.

Cost to conserve: £1140.00


‘The scripture account of the eternal rewards or punishments..’ by Henry Dodwell, 1708 (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £495.00

This book forms part of our recently identified collection of books owned by Mary Astell (1666-1731) in the Old Library. As one can see from the inscription on the title page, she received this book as a gift from the ‘learned author’ himself. Due to the significant interest in the Mary Astell books, it is vital that conservation work is carried out on these volumes to assist with their future academic use.

‘The scripture account of the eternal rewards or punishments..’ by Henry Dodwell, 1708 (Old Library)

Conservation Work Required

Reattaching the front cover, stabilising historic pest damage, surface cleaning.

Cost to conserve: £495.00


‘V. Cl. Gulielmi Camdeni, et illustrium virorum ad G. Camdenum Epistolæ’ by William Camden, 1691 (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £300.00

This is a collection of the correspondence of William Camden (1551-1623), the historian and antiquary, collected by Thomas Smith and published in 1691. The volume also contains a well-regarded biography of Camden by Smith. The engraved frontispiece depicting Camden is by Robert White, after Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger. Robert White was also the engraver of Samuel Pepys’s bookplate.

‘V. Cl. Gulielmi Camdeni, et illustrium virorum ad G. Camdenum Epistolæ’ by William Camden, 1691 (Old Library)

Conservation Work Required

Reattaching the front cover, consolidating (strengthening) the leather and text block to allow the volume to be safely handled.

Cost to conserve: £300.00


A collection of six tracts including ‘Practyse of prelates’ by William Tyndale, c.1549, with handwritten contents page by former Master of Magdalene James Duport (Old Library)

Cost to conserve: £950.00

James Duport was a classicist, an active book collector and library enthusiast. He was made Master of Magdalene in 1668, as well as Dean of Peterborough in 1664. He was an important supporter of building the Wren library at Trinity College, as well as playing an active part in rejuvenating Peterborough Cathedral Library during his time as Dean. Upon his death, Duport’s books were divided between Trinity College, Magdalene College and family members. Many volumes of tracts in the Old Library feature Duport’s attractive handwriting on the endpapers listing the volumes’ contents. Full details of the contents of this volume are available upon request.

A collection of six tracts including ‘Practyse of prelates’ by William Tyndale, c.1549, with handwritten contents page by former Master of Magdalene James Duport (Old Library)

Conservation Work Required

Reattaching the front cover and loose pages, stabilising ink corrosion damage, repair to split headband, surface cleaning.

Cost to conserve: £950.00


Back A Book

If you would like to back a book, please complete the online donation form.

Back A Book Donation Form

For those who support the conservation of an item in full, we will recognise your generous contribution in the following ways:

  • a 'Conservation Report' outlining the work undertaken on the item, with 'before and after' photos for personal study
  • acknowledgement in the online catalogue record of the book, if applicable (currently printed books only)
  • an acknowledgement in the Pepys Library section of the college website and the 'Friends of the Pepys Library' Newsletter

The 'lead time' for the conservation may vary, especially in the unlikely event of an emergency repair arising. However, we will keep in contact with you regarding the estimated timescale.


Friends of the Pepys

Back a Book is run in parallel with our Friends of the Pepys Library and Historic Collections. You do not need to be a member to back a book.

If you are interested in joining the Friends of the Pepys to keep up to date with news from the historic libraries please visit the Friends of the Pepys webpage or contact the Coordinator of the Friends Library at pepysfriends@magd.cam.ac.uk.