Possessing numerous specimens of note, one of Union’s most intriguing items comes in the form of its Joyce collection. Prestigious by even the highest academic standards, Union’s first edition copies of both Ulysses and Finnegans Wake place the college in a unique historical position; a participant in the larger global endeavor that is Joycean studies, Union’s collection of Joyce ephemera raises multiple questions regarding such esteemed works– specifically– where did they come from?
Although widely publicized and circulated, original copies of Joyce’s works– especially Ulysses– were not only printed in small batches, but are incredibly sought after. Union’s collection, obtained (in part) from one Mary Trackett Reynolds– a Joycean in her own right– not only raises eyebrows for its highly-prized nature, but also the circumstances in which the works were obtained; furthermore, a source of personal history– the works acquired from Reynolds may offer unique insights into the historically-suppressed field that is feminine scholarship on Joyce.
Reynolds, an academic whose own life was buffeted by misogyny and rejection, can then act as the point from which a larger investigation into not only the history of Union’s Joyce collection, but the larger place of early feminine criticism of Joyce’s works as it exists in relation to the endeavor that is ‘global ulysses’; using Union’s collection as both historical reference and object, a larger examination of early female scholars can be made– if not in relation to– then around these items of literary interest.
Utilizing archival research methods, this paper explores the connection between Reynolds’ early feminist scholarship on Joyce and her contributions to the development of his work Ulysses into a global phenomenon. Examining Reynolds’ scholarship on Joyce’s life in relation to his work, this paper seeks to establish Reynolds’ scholarly contributions as they have helped foster Joyce studies around the world.