Anthony Panizzi

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Antonio Panizzi
Antonio Panizzi

Sir Anthony Panizzi , full name Antonio Genesio Maria Panizzi , (born September 16, 1797 in Brescello , † April 8, 1879 in London ) was an Italian librarian and director of the library of the British Museum .

Life

Panizzi was born in the Duchy of Modena in 1797 . He attended school in Reggio and studied law at the University of Parma until 1818 and then worked as a lawyer. As a supporter of a secret society that was directed against Italian rule in northern Italy, he was arrested in 1822, escaped and went to England in 1823, where he initially settled in Liverpool and taught Italian. In 1832 he became a British citizen.

In 1831 he got a position as Assistant Librarian in the Department of Printed Books of the British Museum, in 1837 he became Keeper of the Printed Books and finally from 1856 until his retirement in 1866 as Principal Librarian Head of the library.

In its day, the British Museum Library was effectively the national library of the United Kingdom. With over a million printed works, the library was also the world's largest library at the time. Her famous circular reading room was designed by Sydney Smirke based on Panizzi's specifications.

As chief librarian, Panizzi laid the foundations for academic librarianship. His work consisted primarily in the introduction of new techniques and methods, such as the introduction of a newly built reading room and a complete catalog systematically laid out according to rules (The “Ninety-One Cataloging Rules”), which in its effects up to the catalog rules of the 19th and 20th centuries are to be proven. In addition, these rules formed the basic scheme for the structure of categorized bibliographic information, as it can later be found on catalog cards in ISBD format and in the elements of modern data structures for bibliographic data.

Panizzi was editor of Matteo Maria Boiardo's “Orlando Innamorato” and Ludovico Ariosto's “ Orlando Furioso ”.

He was accepted into the Order of the Bath as Knight Commander in 1869 and received personal nobility ("Sir").

See also

literature

  • Antonio Panizzi: Passages in My Official Life. CF Hodgson, London 1871 (memoir).
  • Richard Garnett:  Panizzi, Anthony . In: Sidney Lee (Ed.): Dictionary of National Biography . Volume 43:  Owens - Passelewe. , MacMillan & Co, Smith, Elder & Co., New York City / London 1895, pp. 179 - 183 (English).
  • Edward Miller: Prince of librarians. The Life and Times of Antonio Panizzi of the British Museum. British Library, London 1967
  • Matthew Battles: The World of Books. A history of the library. Artemis & Winkler, Düsseldorf 2003, ISBN 978-3-491-69142-1 .
  • Jürgen Osterhammel: The transformation of the world. A story of the 19th century. CH Beck Verlag, Munich 2009, ISBN 978-3-406-58283-7 , pp. 34-35.
  • Panizzi, Sir Anthony . In: Encyclopædia Britannica . 11th edition. tape 20 : Ode - Payment of Members . London 1911, p. 678 (English, full text [ Wikisource ]).

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Panizzi, Anthony
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Panizzi, Antonio Genesio Maria (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Italian librarian and director of the library of the British Museum
DATE OF BIRTH September 16, 1797
PLACE OF BIRTH Brescello
DATE OF DEATH April 8, 1879
Place of death London