The Bonaparte – Wyse Collection
This collection was acquired at auction by WIT in 2006. It comprises over 1,800 individual items, dating from the early 19th up to the mid-20th century. The content varies widely and includes letters, diaries and newspaper articles, both in English and French, pertaining to various members of the famous Wyse family of Waterford. The best-known member of the family was Sir Thomas Wyse (1791-1862), who married Napoleon Bonaparte’s niece, Letitia, and was a leading nineteenth-century Irish and Westminster politician, an educationalist and a leading figure in Catholic Emancipation in Ireland. As a member of the British Whig (Liberal) government, Thomas Wyse was central to educational reform and the setting up of the national school system. Thomas and Letitia had two children, Napoleon Alfred Bonaparte-Wyse (1822-1895) and William Charles Bonaparte-Wyse (1826-1892). This revealing collection captures the correspondence of several generations of the Bonaparte-Wyse family. There are also some letters between Thomas Wyse and several well-known figures such as Daniel O’Connell.
The collection uncovers the correspondence of several generations of the Bonaparte-Wyse family. Momentarily the focus has been primarily on the digitisation of the collections four sketchbooks. The 19th century sketch books containing pencils profiles, some attributed to Harriett Wyse, ink and pencil studies of classical subjects, Roman landscapes, a detailed drawing of a horse’s head inscribed by Letitzia Bonaparte Wyse and two further sketch books by Sir Thomas Wyse.
Preserve and promote
Our special collections are scientifically monitored for temperature and relative humidity levels on a daily basis to ensure the artifacts are preserved in accordance to the strict guidelines set out by International Council of Museums (ICOM) code of ethics. It is essential the rare books and manuscripts of our special collections are housed in a safe secure environment for future generations of researchers, historians, lecturers and students.
Digitisation
Our digitisation project of the Bonaparte-Wyse Collection has commenced. This process will enable manuscripts from the collection to be scanned and changed from physical documents to digital data and images viewable on the special collections’ website. Digitisation allows the special collections to be accessible via the internet twenty-four hours a day seven days a week, an essential development in this age of research on demand.
Kieran Cronin
Special Collections, Heritage & Outreach Librarian
Luke Wadding Library
SETU Cork Road Campus
Waterford
051-302839
Email: kieran.cronin@setu.ie
Daithí Wilkinson
Visual Communications Research Student
SETU College Street Campus
Waterford