Bamberg, Catalogue of the Joseph Heller Collection
Joseph Heller (1798–1849), a merchant's son and art scholar who lived as a man of independent means in his hometown of Bamberg all his life, invested his considerable wealth in an extensive and cross-genre collection of art and books.
He travelled to culturally significant cities in Germany, Austria and Italy, among other places, to expand his collection and engage in intellectual exchange. He also corresponded with renowned researchers, art collectors and dealers, meticulously prepared handwritten notes and published his findings in reference books, artist monographs and essays. Heller collected for his writings and wrote for his collection.
His diverse estate, consisting of manuscripts, autographs, correspondence and an abundance of graphic artworks from the 15th to 19th century, passed into the possession of the Royal Library after his death.
The holdings of today's Bamberg State Library include a handwritten catalogue of the Heller collection in three parts, two of which are almost identical and list the art collection, while the other lists the manuscript and book collection.
The ‘Heller'sches Kupferstich-Verzeichniß’ (loose copy: Msc.Misc.177(2; bound copy: Msc.Misc.177(3) was compiled by the Heller Collection, according to a handwritten note by library director Michael Stenglein (in office: 1848-1874), which was handed over ‘in a very disorganised state in worn book folders’ to the then still Royal Library in 1850. The catalogue follows Heller's own (folder) order, which was dissolved between 1851 and 1854, and lists individual items and bundles; the drawings, prints, paintings, coins and medals, glass paintings, printing blocks, etc. are supplemented by an estimated value.
The ‘Bücher- und Manuskripten-Katalog Joseph Heller's (Catalogue of Books and Manuscripts of Joseph Heller)’ (Msc.Misc.177(1)), on the other hand, describes the manuscripts and books in four categories, from manuscripts to printed books. The Heller shelfmarks in the left column can be found on the inside covers of most of the books, which can be filtered out of the Bamberg State Library's holdings using the library's own JH shelfmark; with Heller's handwritten old shelfmarks, the classification system of his reference library can still be traced today.
