Bibliography of Malta-related Publications (1800–1838) printed outside Malta in the Albert Ganado Collection

By Albert Ganado and William Zammit

Published by Midsea Books, 2021

On January 15, 1839, the British colonial government granted Malta the freedom of the press, a decision that set in motion a notable flourish of local publications due to fact that now the state did not have to serve its stifling nihil obstats.

And yet, in the period between the British taking over the island and the granting of the freedom to publish, there were several publications ranging from pamphlets to multi-volume works published by both Maltese authors and foreigners, not least British ones who discovered an increased interest in our island following their country’s taking over of the island.

A remarkable collection of such publications is to be found in Albert Ganado’s collection of Melitensia. Ganado, one of the foremost local learned collector of Melitensia in all its facets, has collaborated with William Zammit in publishing a list of his such holdings, making available part of his collection which has taken a long lifetime to accumulate.

On his part, Zammit needs no explanation since he has established himself as the leading expert on local printing history and publications with several important publications to his name.

As Zammit explains, private collections risk the danger of being dispersed and so their descriptions assumes considerable importance. Also, since these books appeared well before the introduction of legal deposits of publications and were printed outside our shores, there is the possibility that some titles will not even be found in the national collections, as seems to be actually the case with Ganado’s collection. As Zammit himself points out, this slim publication fills ‘another lacuna where Maltese retrospective bibliography is concerned’.

Ganado made available part of his collection which has taken a long lifetime to accumulate

Each publication is presented with an illustration of the original cover, a description of the illustrative material, and concise biographical details about the author. Very often, the original covers of such publications are removed and replaced and these illustrations therefore provide a most valuable record. The seasoned collector sees extra value in uncropped or unopened copies, something which the ordinary booklover may not fully appreciate.

The subjects of the publications printed range from travelogues to history to archaeology to medicine to the Maltese grammar and language to religion (considerable number of these mostly of a Protestant matrix aimed to proselytise the local Catholic population) to politics.

In the latter area, the chief contributor is Giorgio Mitrovich, with no fewer then 18 titles printed in London between 1835 and 1837 in his fight to obtain more rights for his fellow countrymen. No other author has as many titles to his name in this list.

The list includes some of the better-known titles of Melitensia such as Boisgelin’s Ancient and Modern Malta (Ganado has no fewer than four different editions), Onorato Bres’s Malta Antica Illustrata, Adolphus Slade’s controversial Turkey, Greece, and Malta, Richard Colt Hoare’s Classical Tour, William Eton’s Authentic Materials, and Patrick Brydone’s A Tour through Sicily and Malta. There are of course many more lesser-known authors and titles.

In addition to all the covers of the publications listed, the book includes a generous selection of other illustrations taken from the publications themselves.

This book may not have a general appeal for Melitensia enthusiasts but, like caviar, it caters for the more discerning and the serious collector.