Stephen C. Massey’s memories are on offer

Peter Harrington’s rare book gallery in New York City has released an unusual catalogue, An Englishman in New York - a selection of works from the library of consummate bookman Stephen C. Massey. This catalogue reflects many of the important events Mr. Massey participated in the rare book field over the past fifty years.  His catalogue contains 180 items. For collectors of auction material, this is a very important presentation.

One hundred and twenty of his items will be on display at the Harrington offices at 35 East 67th Street, a few steps away from the Armory. 

For bibliophiles in for the New York International Rare Book Fair at the New York Armory at 643 Park Avenue April 30 – May 3, the Harrington firm will be exhibiting. Their booths are numbers A10 and A12.

Here is the Harrington release in full.

Peter Harringtin is pleased to share its latest catalogue An Englishman in New York - a selection of works from the library of consummate bookman Stephen C. Massey.

Massey is someone whose knowledge has been formed in the saleroom and in the traditions of the book trade, having come from a long line of respected booksellers (his family-operated Dublin bookshop on Aston’s Quay is mentioned by name in “The Dead”, the wonderful climax to Joyce’s Dubliners.) A Londoner by birth and a New Yorker by long residence, he was instrumental in establishing and shaping Christie’s books and manuscripts department in New York.

Massey has, for many years, worked with Peter Harrington as a special adviser.

Curated over a lifetime, Massey’s private library is a cabinet of memories: books acquired as touchstones of collections dispersed, mementoes of sales conducted, and life-long friendships made. It is also reflective of his private collecting instinct – particularly his love of beautiful bindings.  These are a working bookseller’s books: chosen with discrimination and of the highest underlying quality.

Here are selected examples (after which you’ll find a link to Mr. Massey’s catalogue):

Massey’s copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Codex Hammer – best known today as Codex Leicester. Stephen C. Massey is the antiquarian books specialist and auctioneer at Christie’s who sought out, secured for auction, catalogued, and sold the original manuscript to Bill Gates for $30,802,500 in 1994 - $6,000

First Ashendene edition of Horace, Carmina Alcaica, gifted to Massey by the distinguished private press collector John A. Saks, a scion of the famous New York department store family. Massey personally auctioned 614 lots from Saks’ collection over ten sales, culminating with the sale of a complete collection of Kelmscotts on vellum in 1983, one week before he died - $2,500

A well-preserved volume of the English Bible bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe for sale by the Los Angeles department store J. W. Robinson. It was gifted to Massey after the Doheny sale. Carrie Estelle Doheny was the noted Los Angeles philanthropist and collector, especially of Bibles - $1250

The Houghton Shahnameh – a first edition of a fine facsimile and study of the Shahnameh of Tahmasp, gifted to Massey by Arthur A. Houghton, Jr., the founder of the Harvard library that bears his name, and president of both the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Grolier Club. This facsimile edition might be considered a small token of recompense for Houghton’s infamous decision to break up the Rothschild manuscript of the Shahnameh, which Massey has described as “the ultimate act of vandalism”. Until the time came to examine it for this catalogue, Massey had left it unopened in the shipping carton in which it was sent to him - $3,500

For those who can’t wait, here’s a downloadable catalogue* of An Englishman in New York – a selection of works from the library of consummate bookman Stephen C. Massey.  

*Downloadable catalogue + A selection from the library of Stephen C. Massey (single page view)

Mr. Harrington’s website is: https://www.peterharrington.co.uk/catalogues-rare-books.