David Goudie Ramage (1907-1986)
Bibliographer and Librarian of the University of Durham
Born in Leith, David Ramage graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 1929 with a first-class honours degree in English literature and language. A scholar in French and English, a minor poet, and an historical bibliographer with particular interests in early printed books and private presses, he was appointed Deputy Librarian (1930-1936), and later Librarian of the University of Durham (1945-1967), spending the intervening years as Deputy Librarian of the University of St Andrews. He compiled a "Finding-list of English books to 1640" (1958) and was Editor of "The Durham Philobiblon", a charming, eclectic and occasional bulletin of bibliography which ran from 1949 until 1969.
In 1987, under the terms of David Ramage's will, Edinburgh University Library received over £99,000 'towards the acquisition of a research collection of editions of French and English poetry'. The interest on this endowment provides for the purchase of books of poetry in French and English, which are listed in the online catalogue. The French poetry volumes are shelved with other collections of French literature on open shelves. The English poetry volumes are held in Special Collections.
