"An American Offer": Thomas Hardy and the Transatlantic Manuscript Trade, 1890–1929

Thomas Hardy's poetic career (1898–1928) coincided with a surge of activity in the market for modern manuscripts: the so-called "golden age" of the transatlantic manuscript trade (1890–1929). As private American collectors and British institutional libraries fought to outbid one another at auction, Hardy—who was considered the leading living author of the period—soon found his manuscripts situated at the heart of this publicly documented tug of war. Charting Hardy's increasing awareness of the pecuniary and cultural values ascribed to his manuscripts, this article assesses the impact of the contemporary manuscript trade upon the poet's production of his working drafts.