Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - January - 2023 Issue

Present Perfect from Shapero Rare Books

Present Perfect.

Shapero Rare Books has issued a catalogue with one of those mysterious names, Present Perfect. Since the world at present isn't perfect, I'm going to guess this was intended for the holidays but we received it a bit too late. So, you'll have to give this present to yourself. Psychologists will tell you self-love is a good thing. Shapero does make it easier to understand what this catalogue is all about with a table of contents. Here is what is has: Fiction, Poetry & Prose, Children's & Illustrated, Visual & Performing Arts, Special Interest & Sports, Judaica & Hebraica, Near East & Islamic, and Modern Prints. These are a few selections.

 

In the early twentieth century, Jerusalem was controlled by the declining Ottoman Empire. The decline was hastened when the Ottomans joined the wrong side in World War I. In 1917, British forces, under Field Marshall Edmund Allenby, captured the city. On December 9, 1917, Allenby issued this Proclamation of Martial Law in Jerusalem. He announced, “The defeat inflicted upon the Turks by the troops under my command has resulted in the occupation of your city by my forces. I therefore here and now proclaim it to be under Martial Law.” However, he went on to reassure the inhabitants of the city that “every sacred building, monument, holy spot, shrine, traditional site, endowment, pious bequest or customary place of prayer, of whatsoever form of the three religions, will be maintained and protected according to the existing customs and beliefs of those to whose faiths they are sacred.” There are actually two copies of the broadside proclamation, of which only 300 copies apiece were printed. One contains the proclamation in Hebrew, Arabic, Russian and Greek, while the other has it in English, French and Italian. Item 130 has both. Priced at £10, 000 (British pounds or approximately US $12,362).

 

There must be thousands of books that have been written about the Second World War, that terrible conflagration which hopefully will always be the worst war to ensnare practically the whole world. Who, then, could be better to write an account of it than the man who was more deeply involved and at the center of the action than anyone else on earth? That, of course, would be Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister who led his country through its “darkest hour,” when it appeared all hope was lost. He led Britain to its eventual victory and was rewarded by his countrymen with being voted out of office. You can't win them all. On a positive note, his early retirement gave Churchill a chance to write his account, and the great and prolific writer did not disappoint. Item 124 is The Second World War: The Gathering Storm; Their Finest Hour; The Grand Alliance; The Hinge of Fate; Closing the Ring; Triumph and Tragedy. Each of those secondary headings represents one of the six volumes in this set, published 1948-1954. Churchill was already an accomplished writer and historian before becoming Britain's wartime P.M., and after his predecessor's policy of appeasement failed, he refused to countenance appeasement, compromise, or a failure of will despite the odds. It's hardly surprising that his nation today is the greatest supporter of Ukraine and its leader's similar determination to save his country. £1,950 (US $2,407).

 

Evelyn Waugh was a notable writer of the twentieth century, writing novels, biographies, satire, and reports as a journalist. Waugh sent a copy of his novel The Loved One, to the then Queen Elizabeth in 1948. This Queen Elizabeth was not the one who recently passed on after the longest reign ever of any British monarch, but her mother, wife of George VI. When King George died, her daughter became Queen and this Elizabeth thereafter was known as the “Queen Mother.” In 1948, the Consort Queen Elizabeth wrote this letter to Waugh, expressing her gratitude. In it, she says, “I am enchanted to have the book in such lovely guise. The thick smooth paper & beautiful print and the perfect illustrations are a joy.” That might sound like a backhanded compliment to say to the writer, but then she adds, “It has been many years since I have enjoyed & admired a book as much as The Loved One, it is so brilliant, so funny & so horrifying, just what one needs in this rather grey, self-conscious world of today.” The “Queen Mum” was one of Britain's most popular personalities through the 50 years she lived after she was no longer just “Queen.” Item 56. £2,250 (US $2,782).

 

Here is a photograph that captured both Elizabeths, George VI, and their younger daughter, Princess Margaret. It was taken on May 12, 1937, by Dorothy Wilding, the first female royal photographer. George and Elizabeth were an accidental King and Queen. As the second son of George V, George VI was never supposed to ascend to the throne. George didn't even want the job. However, he was thrust into the role when his older brother, Edward VIII, abdicated to marry “the woman I love,” the twice divorced American woman, Wallis Simpson. George had only been King a few months at the time of this photograph, which was taken on the day of his official Coronation. The family looks the part, quite regal. The photo has been signed and dated by both George and Elizabeth (the elder). It came from the estate of Sir Frederick Still, pediatrician to the younger Elizabeth and Margaret. Item 128. £6,500 (US $8,036).

 

These are a pair of memorial posters. They are not for notable people. They are for notable ships. Each is pictured. Both sank. Item 116 is In Memoriam Lusitania, from 1915. The Lusitania was a passenger liner when it was struck by a German u-boat (submarine) on May 7, 1915. This was during the First World War and the Germans feared she might be carrying more than passengers. The strike was fatal and fast. The crew quickly lost control of the ship, and in just 18 minutes, the massive ship sank under the water. Of the 1,959 passengers and crew onboard, 764 survived while 1,195 died. The attack on the Lusitania was certainly not good publicity for Germany, and while America did not join the war for another two years, it became part of the justification when she did. The other poster, item 117, is is In Memoriam Titanic and there's no need to describe the Titanic sinking of 1912 as everyone knows the story. It was an iceberg that did her in, not an attack. Lusitania poster - £375 (US $463). Titanic poster - £500 (US $618).

 

Shapero Rare Books may be reached at +44 (0)20 7493 0876 or rarebooks@shapero.com. Their website is www.shapero.com.

Rare Book Monthly

  • 19th Century Shop
    Catalogue 198 just published
    19th Century Shop. Darwin and Wallace, first printing of the first paper on natural selection
    19th Century Shop. Shakespeare’s Poems, first collected edition
    19th Century Shop. Walt Whitman portrait inscribed with a Leaves of Grass poem
    19th Century Shop. Major Elizabeth Barrett Browning manuscript notebook
    19th Century Shop. Spock's Baby Book, original MS
    19th Century Shop. Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica, the great celestial atlas
  • Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
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    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [RUTH, George Herman “Babe” (1895-1948)]. Signed photograph. Circa 1930s. 191 x 248 mm. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HARRISON, Benjamin. Document signed (“Benj Harrison”) as governor of Virginia, certifying the service of Daniel Cumbo, a Black Revolutionary soldier. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: ONE OF THE FIRST PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
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    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: FIRST PRINTING OF LINCOLN’S IMMORTAL GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HIGHLY IMPORTANT MORMON ARCHIVE. ALLEY, George. Archive of 23 Autograph Letters Signed by Mormon Convert George Alley to His Brother Joseph Alley. $10,000 to $20,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [AVIATION]. [ARMSTRONG, Neil A.] Aviation Hall of Fame Gold Medal MS64 NGC, Awarded to Neil Armstrong in 1979. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
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    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: NEWLY DISCOVERED FIRST PRINTING OF "WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE... " FROM THE ONLY NEWSPAPER ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN LINCOLN’S SECOND INAUGURAL PROCESSION. $4,000 to $8,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: THE MOST IMPORTANT GEORGE WASHINGTON DOCUMENT IN PRIVATE HANDS; GEORGE WASHINGTON’S COMMISSION AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, 1775, ONE OF ONLY TWO ORIGINALS. $150,000 to $250,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: A VERY RARE ACCOUNT OF BLACKBEARD’S DEATH AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIRATE ITEMS EXTANT. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: EDISON, Thomas. Patent for Edison’s Improvements on the Electric-Light, No. 219,628. [Washington, D.C.: U.S. Patent Office], 16 September 1879. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [VIETNAM WAR]. The original pen used by Secretary of State William P. Rogers to sign the Vietnam Peace Agreement, Paris, 27 January 1973. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: SONS OF LIBERTY FOUNDER COLONEL BARRÉ ANNOTATED TITLE-PAGE, “WHICH OUGHT TO ROUSE UP BRITISH ATTENTION”. $4,000 to $6,000.
  • Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: [Langland (William)]. The vision of Pierce Plowman, nowe the seconde time imprinted..., Roberte Crowley, 1550. £8,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: [Shakespeare (William)]. [Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies], second folio edition, [by Tho.Cotes, for Robert Allot], [1632]. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Bible, Czech Biblia Bohemica, first complete Bible printed in the Czech vernacular, Prague, August 1488. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Shabthai Tzvi.- Collection of four printed and illustrated broadsides detailing the appearance, rise and fall of the false messiah, Shabthai Tzvi, Augsburg, 1666-67. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Leaf from the Beauvais Missal, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment, [Northern France (perhaps Beauvais or Amiens)], [fourteenth century (c.1310)]. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Aubrey (John). [Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme], manuscript in English, Latin and Greek, [c. 1693]. £30,000 to £50,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Byron (George Gordon Noel, Lord). Poems on Various Occasions, first edition, Harriet Maltby's copy, Newark, Printed by S. & J. Ridge, 1807. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, first edition, second impression with dust-jacket, 1937 [but 1938]. £7,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Blake (William).- Thornton (Robert John). The Pastorals of Virgil, 2 vol., engraved plates by William Blake, 1821. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: America.- Mount (William J.) & Thomas Page. The English Pilot…, [bound with] The Fourth Book, describing The West Indies Navigation from Hudson's-Bay to the River Amazones, 1721. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Oldfield (Henry Ambrose), Rajman Singh Chitrakar & others. An album of 160 photographs and 13 original artworks, (1833-1919), [c. 1850s-1880s]. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Audubon (John James) [and William MacGillivray]. Ornithological Biography…, 5 vol., first edition, presentation copy inscribed by Audubon, Edinburgh, 1831-49 [i.e. 1831-39]. £10,000 to £15,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Winston Churchill. The Second World War. Set of First-Edition Volumes. 6,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard. A Collection of The Pooh Books. Set of First-Editions. 18,600 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Salvador Dalí, Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Finely Bound and Signed Limited Edition. 15,000 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ian Fleming. Live and Let Die. First Edition. 9,500 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter Series. Finely Bound First Printing Set of Complete Series. 5,650 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. First Edition, First Printing. 4,200 USD
  • Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG BEADED JUDICIAL COLLAR. $80,000 - $120,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: ONLY KNOWN COPY OF THE ONLY BOOK BY THE REMARKABLE EVE ADAMS. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A COMPLETE RUN OF VISIONAIRE MAGAZINE THROUGH 2010. $6,000 - $9,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: LAW REVIEW OFFPRINT SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY RUTH BADER GINSBURG. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: META REBNER'S WORKING SCRIPT OF THE LOVED ONE. $1,500 - $2,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A KATHY GROVE PORTRAIT OF CYNDI LAUPER FOR THE FEBRUARY 1989 DETAILS COVER. $800 - $1,200
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A PLASTIC COAT BY MILLIE DAVID FEATURED IN SOHO NEWS STYLE SECTION, FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANNIE FLANDERS. $500 - $700
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG JEWELRY BOX. $600 - $900
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A SET OF JONI MITCHELL LYRICS FOR "IF I HAD A HEART." $2,000 - $3,000

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