Carl Menger collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-0153

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection of Austrian economist, Carl Menger (1840-1921), consists of over 200 photographs of European economists who were known to Menger during his lifetime. Many of the men in the photographs were students of Menger, and others were colleagues who had made significant contributions to the field of economics. The photographs are signed, and many include a personal greeting to Menger, all written in German. According to Menger's grandaughter, Eva Menger, the photographs were assembled as a tribute to Carl Menger for his 80th birthday in 1920. According to the German economist, F. A. Hayek, they were assembled for Menger's 70th birthday in 1910. The 1910 date is thought to be accurate.

The photographs are filed in 5 document boxes. The photographs vary in size, the larger ones are filed in Box 1. Smaller photographs are filed in Boxes 2 - 5. Names are arranged in the two groupings in alphabetical order. A complete listing is given in the Container List. It has been noted that the handwriting on the bulk of the photographs was difficult to decipher. A small number of photographs, not identified, are filed at the end of Box 5.

Dates

Creation: 1910

Creator

Menger, Carl, 1840-1921 (Person)

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

Biographical Note

Carl Menger was a founder of the Austrian school of economics. He was born in Neu Sandec, Austro-Hungary in 1840. He received the Dr Law from Cracow University in 1867. Menger held a post with the Austrian Prime Minister's Office and was a tutor to Archduke Rudolf (1876) before becoming a full professor at the University of Vienna 1879-1903. His important work, The Principles of Economics (1871) is a detailed account of the relation between utility, value, and price.

Carl Menger's son Karl (1902-1905) was a distinguished mathematician, and his grandson, Fred M. Menger, is a professor of chemistry at Emory University.

Carl Menger died in 1921.

Extent

1.11 Cubic Feet (1 legal size document box, 1 custom box (7 x 4 x 10 inches), 1 custom box (7 x 4 x 10 inches), 1 custom box (7 x 4 x 10 inches), 1 custom box (7 x 4 x 10 inches))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Custodial History

The collection may have been stored with the Hutzler Collection of Economic Classics until 1985.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The collection of photographs was given to the University by Karl Menger, the son of Carl Menger. Karl Menger presented it to the University in honor of his son, Fred M. Menger, a graduate of Hopkins, Class of 1958. The collection was most likely given to the departmental library of the Department of Political Economy sometime before 1965. When the libraries of the University were integrated into the Milton S. Eisenhower Library, the collection came to Special Collections.

Processing Information

In 1985 the collection was given a manuscript number, and some effort was made to identify the persons in the photographs. The photographs were signed, but the German script was very difficult to decipher. Assistance was given to Special Collection from the Economics department on campus. An index of names was completed. In 1995, additional processing was done on the collection, and the photographs were more fully indexed by matching the names to the photographs so as to clearly identify the men. Finding aid prepared by Joan Grattan in 1995.