Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - December - 2015 Issue

Books from the Library of Anthony Hobson from Forest Books

From the library of Anthony Hobson.

Forest Books has published a catalogue entitled A Selection of Books from the Library of Anthony R. A. Hobson. Anthony Hobson was a bibliophile, expert, particularly on Renaissance bindings, author of numerous books and articles about antiquarian books and manuscripts, and a director at Sotheby's auction, in charge of the book department. He succeeded his father, who had been one of the purchasers of Sotheby's in 1908, when the latter died in 1949. Anthony Hobson remained in that role until the 1970's when he left the firm, concerned about its expansion. Along the way, Hobson oversaw many important sales, perhaps the most recognizable being the final parts of the century-long Thomas Phillipps sale. He was a member of numerous book collecting societies and an avid collector. Mr. Hobson died in 2014 at the age of 92. In an article in the Spectator, his son noted that, while he felt sad dispersing his father's collection, his father had told him that when the time came, he should "let other collectors have their turn." Here's your turn. These are a few of those books.

 

Speaking of the obsessive Mr. Phillipps, item 128 is Portrait of an Obsession. The Life of Sir Thomas Phillipps, the World's Greatest Book Collector. Adapted by Nicolas Barker from the Five Volumes of Phillipps Studies. This adaptation of the 5-volume set by A. N. L Munby was published in 1967. Phillipps had been dead almost a century by that time, but it would still be another ten years before his final sale at Sotheby's would be held (some further remnants of his collection were sold by Christie's in 2006). Phillipps was beyond obsessive, building a collection unrivaled in size, even though he was a man of relatively modest means. He had a good income from a trust, but not nearly enough to cover his desire to own, quite literally, everything. His homes were filled to the ceiling, his bank account constantly in debt. While his book collection was massive, it was his manuscripts that far exceeded anything previously seen. Phillipps was noted for buying out entire libraries, auctions, and other inventories, particularly of manuscripts. The book comes with a letter asking Anthony Hobson to review this book, a 5-page typescript of that review, and some letters from Munby. Munby was noted for some ghost stories he wrote while a prisoner of war in Germany, but then settled down to a life as a librarian and in the book trade, a few years with Bernard Quaritch and several at Sotheby's. Priced at £95 (British pounds, or about $145 U.S. dollars).

 

Item 5 was in effect one of the earliest bibliographies. It is a catalogue of a large and magnificent collection, Index Bibliothecae qua Franciscus Barberinus... It was published in 1681 after the library's owner, Cardinal Francesco Barberini, died. Cardinal Barberini was a wealthy member of a wealthy family. At the young age of 26 he was named a cardinal. It didn't hurt that the then Pope, Urban VIII, was his uncle. Urban also named another nephew and his brother cardinals. Cardinal Barberini conducted diplomatic missions for the Pope, but more importantly, headed up the Vatican library. Meanwhile, his growing wealth enabled him to build his own spectacular library. The library at a minimum contained over 31,000 printed books when the Cardinal died, and a large collection of manuscripts. This catalogue, which covers only the printed books, comes in two volumes. A third volume for the manuscripts was planned but never published. This catalogue is considered one of the earliest bibliographies because it was arranged in a revolutionary manner for the time – alphabetical order by name. Barberini was noted as a great promoter of the arts (and spending). He deserves special recognition as one of only three of the judges who refused to sign the sentence of Galileo after his second trial, and arranged for him to spend his remaining years in comfortable surroundings, rather than being shipped off to a monastery. £5,000 (US $7,609).

 

Here is a word to the "wise" that everyone involved with rare books needs to keep in mind – not everything is as it seems. Item 149 is Thomas J. Wise in the Original Cloth. The Life and Record of the Forger of the Nineteenth Century Pamphlets, published in 1946. The author was Wilfred Partington, one of the primary investigators responsible for Wise's downfall. Thomas Wise was once a respected scholar, but he found he could make more money through book forgery. He would not just copy existing books, but create new ones under an author's name. He might take an article that first appeared in a collection and create a separate edition, dated from before the collection. Voila! He had an extraordinarily rare, previously unknown, "true" first edition. It worked for a long time, but not forever. This copy comes with an interesting letter from C. G. de Graz, managing directory of Sotheby's auction rooms, to Mrs. Wise in 1933, when Wise's fraud was first becoming known. In it de Graz writes, "I am not writing to Mr. Wise directly... all of us here sympathize with Mr. Wise in the unhappy controversy which has arisen this Summer..." Perhaps de Graz was unconvinced, or unaware of the extent of Wise's forgeries at the time. Other letters included are Mrs. Wise's reply, a letter from de Graz to Partington thanking him for a copy of his book, and a copy of a letter from Hobson to Partington. £75 (US $114).

 

I am not otherwise familiar with this book, but the quote provided by Forest has to be a classic description of a book. Item 231 is Recollections of Mr James Lenox of New York and the Formation of his Library, by Henry Stevens, published in 1886. The quote describes the book as, "Recollections of Henry Stevens by Henry Stevens, with Occasional References to Mr. James Lenox." £45 (US $68).

 

Forest Books may be reached at +44 1949-842360 or bib@forestbooks.co.uk. Their website is www.forestbooks.co.uk

Rare Book Monthly

  • Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Roberts (David) & Croly (George). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumae, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia. Lond. 1842 - 1843 [-49]. First Edn. €10,000 to €15,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Incunabula: O'Fihily (Maurice). Duns Scotus Joannes: O'Fihely, Maurice Abp… Venice, 20th November 1497. €8,000 to €12,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: An important file of documents with provenance to G.A. Newsom, manager of the Jacob’s Factory in Dublin, occupied by insurgents during Easter Week 1916. €6,000 to €9,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: WILDE (Oscar), 1854-1900, playwright, aesthete and wit. A lock of Wilde’s Hair, presented by his son to the distinguished Irish actor Mícheál MacLiammóir. €6,000 to €8,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Heaney (Seamus). Bog Poems, London, 1975. Special Limited Edition, No. 33 of 150 Copies, Signed by Author. Illus. by Barrie Cooke. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Binding: Burke, Thomas O.P. (de Burgo). Hibernia Dominicana, Sive Historia Provinciae Hiberniae Ordinis Praedicatorum, ... 1762. First Edition. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: COLLINS, Michael. An important TL, 29 July 1922, addressed to GOVERNMENT on ‘suggested Proclamation warning all concerned that troops have orders to shoot prisoners found sniping, ambushing etc.’. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Scott Fitzgerald (F.) The Great Gatsby, New York (Charles Scribner's Sons) 1925, First Edn. €2,000 to €3,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Yeats (W.B.) The Poems of W.B. Yeats, 2 vols. Lond. (MacMillan & Co.) 1949. Limited Edition, No. 46 of 375 Copies Only, Signed by W.B. Yeats. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of the Russian Empire, Description in English and French, Lg. folio London (S. Gosnell) 1803. First Edn. €1,000 to €1,500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of Turkey, Illustrated by a Series of Engravings. Lg. folio Lond.(T. Bensley) 1802. First Edn. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Mason (Geo. Henry). The Costume of China, Illustrated with Sixty Engravings. Lg. folio London (for W. Miller) 1800. First Edn. €1,400 to €1,800
  • ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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  • Sotheby’s
    Fine Books from a Distinguished Private Library
    28 November 2023
    Sotheby’s, Nov. 28: Captain Thomas Brown | Illustrations of the American ornithology. £80000-120000
    Sotheby’s, Nov. 28: William Hamilton | Campi phlegraei. £40000-60000
    Sotheby’s, Nov. 28: Nicola Zabaglia and Domenico Fontana | Castelli, e ponti con alcune ingegnose pratiche. £6000-8000
    Sotheby’s, Nov. 28: Bible, German | Nuremberg: Koberger, 1483. £40000-60000
    Sotheby’s, Nov. 28: Bible, English | King James version. £8000-12000
  • Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Saint Jerome penitent, woodcut with contemporary hand-colouring and letterpress text beneath, [Augsburg], [Johann Froschauer], [c.1498]. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Elimithar (Elluchasem) "Ibn Butlan". Tacuini sanitatis, first edition, Strasbourg, Johann Schott, 1531. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: [Missale Romanum], Latin, Incipit ordo missalis secundum consuetudinem Curiae Romani, manuscript in Latin, on vellum, 234ff. [c. 1400]. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Foyle copy.- [Shakespeare (William)]. Macbeth. A Tragedy: With all the Alterations, Amendments, Additions, and New Songs. As it is now Acted at the Theatre Royal, for Hen. Herringman, 1687. £5,000 to £7,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Dickens (Charles). A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, first edition, first impression, first issue, Chapman & Hall, 1843. £12,000 to £18,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Lawrence (T.E.) Revolt in the Desert, working draft typescript, 1927. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Hampstead Bindery.- Phillips (Stephen). Marpessa, exquisitely bound by The Hampstead Bindery, almost certainly P.A. Savoldelli, 1900. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Matisse (Henri).- Joyce (James). Ulysses, one of 1500 copies, this one of 250 signed by the author and artist, New York, The Limited Editions Club, 1935. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Burroughs (Edgar Rice). Tarzan at the Earth's Core, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author to his son, New York, 1930. £5,000 to £7,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Fitzgerald (F. Scott). Tender is the Night, first edition, first printing, signed by the author, New York, 1934. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Fleming (Ian).- Hooks (Mitchell) and David Chasman. Dr. No, British film poster, Stafford & Co Ltd, [1962]. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: America.- California.- Palou (Francisco). Relacion Historica de la Vida Y Apostolicas Tareas delVenerable Padre Fray Junipero Serra..., first edition, second issue, 1787. £6,000 to £8,000.
  • Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: Samuel Augustus Mitchell, A New Map of Texas, Oregon and California with the Regions Adjoining, Philadelphia, 1846. $3,500 to $5,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: 17th–19th-century case maps of various locations. $1,500 to $2,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Andreas Cellarius, Haemisphaerium Stellatum Boreale Cum Subiecto Haemisphaerio Terrestri, celestial chart, Amsterdam, 1708. $2,500 to $3,500.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: Vincenzo Coronelli, Set of engraved gores for Coronelli’s monumental 42-inch terrestrial globe, Venice, circa 1688–97. $18,000 to $22,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, group of four navigational charts, Antwerp, 1580s. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Thomas Bros, Block Book of Berkeley, Oakland, 1920s. $800 to $1,200.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Nieuhoff & John Ogilby, An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, map of China, plan of Canton, London, 1673. $1,200 to $1,800.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Frederick Sander, Reichenbachia, St. Albans, 1888-1894. $5,000 to $7,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Two early illustrated works on horsemanship and breeding, Nuremberg, early 18th century. $700 to $800.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Gould, A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans. Supplement to the First Edition, London, 1834; 1855. $40,000 to $60,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World, London, 1808–14. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Oakley Hoopes Bailey, Hackensack, New Jersey, Boston, 1896. $800 to $1,200.

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