The full title of this work is The Arrows of the Chase: A Collection of Scattered Letters Published Chiefly in the Daily Newspapers 1840 to 1880.

Visitors consulting the Museum's collection of books would have found these volumes useful as a concise overview of Ruskin's intellectual commitments, and of the development of his ideas over time.

Volume 1 consists of 'Letters on Art' and 'Letters on Science'. The 'Letters on Art' include letters defending Turner and the Pre-Raphaelites, and letters attacking the trend towards insensitive restoration of medieval architecture.

Volume 2 consists of 'Letters on Politics and War', 'Letters on Political Economy', and 'Miscellaneous Letters'.

The volume carries a revealing epigraph, taken from Fors Clavigera:

'I never wrote a letter in my life which all the world are not welcome to read if they will'

(Letter lix, 1875)

Museum Library

The Museum had an extensive library. Its non-manuscript collections divide into these subject areas:

B. WORKS OF TRAVEL

I. Early Voyages of Discovery
II. Ancient Atlases

C. NATURAL HISTORY

I. Mineralogy
II. Botany
III. Zoology

D. THE FINE ARTS

I. Arts of Ancient Greece and Rome
(a) Sculpture
(b) Coins and Gems

II. The Plastic Arts
III. Metal Work

IV. Early Drawings, and Engravings
(a) The Early Italian and German Master
(b) Recent English Engravings
(c) Recent English Drawings
(d) Black and White Drawings

E. CLASSICAL LITERATURE

I. Greek-English Translations of Homer
II. French
III. English

F. BRITISH HISTORY

G. GENERAL LITERATURE

I. Works Appertaining to the History of Art
II. Biographical Works
III. Miscellaneous Works

Museum Book Shelves

The Museum's book shelves were vividly described in an article published in the Magazine of Art in 1879:

'On the shelves we recognise Bacon, and salute Chaucer. We bow to Dr. Johnson, and recognise Pope. Here, is "John Guillim's Heritorie," and Richard Hakluyt's "Voyages;" A. J. and E.

Le Blunt's "Histoire de la Porcelaine," and Joseph Marryatt's "History of Pottery," together with several volumes of "Natural History." Our attention is now drawn to a splendid edition of books bound in brave green morocco. They are a complete set of the works of Mr. Ruskin's comrade, Thomas Carlyle [...] There are drawerfuls of Mr. Ruskin's own writings. There is a covetable collection of his standard books, an édition de luxe, bound in blue. The edition is a model of typographical excellence; it is a positive luxury to peruse such type, and revel in such paper. [...] Here are pamphlets without end.' (III, December, 1879, pp. 57-60 (p. 60))

Museum Book Shelves

The Museum's book shelves were vividly described in an article published in the Magazine of Art in 1879:

'On the shelves we recognise Bacon, and salute Chaucer. We bow to Dr. Johnson, and recognise Pope. Here, is "John Guillim's Heritorie," and Richard Hakluyt's "Voyages;" A. J. and E. Le Blunt's "Histoire de la Porcelaine," and Joseph Marryatt's "History of Pottery," together with several volumes of "Natural History." Our attention is now drawn to a splendid edition of books bound in brave green morocco. They are a complete set of the works of Mr. Ruskin's comrade, Thomas Carlyle [...] There are drawerfuls of Mr. Ruskin's own writings. There is a covetable collection of his standard books, an édition de luxe, bound in blue. The edition is a model of typographical excellence; it is a positive luxury to peruse such type, and revel in such paper. [...] Here are pamphlets without end.' (III, December, 1879, pp. 57-60 (p. 60))