John Thomson (librarian)
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(aged 80–81)John Thomson | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1835 |
| Died | 1916 (aged 80–81) |
| Occupation | Librarian |
| Known for | first head librarian of the Free Library of Philadelphia |
| Spouse(s) | Mary Ann Faulkner Thomson |
John Thomson (1835–1916)[1] was the first head librarian of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Thomson was born in Norfolk, England and attended St. Paul's School, London. He emigrated to the US in 1881.[2]
Before the Free Library of Philadelphia, Thomson was the private librarian of Jay Gould and Clarence H. Clark.[3]
When the library opened in March 1894, Thomson's mission statement was "Free Books for All".[4]
He compiled a bibliography of all the incunabula in the US and purchased a number of rare books for the library, including Walter Arthur Copinger's collection of 500 incunabula and fourteen Portuguese antiphonaries given to the College of Saint Jerome by King John III.[3]
He was married to Mary Ann Thomson (1834–1923), writer of Protestant hymns.[5] They had a dozen children.[6]