LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 Apr Books, Manuscripts & Autographs #658  / 

25767

Monumental Collection of Books About Books

Currency:USD Category:Books / Nonfiction Books Start Price:8,750.00 USD Estimated At:35,000.00 - 45,000.00 USD
Monumental Collection of Books About Books
<B>A Monumental Collection of Books About Books.</B></I> This is a unique opportunity for an institution, bookseller, or collector to own an important and diverse collection of approximately 450 books on printing, illustration, typography, and author bibliographies from virtually every genre of literature. It would be difficult to describe the specifics of this impressive lot in a single catalog entry; therefore, we will cite but a few examples to give a hint of the scope of this vast collection.<BR><BR>Notable among the many books on illustration would surely be Arthur M. Hind's three volume work <I>Engraving in England in the Sixteenth & Seventeenth Centuries,</B></I> a descriptive catalog of English engraving from the Tudor period through the reign of Charles I. There are several works on specific illustrators such as Arthur Rackham and W. Heath Robinson, and more general works on children's book illustrations, woodblock illustrations, and early illuminated manuscripts, notably <I>A Catalogue of Illuminated and Other Manuscripts,</B></I> a nicely bound 1931 Bernard Quaritch catalog from the "Golden Age" of bookselling.<BR><BR>The history of early printing is well-represented by H. P. Kraus's <I>The Cradle of Printing,</B></I> a two volume work with wonderful tipped-in examples of early manuscripts and typography. Many more general works and bound catalogs represent the history of early printing in both England (A. W. Pollard & G. R. Redgrave's <I>A Short-Titled Catalogue of Books Printed in England, Scotland, & Ireland, 1475-1640</B></I>) and America (Joseph Blumenthal's <I>The Printed Book in America</B></I>). Several books on bookbinding, for example, Frederick E. Maser's <I>Bookbinding in America, 1680-1910</B></I> and Ellic Howe's <I>A List of London Bookbinders, 1648-1815</B></I> provide excellent references for the collector of early bindings. In times gone by, books were considered a status symbol and owners proudly identified their books through the use of personalized bookplates. Many wonderful examples of these early "book brands" can by found in Walter Hamilton's <I>Dated Book-Plates, 1516-1895</B></I>.<BR><BR>Also included in the collection are several indispensable sets which should be considered as the basics to any serious reference library: <I>The Dictionary of National Biography,</B></I> a 22 volume set that provides a "who's who" of everybody from the earliest times until 1900, <I>The New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature</B></I> (missing volume two), <I>Dictionary of Anonymous and Pseudonymous English Literature,</B></I> <I>Bibliography of American Literature</B></I> (missing volumes two and nine), and the ultimate bibliography, <I>A World Bibliography of Bibliographies</B></I>.<BR><BR>Several sets pertaining to magic, alchemy, science, and medicine are present, including: Lynn Thorndike's eight volume <I>A History of Magic and Experimental Science,</B></I> George Sarton's five volume <I>Introduction to the History of Science,</B></I> and several bound volumes of rare book catalogues issued by L'Art Ancien circa 1925-1950 specifically dedicated to early books on science and medicine.<BR><BR>Finally, there are numerous bibliographies dedicated to specific genres and the authors within those genres. The science fiction genre is well-represented by L. W. Currey's <I>Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors,</B></I> three works by Everett Bleiler - <I>The Checklist of Fantastic Literature,</B></I> <I>Science Fiction Writers,</B></I> and <I>The Checklist of Science-Fiction & Supernatural Fiction,</B></I> Neil Barron's <I>Anatomy of Wonder: Science Fiction,</B></I> and many specific bibliographies for authors, e.g., Clark Ashton Smith, Roger Zelazny, et. al. In fact, there are bibliographies for writers from virtually every era and category of writing: Victorian writers, Beat Generation scribblers, mystery writers, classic modern fiction writers, <I>ad infinitum</B></I>.<BR><BR>Given the scope and size of the collection on offer, it is recommended that potential bidders arrange to inspect the collection at our location in Dallas.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Books & Catalogs (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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