• <b><center>Koller Auctions<br>Books & Autographs<br>29 March 2023</b>
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> DADA - <i>Cabaret Voltaire.</i> A collection of artistic and literary contributions. Edited by Hugo Ball. CHF 5,000 to 8,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> EXPRESSIONISM - <i>Der Sturm.</i> Weekly magazine for culture and the arts. Almost complete suite from the years 1910 to 1932. CHF 20,000 to 30,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> LISBON EARTHQUAKE - <i>Augsburg collection of copper engravings of Lisbon. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> Hamilton, William. <i>Campi Phlegraei. Observations on the Volcanos of the Two Sicilies as they have been communicated to the Royal Society of London.</i> Naples, 1776-1779. CHF 50,000 to 70,000.
    <b><center>Koller Auctions<br>Books & Autographs<br>29 March 2023</b>
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> Leonardi, Domenico Felice. <i>Le Delizie della villa di Castellazzo descritte in verso dall'abbate Domenico Felice Leonardi lucchese fra gli Arcadi Ildosio Foloetico.</i> Milan, 1743. CHF 12,000 to 18,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> Zwingli, Huldrych. <i>Von erkiesen und freyhait der speisen. Von ergernusz und Verbößerung. Ob man gewalt hab die speyß zu etlichen zeyten verbieten [...]</i>. CHF 2,500 to 4,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> HENDRIK VAN VULLENHOE, UMKREIS. Benedictional and other texts for Johannes von Venningen, Bishop of Basel. Latin manuscript on parchment. CHF 50,000 to 80,000.
    <b>Koller, Mar. 29:</b> Gujer, Hans Rudolf. Master typist's book by Hans Rudolf Gujer from Wermetschweil (Wermatswil). German manuscript on paper. CHF 3,000 to 5,000.
  • <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> CASAS (BARTOLOMÉ DE LAS). <i>La Découverte des Indes occidentales par les Espagnols,</i> Paris, 1697. €1,500 to €2,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> GARCILASO DE LA VEGA. <i>Primera parte de los commentarios reales, que tratan del orígen de los Yncas…,</i> Lisbonne, 1609 [1608 au colophon]. €8,000 to €10,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> GARCILASO DE LA VEGA. <i>Histoire des Yncas rois du Pérou. On a joint à cette édition l'Histoire de la conquête de la Floride,</i> Amsterdam, 1737. €800 to €1,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> LAET (JOHANNES DE). <i>L'Histoire du nouveau monde, ou description des Indes occidentales,</i> Leyde, 1640. €8,000 to €10,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> LAFITAU (JOSEPH-FRANÇOIS). <i>Mœurs des sauvages amériquains, comparées aux mœurs des premiers temps,</i> Paris, 1724. €1,200 to €1,500.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> ORRIO (FRANCISCO XAVIER ALEXO DE). <i>Solución del gran problema acerca de la población de las Americas,</i> Mexico, 1763. €1,500 to €2,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> [ROCHEFORT (CHARLES DE)]. <i>Histoire naturelle et morale des Îles Antilles de l'Amérique,</i> Amsterdam, 1716. €800 to €1,000.
    <b>ALDE, Apr. 18:</b> TURGOT (ANNE-ROBERT-JACQUES). <i>Mémoire sur les colonies américaines, sur leurs relations politiques avec leurs métropoles…,</i> Paris, 1791. €1,000 to €1,200.
  • <b><center>Stargardt Autographenhandlung<br>Autographs: Literature, Music, Art, Science, History, Theatre & Film<br>March 28, 2023</b>
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Johann Wolfgang von Goethe: Autograph album leaf signed, 1826. €9,000 to €12,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Franz Kafka: Autograph letter unsigned, 1924. €15,000 to €20,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Torquato Tasso: Autograph poem signed, no date. €12,000 to €16,000.
    <b><center>Stargardt Autographenhandlung<br>Autographs: Literature, Music, Art, Science, History, Theatre & Film<br>March 28, 2023</b>
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Charles Darwin: Autograph letter signed, 1866. €4,500 to €6,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Albert Einstein: Autograph letter signed, 1933. €6,000 to €8,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Heinrich Hertz: Autograph manuscript signed, 1889. €18,000 to €24,000.
    <b><center>Stargardt Autographenhandlung<br>Autographs: Literature, Music, Art, Science, History, Theatre & Film<br>March 28, 2023</b>
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Giambattista Bodoni: Autograph letter signed, 1787. €900 to €1,200.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Francisco de Goya: Autograph letter signed, 1789. €18,750 to €25,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Martin Luther: Notes from his desk, no date. €30,000 to €40,000.
    <b><center>Stargardt Autographenhandlung<br>Autographs: Literature, Music, Art, Science, History, Theatre & Film<br>March 28, 2023</b>
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Ludwig van Beethoven: Autograph letter signed, 1816. €22,500 to €30,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Gustav Mahler: Foto portrait signed and annotated, 1907(?). €7,500 to €10,000.
    <b>Stargardt Autographenhandlung, Mar. 28:</b> Bed?ich Smetana: Autograph letter signed, 1883. €4,500 to €6,000.

Rare Book Monthly

Articles - March - 2023 Issue

Roberto Clemente Has Been “Cancelled” in Florida School

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Duval County school bookshelves, “offensive” Roberto Clemente Biography.

The wave of book censorship sweeping through America these days reached a point of absurdity recently as schools in Duval County, Florida (Jacksonville area) followed a state mandate to “err on the side of caution.” They “cancelled” a couple of baseball players' biographies. The state legislature passed, and the Governor signed, a law setting down rules as to what is inappropriate content for school classrooms and libraries. The need to “err of the side of caution” is serious because violation of these state mandated standards is a felony for which the teacher or librarian can be sent to prison. Who would want to take a chance of having a book at school that might send you to jail because it upset some politician or bureaucrat, no matter how ridiculous?

 

The result was that Duval County recently removed some books from their schools, at least for now, pending review. The legislation also allows any one resident of the district to object to a book and send it into a review process. All books must now pass by a “certified media specialist” who has taken training prescribed by state authorities before they can be placed in schools. “Certified media specialist” is a euphemism for government censor. If this sounds like what goes on in places like Russia or China, it's because it is.

 

A few of the principles with which books must comply include:

 

“No person is inherently racist, sexist, or oppressive, whether consciously or

unconsciously, solely by virtue of his or her race or sex.

 

“A person, by virtue of his or her race or sex, does not bear responsibility for actions

committed in the past by other members of the same race or sex.

 

“A person should not be instructed that he or she must feel guilt, anguish, or other

forms of psychological distress for actions, in which he or she played no part, committed

in the past by other members of the same race or sex.”

 

Of course no child should feel guilt for what others did, but might they feel some anguish or distress if they hear that some people of their race once enslaved, or maybe still do discriminate against a person of a different race? If a book mentions this, and a child could feel sad or distressed, which would be a normal human reaction, will librarians decide to play it safe and “cancel” history before some politician carts them off to prison? Perhaps the politicians' real fear is the children will be outraged by what was done in their name and put an end to the mistreatment of others who aren't exactly the same.

 

The result of this censorship law is objections were made and books removed from one Duval County school, including Roberto Clemente: Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Henry Aaron's Dream. Talk about “cancel culture” run amok! They were both great baseball players. Hank Aaron hit more home runs than any other major league baseball player in history. Roberto Clemente was a great player and humanitarian who died in a plane crash while delivering supplies to victims of an earthquake in Nicaragua. He was the epitome of non-controversial. Still, each encountered a certain amount of discrimination along the way but were American success stories in the mold of Jackie Robinson. Clemente was a Puerto Rican who began playing in the 1950s, while Aaron was an African American who grew up in the Deep South in the 1930s and 1940s. Could his story be told without recognizing he had to overcome difficulties White children did not have to face? Is that too distressing a tale to tell children? I can't wait to see the Jackie Robinson biography that doesn't mention discrimination.

 

Then again, there is the approach of another Duval County school, as shown in the picture taken by a substitute teacher of its library shelves. They removed the books. At least this librarian can sleep at night not fearing the dreaded knock on the door.

 

This in no way reflects poorly on officials from Duval County. They are merely following state law and playing it safe. Two years ago, Duval renamed six of its schools that used to be named for Confederate leaders. Jefferson Davis Middle School became Charger Academy. Robert E. Lee High School is now Riverside High School. Unlike the state, they are trying to overcome past injustices, rather than prolonging them.

 

Here is what is baffling. The state legislature and Governor have passed legislation to protect the tender sensibilities of White children who might erroneously think they were somehow responsible for things other people did. There is a word for such extreme sensitivity. I think it's “woke.” These politicians are very “woke.” What I don't understand is that while some Florida communities have on their own removed symbols and school names of people who fought to keep Black people enslaved and allow Black children to be taken from their families and sold to the highest bidder, the state has not acted to remove these symbols. In fact, Florida still recognizes three Confederate holidays - Jefferson Davis' Birthday, Robert E. Lee's Birthday, and Confederate Memorial Day. Won't such symbols honoring people who went to war so that they would be slaves distress Black children? Why hasn't the state acted to stop their anguish and distress? What is the difference? Perhaps someone smarter than I can answer this baffling question.

 

Postscript: The Duval County school said the picture taken by the substitute teacher only showed some of the shelves. Others still had books. They also announced that the Roberto Clemente and Hank Aaron books have been returned to the library. That's nice but one suspects that the bad publicity may have played a role there. None of this should make us forget that the Florida state government has become a government censor of libraries, and such government censorship reeks of terrible countries that all Americans who appreciate their hard-won liberty would never want to emulate.

 


Posted On: 2023-03-01 14:38
User Name: midsomer

Waiting on your article about the Roald Dahl censorship by the woke mob.


Posted On: 2023-03-02 04:11
User Name: AE244155

Has Dahl been censored? I missed that. I heard that a version with minor adjustments to change some old stereotypes and negative terms has been made for parents who don't like the way some things were said years ago, but the original version is still being published and I haven't heard of any state laws to ban it in schools or elsewhere. And what does "woke" mean? Wanting to be supportive of kids whose racial, gender identification, physical challenges can make them targets of taunting and cruelty? Sounds like this woke thing is good. Who could be against that?


Rare Book Monthly

  • <b><center>Swann Auction Galleries<br>Printed & Manuscript African Americana:<br>March 30, 2023</b>
    <b>Swann March 30:</b> Victor H. Green, <i>The Negro Motorist Green Book,</i> New York, 1949. $10,000 to $15,000.
    <b>Swann March 30:</b> Papers of pianist-composer Lawrence Brown relating to Paul Robeson & more, various places, 1925-54. $5,000 to $7,500.
    <b>Swann March 30:</b> Freedom Summer archive of civil rights activist Karen Haberman Trusty, Atlanta & elsewhere, 1963-64. $5,000 to $7,500.
    <b>Swann March 30:</b> E. Simms Campbell, <i>A Night-Club Map of Harlem,</i> New York, 1933. $8,000 to $12,000.
    <b>Swann March 30:</b> Archive of letters from the sculptor Richmond Barthé to a close Jamaican friend, various places, 1966-85. $25,000 to $35,000.
  • <center><b>Forum Auctions<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper<br>30th March 2023</b>
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Roman binding.- Pindar. <i>Olympia, Pythia, Nemea, Isthmia,</i> translated by Johannes Lonicer, contemporary Roman binding by Niccolo Franzese, Basel, 1535. £40,000 to £60,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Raverat (Gwen). Comprehensive album of 530 wood engravings, circa 1909-1950. £40,000 to £60,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Hemingway (Ernest). <i>Fiesta,</i> first English edition, first impression dust-jacket, 1927. £15,000 to £20,000.
    <center><b>Forum Auctions<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper<br>30th March 2023</b>
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Fleming (Ian). <i>Casino Royale,</i> first edition, first impression, 1953. £12,000 to £18,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Dickens (Charles). <i>Great Expectations,</i> 3 vol., first edition, first impression, Chapman and Hall, 1861. £10,000 to £15,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Campbell (Colen) & others. <i>Vitruvius Britannicus, or The British Architect...,</i> 5 vol., vol.1-3 later editions, vol.4 & 5 first editions, [?1731]-31-67-71. £10,000 to £15,000.
    <center><b>Forum Auctions<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper<br>30th March 2023</b>
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Geography.- Mela (Pomponius). <i>Cosmographia, sive De situ orbis,</i> Venice, Franciscus Renner de Heilbronn, 1478. £8,000 to £12,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> America.- [?Espinosa y Tello (José)]. <i>Relacion del Viage hecho por las Goletas Sutil y Mexicana en el Año de 1792,</i> 2 vol. including Atlas, first edition, Madrid, 1802. £8,000 to £12,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Australasia.- Péron (Francois) and Louis-Claude de Saulces de Freycinet. <i>Voyage de Découvertes aux Terres Australes,</i> 5 vol. including Atlas, second edition, Paris, 1824. £8,000 to £12,000.
    <center><b>Forum Auctions<br>Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper<br>30th March 2023</b>
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Botany.- Curtis (William). <i>The Botanical Magazine; or, Flower-Garden Displayed,</i> 83 vol. in 62, 1794-1956. £8,000 to £12,000.
    <b>Forum, Mar. 30:</b> Darwin (Charles).- Lecky (W.E.H.) <i>The Rise and Influence of Rationalism in Europe,</i> 2 vol., Darwin's copy with inscription "Charles Darwin 1865", pencil marginalia and pencil notes, 1865. £7,000 to £10,000.

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