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Scrapbooks of Iain Moffatt-Pender

 Collection — Box: CLX-A-1140
Identifier: Coll-1896

Scope and Contents

Two personal scrapbooks of writer and Gaelic revivalist Iain Moffatt-Pender, comprising mostly clippings, photographs, and correspondence which together throw an interesting light on the social milieu of Scottish Gaelic revivalism in the first two-thirds of the twentieth century, including links with Irish artists and academics.

The first album contains several black-and-white family photographs dating from the beginning and middle of the 20th century, a letter from John Macmillan dated 5 July 1957, Moffatt-Pender's graduation certificates, postcards, and many newspaper clippings in English and in Gaelic relating to Gaelic culture, arts, and politics, and clippings relating to Iain Moffatt-Pender himself (including on his graduation from Edinburgh University in 1951).

The second album is similar in contents to the first one, and contains black-and-white photographs (seemingly more recent than the ones in the first album), handwritten notes in Gaelic, newspaper clippings including articles related to his crowning as Bard by the Mòd, pictures of British and French Rugby teams in the 1940s (and one in 1909), and articles related to Gaelic affairs and events in general.

Dates

  • Creation: 1950s-1960s

Creator

Language of Materials

Scottish Gaelic and English. Some clippings in French.

Condition Description

Boards slightly worn, but good condition overall

Conditions Governing Access

Open. Please contact the repository in advance.

Biographical / Historical

Iain (sometimes spelt Ian) McAllister Moffatt-Pender studied Celtic Language and Literature under Professor W. J. Watson at Edinburgh University, before his studies were interrupted by the First World War, during which he fought in the Seaforth Highlanders. Before the War he also represented Scotland as a Rugby Union international. In 1932, he emigrated to Australia and made a fortune as a sheep farmer. He returned to Scotland after the Second World War and completed his degree in 1951. He wrote plays in Gaelic on Jacobite themes, and was an important patron.

Extent

0.2 linear metre

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated in October 2018. Accession no SC-Acc-2018-0183.

Condition Description

Boards slightly worn, but good condition overall

Processing Information

Catalogued by Aline Brodin in October 2018.

Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script

Repository Details

Part of the University of Edinburgh Library Heritage Collections Repository

Contact:
Centre for Research Collections
University of Edinburgh Main Library
George Square
Edinburgh EH8 9LJ Scotland
+44(0)131 650 8379