Sir Jack Westrup (1904 - 1975), was a musicologist, composer, writer and teacher. He received an Hon DMus from Oxford University in 1946 and held the Heather Professorship from 1947-71. Westrup was knighted in 1961 and became Master of the Musicians' Company in 1972. His collection of 4,500 books on music history and musicology became the basis of the Westrup Library at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Click here for a link to the Wikipedia page.
Here are views of the actual library space in the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in its Barbican premises. Access is available to everyone, but by appointment only. Click here for a link to the GSMD website page that references this library and indeed the generosity of the Musicians' Company in saving this collection from being sold and in 1976 donating it on permanent loan. This acquisition was funded from the 'Allcard Fund', established in 1970 by Pastmaster Victor Allcard.
We are indebted to the Reference Library of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for their kind permission to these images.
The image to the left, is the frontispiece placed inside each volume of the collection. Click the image to download a full version.
Every volume also has a 'W' placed on the spine to indicate its part within the collection (see example to the right).
Here are a few examples from the library:
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