A lot of us will know the name J. Don Vann from the landmark collections that he edited with Rosemary VanArsdel: Victorian Periodicals: A Guide to Research (1978; 1989) Victorian Periodicals and Victorian Society (1994), and Periodicals of Queen Victoria’s Empire (1996). Don, a founding member of RSVP, has now donated the vast collection of Victorian books and magazines — including many rare part-issues — that he and his wife, Dolores, have assembled since 1962 to the University of North Texas Libraries.
The Vann Victorian Collection, which includes a permanent funds to purchase additional Victorian books for the collection,, has officially opened at the UNT Libraries. An online virtual exhibit includes a video interview with Don Vann in which he talks about RSVP, Dickens, and many other aspects of his career.