George Fraser Black Explained
George Fraser Black (March 10, 1865 – September 7, 1948) was a Scottish-born American librarian, historian and linguist. He worked at the New York Public Library for more than three decades, and he was the author of several books about Scottish culture and anthroponymy, Romani people and witchcraft.
Early life
George Fraser Black was born in 1865 in Stirling, Scotland.[1] [2] [3] He earned a PhD before emigrating to the United States.[3] He was married to Annette Campbell McColl Black.[4] They had three children.
Career
Black became a librarian, historian and linguist. He worked at the New York Public Library from 1896 to 1931.[5] [6] He authored several books about Scotland, especially its folklore, witchcraft and surnames, as well as gypsies.[3] In Scotland's Mark on America, Black writes about the contributions made by Americans of Scottish descent, including many presidents.[7]
Black collected books about witchcraft, some of which were later acquired by Fairleigh Dickinson University, followed by Drew University.[8] Among them is a copy of Malleus Maleficarum, co-authored by Heinrich Kramer and Jacob Sprenger.[8]
Death
Black died on September 7, 1948, in Lyndhurst, New Jersey, where he resided.[5] [6]
Selected works
- Book: Black . George Fraser . Scottish Charms and Amulets . 1894 . Neill and Co. . Edinburgh, Scotland. 3149242.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . Thomas . Northcote W. . Examples of Printed Folk-lore Concerning the Orkney & Shetland Islands . 1903 . The Folklore Society . London, U.K.. 4894963.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . A Gypsy Bibliography . 1914 . . London, U.K.. 1026364.
- Book: Sinclair . Albert Thomas . Black . George Fraser . An American-Romani Vocabulary . 1915 . New York Public Library . New York City. 670364327.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . A List of Works Relating to Scotland . 1916 . . New York City. 681892745.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . Romani and Dard . 1916 . New York Public Library . New York City. 4582505.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . Scotland's Mark on America . 1921 . The Scottish section of "America's Making" . New York City. 671920925.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . Macpherson's Ossian and the Ossianic Controversy: A Contribution Towards a Bibliography . 1926 . New York Public Library . New York City. 4582473.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . A Calendar of Cases of Witchcraft in Scotland, 1510-1727 . 1938 . New York Public Library . New York City. 2232591.
- Book: Black . George Fraser . The Surnames of Scotland: Their Origin, Meaning, and History . 1946 . New York Public Library . New York City . 9780871041722 . 1303608 . registration .
Notes and References
- Web site: Statutory registers Births 490/ 133.
- Web site: Online Books by George Fraser Black (Black, George Fraser, 1866-1948) . . University of Pennsylvania . September 17, 2018.
- News: Librarian. September 28, 1948. The Kingston Daily Freeman. September 17, 2018. Kingston, New York. 3. subscription . Newspapers.com.
- News: Dr. G. F. Black, 83, Historian . 28 May 2023 . The Herald-News . September 8, 1948 . Passaic, New Jersey . 2.
- News: Deaths in Jersey: Lyndhurst . September 17, 2018 . The Courier-News. Bridgewater, New Jersey . September 8, 1948. 30. Newspapers.com. registration .
- News: Dr. George F. Black. Librarian, historian . September 17, 2018 . The Daily News . September 8, 1948. 68. New York City. Newspapers.com. registration .
- News: Book Points To Great Americans Who Were Scotch. George Fraser Black Tells of Part That Country Has Played in Our Development. . September 17, 2018 . The St. Louis Star and Times . St. Louis, Missouri . February 12, 1922. 23. Newspapers.com. registration .
- News: Bruno . Laura . A wicked display: Drew exhibit demystifies witch lore . September 17, 2018 . The Daily Record . Morristown, New Jersey . October 30, 2002. 1; 8. Newspapers.com. registration .
