Rare Book Monthly
Articles - August - 2010 Issue
All's well that ends well
George Fox of PBA
d'Este then wrote to Evelyne Thomas to make her case for the return of the book or the proceeds from the sale. Mrs. Thomas, after contacting Mr. Fox to confirm the facts, agreed to send her the proceeds and asked George to confirm the net amount she received. In February d'Este found a letter in her mailbox from Evelyne along with a check for $2,475.
Ultimately it all came down to honesty. Mr. Fox could simply have reported that the buyer didn't find Mr. du Plessis' signature. The buyer could have, for his own reasons, ended all discussion with an "I don't see it," an "I can't find it" or "I sold it." Mrs. Thomas could easily have taken the lawyerly position of "show me your receipt." But no one took a short cut and ultimately all honored Jeffrey Thomas' approach to honesty. He once told me he couldn't lie because he couldn't keep the stories straight. It got him through life and it continues to work for him today.
As for PBA Galleries this case is a rare opportunity to see how people act when their actions are all but invisible. They did the right thing and are deserving of high praise.
