A lost War of 1812 memoir has been hiding in Cleveland for decades

• Its 250,000 books, manuscript collections and nationally significant holdings regularly draw scholars researching religion, war, immigration, industry and American life far beyond the region.

State of play: Cambridge University historian Eamonn O'Keeffe recently identified the only known copy of an 1851 memoir by British soldier Shadrach Byfield after contacting WRHS.

• Historians had long believed Byfield wrote just one autobiography.
• O'Keefe's research recently appeared in the Journal of British Studies.

Zoom in: The 80-page booklet had been cataloged and preserved in WRHS' collection, but never recognized as a distinct second memoir that offers a more confessional account of Byfield's postwar life.

💭 Sam's thought bubble: I saw the story of the discovery in Popular Science and reached out to WRHS to learn more.

• Museum director Angie Lowrie told me the Byfield memoir was just one of many first editions and other rare items housed in the collection.
• I'm planning a visit to the library in the coming weeks, but am worried I might never leave (despite the limited hours).