Image credits: Ian Maginess
The most popular object in Armagh Robinson Library is Jonathan Swift’s own copy of Travels Into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, better known as Gulliver’s Travels.
Published in London in 1726 by Benjamin Motte, Swift discovered that his publisher had changed words and phrases without his knowledge. Swift had used many of those phrases to criticise important people and institutions of the day. He made changes to the text in this 1726 copy to prepare for a second publication.
The Library has created an exhibition from its own book collection to highlight the 300th anniversary of the first edition. Curated by Archivist Thirza Mulder, it explores the work as a commentary on 18th century society, politics, science, education and human nature. It also takes into consideration the pitfalls of the publishing process at the time and the consequences of Swift’s actions.
The exhibition was jointly launched by Ian Hislop and Moyra Haslett. Ian Hislop is a British journalist and the editor of the satirical magazine Private Eye. Professor Moyra Haslett is based in the School of Arts, English and Languages at Queen’s University Belfast with one of her research areas on Jonathan Swift.
Prior to the launch, a recording was made in the Library of a conversation between Ian Hislop and Moyra Haslett on the work of Jonathan Swift. It can be heard on BBC Radio 4 in late October.
Speaking ahead of the exhibition launch, Moyra said
Swift went to great lengths to distance his name from the authorship of this famous book, such was its potential risk. We are fortunate indeed that Armagh Robinson Library owns this unique copy of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’, Swift’s own copy with annotations in his own hand. The 300th anniversary of the book’s publication gives Armagh Robinson Library a wonderful opportunity to showcase and contextualise this precious object and the exhibition will hopefully encourage people to read Swift’s original version, which retains its power and relevance today.
Ian also said,
It was extraordinary to have in my hands Swift’s own copy of ‘Gulliver’s Travels’. And in a beautiful library setting with an excellent and illuminating exhibition. Thank you.
The exhibition will run until the end of December 2026.
In the autumn the Library will host three lectures to coincide with the anniversary. Guest speakers will include Professor Moyra Haslett, Emeritus Professor Ian Campbell Ross (Trinity College Dublin) and Emeritus Professor Brean Hammond (University of Nottingham).
