Carl Dahl Collection
Unique collection of books on pomology (the study of fruits and berries), gardening and landscape architecture. The books have previously belonged to Carl Georg Valdemar Dahl (1875-1959).
About the collection
The Dahl collection consists of about 110 shelf metres of materials printed between 1539 and 1959. These include monographs, journals, brochures, seed catalogues, bibliographies, booksellers' catalogues and various archival materials such as letters and photos.
Virtually all the pomology classics are represented among the 1 670 monographs of the collection. Another portion of the material is that of the onetime schoolbooks of Dahl and his wife Else, in subjects including arithmetic, chemistry and English.
Many of the works in the collection that are written in languages other than Swedish are unique in a Swedish context. Several of the titles are unique in other ways, too, with attachments and ephemera - such as Dahl's own herbarium, or those of other owners. The collection further includes several older, rare block-printed works. Through their aesthetic and history, many of the older volumes are highly interesting to a book historian, due to their visual aspect, edges, decoration or other traits.
The collection bears plain evidence of its donor, and of people who have owned the respective books before they came into Dahl's possession. For several of the monographs, Dahl has made his own portraits of the authors, and some of the titles include dedications - to Dahl, or to a previous bookowner - from the various contributors.
Monographs, folios and several journals from the collection are digitally available since 2021, and included in our online catalogue. Search Libris or Supersök using the phrase ”Dahlsamlingen”. To browse the scanned card catalogue, please refer to the DahlKat i Gupea.
Acquisition history
The collection was bequeathed to the Gothenburg University Library by Dahl himself. The books initially arrived to what is currently the Humanities library. When the Botanical library had been established in 1969, the collection was transferred there, before it was given its current, main place at the Biomedical library in 2012.
Access the collection
The collection is held in the closed stacks at the Biomedical library and the Humanities library. It is available for reading room use only.
Catalogue
Monographs, folios and a selection of journals from the collection:
In Libris
In Supersök
A card catalogue of the collection is available at the Biomedical library.
Inventory
Gupea has an inventory of the contents of the collection. This is a PDF of the scanned card catalogue, available for full text search.
Biomedical library
Medicinaregatan 4
413 90 GOTHENBURG
Phone: 031-786 30 02
Text:
Gustav Bäcklin
Biography
Carl Georg Valdemar Dahl (1875-1959) vas a professor, horticulturist and one of Sweden's most renowned pomologists. Dahl earned his bachelor's degree in Uppsala in 1901. He was te manager of the Adelsnäs school of gardening 1903–1910 and later at the Alnarp school of gardening in 1910–1940. He published a great many works, mainly handbooks within horticulture and pomology. Among these, the handbook titled Pomologi, issued in 1929, is perhaps the most notable.
Read more
110 meter blommor och blad - GU-journalen 2021:5
Alnarpsinstitutet, Alnarps trädgårdars arkiv, Riksarkivet
Carl G. Dahl in Svenskt bibliografiskt lexikon
Carl G. Dahl via kärnhuset.com
Göteborgs universitetsbibliotek: Årsberättelse 2021 - about the illustrations in the Dahl Collection.
Professor C. G. Dahl,s letters, Riksarkivet
Suggested research topics
- An overview of the collection's contents. What is represented here, and how does it mirror the time and context of the material?
- Bibliographical research
- On botanical works, illustrations and representation of plants in Sweden and worldwide.
- Historical perspectives on horticulture and utility plants.
Please contact us if you have any suggested research topics you would like to share!