From G's Hand

"I first met Gabriel Austin in April 2003 on EXLIBRIS-L..."

And so begins a tribute of sorts to Gabriel Austin, who died on March 8, 2013.

I first met Gabriel Austin in April 2003 on EXLIBRIS-L, an online discussion group moderated by Everett Wilkie for the benefit of librarians, booksellers, and book collectors.  I can't remember what Gabriel Austin wrote about in his post in April 2003; but I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and responded off-list to him.
I was unaware when I first wrote him that he was Mary Hyde's librarian at Four Oaks Library.  "Her Ladyship," as Gabriel frequently referred to her, was a Samuel Johnson collector, same as me, but on a much bigger scale.

Gabriel and I corresponded for almost ten years. In the early emails, he "learned me" all about Mary Hyde and Samuel Johnson. Then he guided me in cataloging the Hyde libraries on Library Thing. And lately, we talked about our health problems.  I never met him in person, but I got to know him rather well through his emails. But most of the early emails were lost in cyberspace when I closed my webtv accounts in 2007.  I did, however, save two memorable ones—at least for me. And in this blog post, I include them and a selection of other emails

 

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When Lady Eccles died in August 2003, I posted a few words and thoughts about her to Exlibris.  That is what Gabriel Austin is referring to in the above email, a copy of which I wisely forwarded from my webtv email address to my yahoo address.  My ExLibris post is long gone, and so is my webtv address; but I posted my Mary Hyde tribute to the Johnsonian Group at Yahoo as well:
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Re: Obituary: Mary Eccles, a Collector of Johnson-Boswell Material
Sun Aug 31, 2003 11:49 am  |

I was unaware of the sad news concerning Her Ladyship. I had sent her a birthday card in July, telling her how much I enjoyed reading her books. For several months now, I have been intending to include her in the section of my visual library devoted to the Ladies of My Library. Just last weekend, I had a sudden urge to have a separate section for the books by or about Her Ladyship. I started moving the photos of the books from the other ladies of my library; but, I never got around to listing the other books by Mary Hyde Eccles that I've acquired.

On the bookcase nearest my bed, is my copy of Mary Hyde Eccles, a Miscellany of Her Essays and Addresses, New York, 2002. I read a few pages of her each night. Her first essay in the book, Shakespeare, Jr., sounded familiar; it was. This essay was one of the essays included in To Doctor R, Philadelphia, 1946, published in honor of Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach's seventieth birthday.

 .....and to think that I wasn't even born yet......

Another book in my library was published on Sept. 18, 1946 "Over against the Traffick Circle near Somerville, in New-Jersey." This book, the first keepsake of the Johnsonians, Benjamin Rush's Reminiscences of Boswell & Johnson, was given to the dinner guests at Four Oaks Farm on the occasion of Dr. Johnson's Natal Day in 1946,"to do him honour."

In 1967, Gabriel Austin, of whom Mary Hyde Eccles considered to be part of the family, edited Four Oaks Farm and Four Oaks Library, a tribute to the Hydes. " I want this to be a happy book, put together while things are still going on."  These are the words from Donald Hyde that Gabriel Austin included in the preface of the history of Four Oaks Farm. Mary Hyde Eccles took those words to heart, especially in her essay, The Guest Book, which contains some amusing anecdotes concerning the guests at Four Oaks Farm. Her Ladyship knew how to write, and how to converse.

Perhaps a quote by Samuel Johnson, extracted from Bell's Johnson Calendar, Oxford,1916, best sums up the wit of Her Ladyship:
On Conversation

"Talking of conversation, he said, 'There must, in the first place, be knowledge, there must be materials; in the second place, there must be a command of words; in the third place, there must be imagination, to place things in such views as they are not commonly seen in; and in the fourth place, there must be presence of mind, and a resolution that is not to be overcome by failure; this last is an essential requisite; for want of it many people do not excel in conversation..."
Yes, Her Ladyship excelled in writing, in conversing, and in living.

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Several days later, Gabriel Austin forwarded Nicolas Barker's obituary on Mary Hyde to me:

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RE: Heart‏
                                                                       8/11/09

Gabriel Austin
To 'Jerry Morris'

Are you one [of] that dread species a grandpa with pictures?

There comes a point in your life when you realize

who matters,

who never did,

who won't anymore...

and who always will.

So, don't worry about people from your past,

there's a reason why they didn't make it to your future.

Give this heart to everyone you don't want to lose in 2008,

including me, if you care.

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Catalogus Bibliothechae Hydeiana
                                                           10/19/08
Gabriel,

Greetings. I hope all is well with you. The heart is still doing good, but everything else is falling apart; I'm scheduled for gall bladder surgery on Wednesday.

I've been keeping myself busy cataloging books on Library Thing. Currently, we're cataloging the library of James Boswell. After that, we hope to do Mrs. Thrale's library. I've also been thinking of cataloging the Hyde library early next year, and that's where I need to pick your brain.

Did Fleeman catalogue the entire Hyde Library or just the Samuel Johnson Collection? I would like to include all of the Hyde Collections on Library Thing. The Samuel Johnson Collection is online at Harvard. The auction catalogue of Mary Hyde's Shakespeare Collection is online. I also have the hard copy of the catalogue, and a copy of the catalogue of the Japanese Collection as well. What I need to find are lists of the books in the Henry Fielding Collection that went to Harvard (?), as well as lists of the books in the G.B. Shaw and Oscar Wilde Collections that went to the British Library. Was there ever a list of the books made up for insurance purposes? If not, I will contact the respective libraries. I put a question mark next to Harvard because I couldn't find the Fielding Collection online at Harvard.

best,
Jerry

                                                               10/21/08
Dear Jerry                                                                          

David Fleeman did catalogue the Hyde library but on cards which have gone either to Harvard [SJ & other 18^th Cent people. Or the BM [Wilde and Shaw].

The BM does not have enough money to catalogue the books & MSS they say. Ha!

The Fielding Collect ion is online at Harvard, but not independently. You have to ask for Fielding + provenance Hyde.

The SJ & Boswell collections are excellently well done at Harvard. Also I think Mrs.Thrale/Piozzi. There is a savvy and kind young man who is doing these collections. You can probably latch onto him by typing Hyde and Harvard.

I will [if you are extremely well behaved] attempt to send you my short title catalogues of Shaw [mostly the letters] and Wilde [his books and letters but not the subsidiary material].

The Architecture books were sold to Maggs, who sold them to xxxxxxx.

Gabriel

Gabe,                                                                       10/28/08

Thanks for the info.  

I just got out of the hospital.  I had gone in for pre-testing last Monday, with gallbladder surgery scheduled for Wednesday.  Wrong!  They admitted me Monday and performed the surgery on Tuesday.  There were complications which ruled out laparoscopic surgery. 

 First off, the surgeon discovered that my small intestine was attached to my belly button.  He had to fix that before he could do anything about the gallbladder.

The gallbladder itself was as hard as a rock, so he couldn't have performed the laparascopic surgery anyway.

There were complications after the surgery as well....

best,
Jerry


                                                             11/5/08
Gabe,

I'm feeling much better, thank God!  My blood pressure is slowly returning to normal, but my oxygen levels are almost back to normal already.

G:  Good!

Meanwhile, I'm spending a little more time on Library Thing.  I'm getting all my ducks in a row to create a Profile Page for Mary Hyde on Library Thing (LT).  I'm not going to wait until we finish Boswell's library, but will do both at the same time.  On the Profile Page, I'll be listing all the sources used to catalogue Mary Hyde's library.  I would appreciate a copy of your short title catalogues of the Wilde and Shaw Collections.  I didn't realize how extensive the Wilde Collection was until I saw the BL article, Wilde About Mary.   It appears that the BL has found the money to catalogue the Wilde Collection , but I can't tell if all the items belonged to Mary Hyde or if some of them belonged to Lord Eccles.  The BL doesn't appear to have catalogued the Shaw Collection.

G:  I did not know that the BL will be cataloguing the Wilde collection. Lord Eccles had nothing to do with it.

I will be contacting the Houghton Library catablogger you mentioned, John Overholt, for his assistance in locating a copy of Catalogus Bibliothecae Hydeianae.  Harvard published a three-volume set of the Catalogue.  I will be using their online listings to catalogue the Samuel Johnson Collection. I'll also ask him about the Henry Fielding collection.  I had no luck searching the Harvard Library for that collection.  I came up with five listings.  How extensive was the Fielding Collection?  Oak Knoll Books has a copy of a 1987 exhibit of the collection at Houghton where 75 books were listed in the catalogue.

G:  The only catalogue I know of of the Fielding Collection was a mimeograph list. Theoretically you can get a listing by entering author Fielding and provenance Hyde.

  I may order that catalogue from Oak Knoll, and will be contacting them for a list of the books about books from the Hyde Collection they've sold.  Currently, they have 41 books from the Hyde Library that haven't sold.

  I'll also catalogue the Hyde books listed in Joe Maynard's catalogues as well as the books listed online at abebooks and abaa.org.

Thanks for sending a list of the architecture books  xxxxxxx bought from Maggs.  May I mention that he owns them?  I may contact  Maggs to see if they have a list of the Sporting Books.

  G:  You will have to ask xxxxx. Ditto for Maggs.

  I will also list the books from the Hyde Library that are in my library.

  I'll have no problem with the Shakespeare Collection.  I have a copy of the auction catalogue.  Moreover, the catalogue is still online.

G:  The FOF history has a complete list.

Although I have two copies of the Japanese catalogue, I might have problems cataloguing it on LT since many of the works come up empty on searches of the two Japanese University Libraries listed on LT.  I may have to manually input the listings.

  G:  Many of the Japanese books were unique, or so scarce as to be unique.

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                                                                    12/16/08
HYDE COLLECTION

Dear Gabriel,

Thanks for all the files.  All except for one, the CLARKMSS.TXT, came through great. 

I got my copy of Four Oaks Library out, went through it, but didn't find anything about the Hydes acquiring books from the Clark Collection. Did the Hydes have the Catalogue of the Clark Library? Is that what is in the files? 

I'm looking forward to cataloging the Hyde Library beginning in the New Year.  One of my cataloging counterparts was in Japan with Phizer for a number of years, so he'll be cataloging the Japanese Collection.  I'll probably start with the Samuel Johnson Collection.  Hopefully, Library Thing can get the MARC Records from Harvard.  I've already put in a request through Library Thing.  That would definitely make it easier.

Do you have a photo of Donald and Mary Hyde together?  I couldn't find any in all the books I have.  I'd like to put the photo on their Profile Page instead of the bookplates I currently have displayed.  On the Profile Page itself, I will provide one or two biographical links, and a short description of their lives and of their collections.  I will include the cataloging source of each collection, where possible.

It will be interesting to see how many people will be cataloging the Hyde Library.  We completed Samuel Johnson's library and Charles Lamb's library with two people.  On paper, we have six people signed up to catalog Boswell's library, but only three people are actively participating.  If everyone were cataloging, it would be a word-wide effort: catalogers from Florida, Philadelphia, Cape Cod, Scotland, France, and Belgium. 

Thanks again for the files and hey! - Have a Merry Christmas!

Jerry

Dear Jerry,                                                        12/17/08

The Clark files were my computerization of the holdings at the Clark library at UCLA which are “lost” in the general UCLA catalogue. Likewise my computerization of the Clark printed catalogue, and the Ledger collection. This was all for comparison purposes.

For the possible photo you should Mary’s niece Sally Bullard [www.maineweddings.com] who has all the family stuff.

Johnson’s library is quite difficult. I think I may have a beginning computerization. [Later – nope. I thought I did, but don’t find it].

I have been thinking to use the Library Thing to make a simple catalogue of the parish library here. You will have to tell me how it all works.

Merry Christmas yourself!

Gabriel

Dear Gabe,                                    12/17/08

Thanks.  I will contact Saly Bullard about the photo and xxxxxx about listing his books.

I see you got started with Library Thing.  Here's some rambling thoughts on how to catalog on Library Thing:

Choose searches for libraries or listings which are related to the books you are listing.  ie. use English libraires such as Oxford for English Books, the Vatican Library for old Catholic books, and amazon.com for modern books.

For most searches, just enter the title.

For Oxford, enter the author's name, part of the title, and date published.

Any information in your listing can be changed.

If you can't find a library listing, you can enter the book manually.

There is a 200-book limit for free accounts.  Lifetime memberships cost $25 with no limit on the number of books cataloged.

Any questions, email me.

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARY HYDE

                                                          7/8/09

Gabriel,

And a Happy Birthday to Her Ladyship!

In honor of her birthday I started cataloging Mary Hyde's Drama Collection on Library Thing.

I was hoping we would have their Samuel Johnson Collection in place on LT but Harvard has yet to forward the MARC Records due to personnel changes brought about by the economic downturn.

I've mined over 100 books about books formerly owned by the Hydes from Oak Knoll Sale Catalogues; but we have to complete cataloging Boswell's library first, before I can devote maximum effort to cataloging the Hyde Library, 

best,

Jerry

to me:                                       7/8/09

Harvard got nearly 20 million to catalogue the collection.

[EDITOR'S NOTE:  Harvard sent the MARC Records to Library Thing in September, 2009.  I made the announcement on EXLIBRIS-L then, thanking John Overholt for his efforts]
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Dear Gabe                           9/18/09

Happy Birthday Mr. Johnson!

Jerry

To me:                                            9/18/09

Do you mean Dr. Johnson?


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AN UNEXPECTED FIND IN UMATILLA, FLORIDA

Gabe,                                       10/6/09

I thought you might enjoy reading about what I found in Umatilla.

I'm thinking of posting it to exlibris.  What do you think?

best,

Jerry

To me:

It is interesting because it brings up many Johnsonian associations. Sidney was much involved in matters Johnsonian as was Jack Bates, a lovely man and one of the most popular professors at Harvard.

Do you have my list of the meetings of the Johnsonians? There are 200+ copies at Harvard in the Hyde bequest. Perhaps you could beg a copy.

The portrait of Johnson was Max Beerbohm's favorite. He thought it showed SJ at his sympathetic best - the kindly warmhearted man. The note is in Max's copy of an AE Newton book, now also at Harvard.

That you would find the book in Florida is no surprise. Sidney was for years [as you note] rare books librarian at a Florida college. There must be a photograph of him [as of Jack Bates] in the FOF book.

It would certainly be more interesting on Exlibris and more pertinent than all the drivel about xxxxxxxx.

Gabe

Gabe,

I have a copy of The Celebrations of the Johnsonians.  That's where I got the date of Sidney Ives's speech.  It didn't give the title of the talk, though.  It might have been what Ives wrote on the front pastedown:  Was Henry Thrale More Important to Johnson than Hester?

I could probably figure out the title by examining all the notes Ives left.

I haven't looked for a photo of Ives in FOF but here he is on  youtube.

I will post my blog on EXLIBRIS.

best,
Jerry

p.s.  There have been 162 new visitors in the last two weeks to the Hyde Page on Library Thing.

Fascinating to see Sidney again, Thank you.

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CATALOGING THE HYDE COLLECTIONS ON LIBRARY THING


Gabriel,                                          11/29/09

And a good morning to you!  It looks like we'll be cataloging as many of the Hyde Collections as we can on Library Thing.

It took almost fourteen months, but we finally completed the cataloging of the Boswell Library.  I'll be spending time cataloging the Hyde Drama Collection and cataloging additional books to the library of Samuel Johnson.

My cataloging counterpart on Library Thing, Dave Larkin, has started cataloging the Hyde Collection of Japanese Books and Manuscripts, using the auction catalog.  I told him about the index cards you made of the collection for the Hydes.  He'd like to use the descriptions written on those cards.  There are index cards listed as Item 439 of the Papers of Mary Hyde Eccles.  These are the cards you created, right?  

The British Library has cataloged the Eccles bequest of the Wilde Collection.  I'm going to ask if they can send the MARC records of the bequest to Library Thing.  Wish me luck because I heard the BL doesn't give anything for free.  Is there anyone you know at the BL that would act on my behalf? If not, we'll catalog it book by book, but I'm not looking forward to it, as our plates are pretty full for the next year or so.

I'll also be cataloging Books About Books and other reference works that are listed in the catalogs of Joe Maynard and Oak Knoll Books, as well as books in my own library.

Then there's the Architecture Collection and....

best,

Jerry

Hello, yourself.

Good gracious, the calendar of the Hyde papers is a trip down memory lane. How well organized Mary was!

439 is indeed the catalogue of the Japanese collection. NB: some of the [best] items were given to Harvard before the sale. These are recorded in the exhibition at Harvard. Be sure to use also the list of some items from the Japanese Collection in FOF LIBRARY. 

The person to contact at the BL is Sally Brown - a lovely lady.

I am disappointed that Harvard and the BL will not do a printed catalogue of the collections.

NBB: There is also the Fielding Collection given to Harvard earlier, which did a miserable mimeographed checklist.

That should keep you busy.

Gabriel

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MARC Records of the Mary Viscountess Eccles Bequest to the BL

 12/7/09

Gabriel,

Good news!  The BL has approved my request to have the BL's MARC Records of the Eccles Bequest exported to Library Thing.  Andrea Lloyd, the BL cataloger of the bequest, coordinated the approval through the BL.  I never contacted Sally Brown; I think she retired.

best,

Jerry 

To me:

wonderful news!

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HYDE COLLECTIONS SCATORAMA

Gabe,                           12/17/09

A few questions concerning the Hyde collections:

Which collections went to Maggs?  I believe you told me that the Architecture Collection went to Maggs, but what about the Sporting Books?

Do you have a contact at Maggs?

There didn't seem to be too many Shaw books in the Eccles bequest to the BL.  Did the Shaw Collection primarily consist of letters?

best,

Jerry

                                                            

Jerry:                   12/17/09

I inherited the sporting collection and the bindings and sold them to Maggs. The bindings were resold immediately to XXXXXXXXX. Robert Harding is the fellow who was the intermediary.

The architecture books were bequeathed to Lord Eccles and passed into the family.

There were not an awful lot of Shaw books in the collection. It was chiefly letters.

Gabe

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ONE MORE FOR THE HYDES
                                                      1/16/10
Gabe,

The Cataloging of the Architecture Collection is now complete:

http://www.librarything.com/catalog/DonaldandMaryHyde/architecture

G:  Which of the books was Burlington's copy?

Got it!  Thanks!  I had meant to identify the book as the "prime book in the collection," but had a senior moment. Here's the updated listing:

http://www.librarything.com/work/9435646/details/55343452

While I got you, where did the Forgery Collection go to?

G:  Forgeries - I've forgotten. Were they not sold with the Elizabethan drama? It was the reason the Hydes collected forgeries - William Ireland &c

The Forgery books were not sold in the Drama Collection.   I'll catalog the ones  identified in Four Oaks Library and then see if I can locate some of them.

Btw, I appreciate the reminder about Burlington.  Feel free to add anything to the comments sections yourself.  The password for DonaldandMaryHyde on Library Thing is xxxxxxxxx.

best,

Jerry

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THE HYDES:  PICK YOUR BRAIN TIME
                              7/10/10

Gabriel,

And a hello to you!  Two unrelated pick-your-brain topics:

I just read Pottle's book on the history of the Boswell Papers.  Now I'm reading Buchanan's version.  I was surprised that Donald Hyde didn't approve of Pottle's version, and managed to delay its publication.  I have a feeling that Pottle was not on the "A" list of the Hydes.  Do you care to elaborate?

Pottle was resentful at Ralph Isham and at the Hydes for buying the Boswell Papers. I did not know the Hydes delayed the Pottle publication.  

 In the Winter 2003 issue of the Shakespeare Quarterly, William H. Sherman provided an eloquent obituary of her ladyship, Mary Hyde Eccles.  Most of it was "old news," but he included "something new" about her ladyship's shakespearian efforts which got me to researching a bit:

"... But in 1923 she helped to establish the Shakespeare Association of America, a group of wealthy patrons and scholars who met at her New York apartment ..."

I hadn't realized that her ladyship was associated with the Shakespeare Association of America that early, so I acquired the first two issues of the association's bulletin, hoping to find mention of her in the creation of the association.   There is no mention of her ladyship in the first two issues.  Moreover, the founding members provide a much different version of its creation than that of Sherman's.   Then I got to thinking... her ladyship was only eleven years old in 1923...  I don't think she had her own apartment at that age.  And I don't think she was involved with the Shakespeare Association until after she met Rosenbach in the early 1940s.  Care to elaborate?

The Doctor - so far as I know - was the inspiration of the S Assoc of America. [He was a good Shakespeare scholar]. The founders and directors met in his apartment. Arthur Houghton played a large part in the Assoc.

Btw, how have you been?  I've been playing the Traveler this year.  In April we flew to Hawaii for two weeks.  In June we drove to New York for a memorial service.  We just came back from Texas last night after seeing our newest granddaughter, Joey, grandchild #14, born when we were in Hawaii.  We took I 20 to Texas last week because of the hurricane, but we took I 10 back.  Our next few trips will be confined to Florida!

I am hanging in [on?]. I just had a heart stress test which almost blew me out of the water, as a preliminary to a valve replacement which I am not convinced about.

Gabe,

Donald Hyde was on the Yale Advisory Committee, and he and Isham's sons recommended that Pottle's book be revised.  They thought Pottle didn't give Isham enough credit in the discovery of the Boswell Papers.  The Hydes asked Buchanan to provide further research and Buchanan ended up writing the book.  Pottle's book was published twenty years after he wrote it.

I go for a heart echo later on this month and wear a heart monitor the day before. My cardiologist didn't like hearing about an out-of-breath episode I had in Hawaii in April while walking the beach.  Of course, a respiratory infection and VOG (volcano ash) may have had something to do with it.  We'll see.

I say go for the second opinion before they tinker with your heart.

best,
Jerry

Jerry,

To give you an idea of the attitude of Pottle to things academic, while he was working on his edition of Boswell's life [still the best edition], information about a new discovery of Boswell papers was deliberately kept from L.F.Powell [a sweet man] by R.W. Chapman [a decidedly not sweet man] for fear that Isham would [rightfully] claim them, Pottle's attidude  - expressed in his book - was too bad for L.F.

Gabe

To Gabe,

I read that about Chapman and couldn't understand where his loyalties lay.  He even wrote an essay on the Boswell Papers himself during Operation Hush without mentioning the new papers that were found.

Simple. Chapman could not abide Americans.

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MATTERS OF THE HEART
                               8/2/10
Gabriel,

I saw my cardiologist today, and that reminded me to ask you about your heart valve problems.  Did you get a second opinion?

It turns out I have a leaky valve.  But my cardiologist believes I can live with it since it's only a minor leak.  She says as long as my blood pressure stays low and I keep exercising, I should be in good shape.  But she will continue monitoring my health every three months.

She thinks my "silent" heart attack, which occurred sometime before December '05, damaged the valve.  I was experiencing several bouts of heartburn in 2005, one of which was the real thing.  Only I didn't know it until my stress test in December '05.   

The leaky valve does explain my shortness of breath when I over-exert myself.

best,

Jerry

Jerry,

It's a good thing you are at a distance or I would throw something at you. One day the news is good; the next day not. I will regroup in February. My problem [I think] is my age: I don't feel I have enough reserves to go through a valve operation. The cardiologist is a former olympic runner and seems not to know such things.

However I am doing more rehab exercises which should help.

Over exertion is bad at all times. You know Bob Benchley's comment: "Whenevr I get the urge to exercise, I take two aspirin and lie down".

I'm off to New York tomorrow to visir ny daughter. Be so kind as to delay any hurricanes for two weeks.

I have some books to send you.

How come the Florida Bibliophiles are not on the Grolier Club Florida visit list?

Regards,

Gabriel

Gabe,         8/19/10

Whenever one of my former postal customers would start a litany of their health problems, I would ask them, "can you still smile?"  That always seemed to put things in perspective, smile and all.  And no one threw anything at me.

I'm a firm believer in exercising for my heart.  I should exercise more strenuously in order to get rid of the extra twenty pounds, but to hell with the rest of my body.

I don't know why the Florida Bibliophile Society isn't on the Grolier Club Florida visit list.  I am a member in name only now.   I pay my dues, receive the newsletter, but don't attend meetings anymore.   They wanted me to accept one of the officer positions again, but I'm done.  I prefer to spend my time cataloguing libraries on Library Thing.  

Have fun on your trip to N.Y.  All hurricanes will be on hold until the 10th of September.

best,

Jerry

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JOHNSON'S FIGHTING SEPTUAGINT

Gabe,                       2/10/11

I received the book s today and am still going through them.  Thanks.

Among the loose papers was a folded sheet of white paper with the words "for Harvard" written in the top right-hand corner.  Inserted in the paper, I found a 1959 newspaper article on "Johnson's Fighting Septuagint" by Geoffrey F. Nuttall, Librarian, New College London, and an ALS to Nuttall from L.F. Powell concerning the book.  Do you want me to keep this for my collection or forward it to Harvard?

thanks again,

Jerry

Dear Jerry,

I've been looking for that letter which I promised to send to Harvard. Would you do the honors, please? I suppose it's best to send it to John Overholt, the Hyde Curator.

Many thanks,

Gabe

Will do.  I'll send it to John via the Monday mail.

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A BLOG POST THAT IS NOT BOOK-RELATED

Gabe,                             8/27/11

Something different.  A blog post in story form, based on an episode from my childhood:  

Loves Me, Loves Me Not

 best,

Jerry

to me:

Lovely!

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MY AUTOGRAPH LETTER COLLECTION

To all my bibliobuddies                      9/26/11

Here's my monthly post for My Sentimental Library blog:  
My Autograph Letter Collection

best,

Jerry Morris

Fascinating stuff. But next time make legible copies of the letters. F.B. Adams Jr was for several decades the head of the Morgan Library. He was also a president of the Grolier Club and chiefly responsible for awakening its from its moribund condition after the 39.45 War. In the auction catalogue of his library, there is a fascinating account of his presence at the White House [he was a cousin of FDR] on December 7 1941.

Gabe

I shall look for a copy of the auction catalogue of Adams's library, and may include your info about him in my blog post.

As for the images, click on the images, and then click on the circles with the + sign inside; it will enlarge the images and make them more readable.

One A.L.S. I purposely omitted was one from Agnes Repplier, because I didn't have any books by or about her in my library.  I read a few of her essays online last night.  A fascinating woman!  And a few minutes ago I ordered one of the books she wrote.

best,
Jerry  

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IN AND ABOUT FOLEY

To all my bibliobuddies                     10/22//11

Here's my October post for My Sentimental Library Blog.  One Bibliography is the topic:

In And About Foley

best,

Jerry Morris

Fascinating stuff!

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My review of The Shakespeare Thefts: In Search of the First Folios by Eric Rasmussen

To all my bibliobuddies                   11/27/11

Not your typical review:

http://www.librarything.com/work/11688159/details/79979860

best,

Jerry

Interesting, as you say.

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I'M A GRANDPA

To Jerry Morris 3/5/12

As of a few hours ago, I'm a Grandpa - of Gabrielle.

Named after my mother, then me, then the mother [Louise Gabrielle] and now the 4th generation.

I'll be going to New York in a week or so.

Catching the next cloud.

Gabriel Austin

To Gabe,

Congratulations! Granddaughters are special. Especially one named after you!

Jerry –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

A VIRTUAL TOUR OF MY MARY HYDE COLLECTION

6/30/12
Gabriel,

Here's my monthly blog post, a rather long one: A Virtual Tour of my Mary Hyde Collection.

Let me know if there's anything that is incorrect or that you don't approve of.

I'll be posting it to ExLibris after the holiday.

best,
Jerry

To me:

LOVELY!

Dear David

You might find this a lovely trip down memory lane.

Jerry:

Note the initials of the author of The Treasure of Auchinleck.

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MY AUGUST BLOG POST: GRAMMARS, SPELLERS, AND WRITING GUIDES
                        8/8/12

To all my biblio buddies,

We're heading to Texas on Sunday to see the young ones; but I wanted to get my monthly blog post online before leaving:

Grammars, Spellers, and Writing Guides

best, Jerry

To me:            8/26/12

Fascinating stuff.

I was hospitalized with hemoglobin deficiency and now a possible urinary infection.

The joys of age.

Gabriel

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MY CHRISTMAS BLOGS

To all my bibliobuddies,

                                       12/17/12

My Christmas blogs:

Twelve Blog Posts for Christmas

and

Biblio-Connecting:   Dec 2012

Merry Christmas,

Jerry

                               

12/17/12      

Dear Jerry,

I have been out of touch for a wuile, having caught MRS. Clinton’s intestinal bug, followed by varioua upsetments which dehydrated me and has me stuck in a nursing home. I am removed from my mail o cannot forward the various bibliophic gems which ti mean to.

But the spirit is there. Please to accepy my good intentions for Christmas.

Gabe

Gabe,

Glad to hear from you;  I was concerned.

We're headed to Texas tomorrow to spend the holidays with nine of our grandchildren.   Five of them are at Fort Hood, and the other four are six hours further west in Monahans, Tx.

Here's to a Happy and HEALTHY New Year, especially for you.

best,

Jerry

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MEMORIES OF THINGS EXPERIENCED AND THINGS MISSED

To: EXLIBRIS-L                                               1/30/13
Some list members may enjoy reading my R. L. S. -– related blog post,  Memories of Things Experienced and Things Missed.

http://mysentimentallibrary.blogspot.com/2013/01/memories-of-things-experienced-and.html

or

http://tinyurl.com/bysys9t

best,

Jerry Morris

Gabe to EXLIBRIS:

Fascinating, as usual. Do you know Chesterton on RLS?

Me to Gabe and EXLIBRIS:

Haven't read Chesterton's book on RLS; but I see it is in the Internet Archive.

Are you feeling better?

best,

Jerry

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AND THAT WAS THE LAST EMAIL I RECEIVED

RES JUDICATÆ: A HISTORY

Res judicatae is a legal term for matters that have already been adjudged. The term was used as part of the title of a book by Augustine Birrell: Res Judicatae: Papers and Essays, London, 1892.

Augustine Birrell (1850-1933) was an English politician, an author, and a lawyer. Birrell's first book, Obiter Dicta, was not about legal matters. And except for one essay, "Authors in Court," neither is Res Judicatae. This book contains biographical essays and other papers by Birrell which were previously published in Macmillan's Magazine, the Reflector, Scribner's Magazine or the newspaper, the Speaker.

Birrell's book is the newest addition to My Sentimental Library Collection. Tracing the provenance of this copy, researching the players involved, and telling you all about it, has brought me hours of enjoyment. And hopefully, reading this post will bring you more than a few minutes of enjoyment.

Edwin B. Holden (1861-1906) was the first owner of my copy of Res Judicatae. He lightly pasted his bookplate to the front pastedown:

Edwin B. Holden was the seventh President of the Grolier Club, and the first to die in office. A lover of fine bindings and prints, Holden was a founding member of the Club Bindery and the Society of Iconophiles.

The Club Bindery was created in New York City in 1895 to offer American book collectors European-quality hand bookbinding. An inexpensive and interesting book to read about the Club Bindery is Fine Binding in America: the Story of the Club Bindery, by Elbert A. and Lawrence S. Thompson, Urbana, 1956.

About Holden, the Thompsons write:

Of the lesser bibliophiles of the age of Hoe, special mention should be made of Edwin Babcock Holden, the original guiding spirit of the Club Bindery. Had not Holden passed away at the early age of forty-four in 1906, he might well have become a collector whose shelves would have rivalled Hoe's....
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The Society of Iconophiles was created in 1895 to commission the best artists to engrave prints of New York City. Membership was limited to ten active members; but, in 1905, fifty associate members were elected to the society, who were permitted to buy the Society's engravings. An interesting but rather expensive book on the Society of Iconophiles –– copies are listed from $200 to $450 –– is the History of the Society of Iconophiles of the City of New York : MDCCCXCV : MCMXXX And Catalogue of Its Publications With Historical and Biographical Notes, Etc. New York, 1930. Only 186 copies of this book were printed.

In his book, Dictionary of American Book Collectors, New York 1986, Donald C. Dickinson devotes almost an entire page to Holden. Of Holden's library, Dickenson writes:

Holden's personal library consisted of first editions of British and American literature, French illustrated books, fine bindings, and early American printing. He had the second and fourth Shakespeare folios, the first folio of Spenser's Faerie Queene, and numerous first editions of Donne, Herrick, and Thackeray. He also owned examples from the Dove, Vale, and Daniel presses, as well as complete runs of volumes issued by the Grolier, Caxton, and Rowfant clubs. Although the Holden print collection was sold shortly after his death, the major portion of the library did not appear on the auction market until 1920. The sale prices were satisfactory, with Rosenbach, Drake, Hill, and Wells competing for the fine bindings and first editions. Holden's place in the history of American book collecting is closely associated with the Grolier Club. Through that organization, he promoted high standards in the graphic arts.

Now this intrigues me: The lot containing Res Judicatae was sold at auction on April 28, 1920. And exactly sixty-seven days later, on July 4, 1920, Augustine Birrell inscribed this book for Theodore Roosevelt's son, Kermit Roosevelt, and his wife Belle:

How did this book get from the auction house in New York City to Augustine Birrell's hands in London? Did Birrell assign A. S. W. Rosenbach, James F. Drake, Walter M. Hill, or Gabriel Wells to acquire the book and mail it to him? Or did one of the booksellers acquire the book for Kermit Roosevelt, who sent it to Birrell for his inscription?

Essays, particularly Birrell's essays, were quite popular near the close of the nineteenth century. And Augustine Birrell wouldn't be the first author who had to buy a copy of one of his own earlier works on the open market in order to give somebody a copy. My money is on Birrell.

Kermit Roosevelt (1889-1943) wasn't the first Roosevelt to acquire one of Birrell's books of essays. In March 1906, President Theodore Roosevelt's wife, Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt, sent the President a "little volume of Birrell's essays" which the President said he "enjoyed them hugely."

From: Letter from Theodore Roosevelt to Edith Kermit Carow Roosevelt. March 15, 1906 Theodore Roosevelt Collection. Ms Am 1541.1 (0027). Houghton Library, Harvard University. http://www.theodorerooseveltcenter.org/Research/Digital-Library/Record.aspx?libID=o281376. Theodore Roosevelt Digital Library. Dickinson State University.
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In 1894, Anna Roosevelt Cowles, Theodore Roosevelt's older sister, who he affectionately called "Bye," wrote that she met Augustine Birrell (Her husband was the Embassy Secretary in London). Roosevelt began his next letter to Bye with these words:

From: Google Books Letters From Theodore Roosevelt to Anna Roosevelt Cowles 1870-1915.
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Meet Birrell he did. In May 1910, President Taft appointed Theodore Roosevelt as the special ambassador to represent the United States at the funeral of King Edward VII. During his brief stay, Theodore Roosevelt met Augustine Birrell for lunch:

From Google Books Theodore Roosevelt: His Life and Work
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In his inscription to Kermit and Belle Roosevelt, Augustine Birrell calls them "two excellent critics," inferring that he corresponded with them about literary matters. He did. Their correspondence is in the Library of Congress:

From: Kermit Roosevelt and Belle Roosevelt Papers, LOC.
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Although Kermit Roosevelt joined the British Army in 1917, I could find no record that he ever met Augustine Birrell. Nor does Birrell mention any of the Roosevelts in his autobiography, Things Past Redress, published posthumously in London in 1937. Kermit Roosevelt served in the British Army during WWII as well, but suffered bouts of alcoholism, depression, and malaria and was discharged. His cousin, FDR, managed to get Kermit a post in Alaska as a U.S. Army intelligence officer. But Alaska became Kermit's final resting place; he committed suicide by gun in 1943.

From: FindaGrave.com
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Belle Roosevelt survived her husband by over twenty years, passing away in New York on March 30, 1968. Her home, 9 Sutton Place, New York, New York, was auctioned off in November 1968. As for the copy of Res Judicatae, it may have stayed in the family because it didn't resurface until 1992. Res Judicatae was listed for sale in the Nov.2, 1992 issue of AB Bookman's Weekly by Pharos Books, New Haven, Ct.

My copy of Res Judicatae appears next twenty years later in an auction in Amherst, N. H. in a lot with other books either by or belonging to the Roosevelts:

Less than a month later, Res Judicatae appears on eBay. And I submit the winning bid:

And that, my friends, is the history of my copy of Res Judicatae, the newest addition to My Sentimental Library Collection.

Memories of Things Experienced And Things Missed

R. L. S. is no stranger in my library. I have several books he wrote, including one in My Sentimental Library Collection that Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. formerly owned.

So when Lew Jaffe the Bookplate Junkie called about a copy of Across the Plains by Robert Louis Stevenson––one with an interesting association––I offered to trade him some of my bookplates for the book.

This book looks like it may have been dragged across the plains. But another cloth spine closely matching the cloth of the book is in the making:

This copy of Stevenson's book belonged to an American artist who became friends with Stevenson in France in the 1870s, a friendship that was to last a lifetime.

This artist designed a bookplate for the Stevenson Society of America:

In 1896, this artist designed a bookplate for the Rowfant Club:

On this bookplate, near the bottom right-hand corner, this artist inscribed his name:

And in his copy of Across the Plains, on the half-title page, this artist, Will H. Low (1853-1932), wrote a twenty-one line review of his friend's book:

Above his review, Low signed his name, dated it, "1892," and wrote, "from the publisher and R. L. S."

If trying to read Low's review is too hard for you, I have provided "a reading copy" below:

This is a book full of memories of things experienced and things missed. Thus on p.137 my little house in Montigny comes back to me and the memory of long talks in the leafy arbor, of canoeing on the Loing, of my reading the first R. L. S. in printed form, the essay on "Forest Notes" printed in the Cornhill for May (?) 1876 - and read at Montigny with an infinite sense of it being less engaging than the talk of my friend. True - in Across the Plains - I come to what I missed as I follow R. L. S. through the rain on his first day in New York laden with Bancroft's "History of the U.S." – for I was at Nantucket and though he searched he could not find me. The graver essays, The Christmas Sermon and Pulvis Et Umbra were first printed in Scribner's Magazine during the year 1888 and excited both interest and controversy, many holding that his doctrines were gloomy and hopeless. "The lights were turned down" R. L. S. wrote of them afterwards but I was far gone and came to Saranac none too soon. But with all their gloom they are illuminated by the ray of courage – and are by no means hopeless. This volume also contains the "Letter to a Young Gentleman about to Embrace the career of art," which read to me by the author led me to protest so strongly that R. L. S. insisted that I should answer it in print so that where published in Scribner's this essay had my rejoinder tacked on to it. I join to this the sheets of Scribner's containing this, and incidentally Stevenson's actions in the matter is responsible for my frequent appearance in print since those days. I find pasted in this book also a letter to the London Times, containing Rodin which R. L. S. must have sent me at the time it was written; for I was one of "the party of artists" mentioned in it, W. E. Henley and Theodore Robinson, the others who accompanied him on that occasion.
W. H. Low

I do not know if this Rodin letter has been otherwise published.

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Low marked the paragraph about Montigny on P.137. Low later wrote about Stevenson and Montigny in his book, A Chronicle of Friendships, New York, 1908:

Low's article in Scribner's Magazine, "A Letter to the Same Gentleman,"published in response to Stevenson's article, "A Letter to a Young Gentleman," was three and a half pages long, was attached to the back of the half-title page, and caused damage to the edges of the half-title page. Low's article was no longer in the book when I received it. I acquired a copy of the September 1888 issue of Scribner's Magazine containing Low's article. And I will keep it alongside the book.

Stevenson's London Times article about Rodin is pasted on the free endpaper facing the half-title page:

Above the article, Low wrote, " Rec'd about September 1886."

The Rodin Letter was later published in Frederick Lawton's book, The Life and Work of Auguste Rodin, New York, 1907, and can be read at this link.

In addition to writing a review of Stevenson's book on the half-title page, Will H. Low added a few words to Stevenson's Dedication page:

I have gone crazy over Bourgets Sensations d'Italie; hence the enclosed dedication, a mere cry of gratitude for the best friend I've had over a new book for this ever so!
Monday Dec 7th 1891 R. L. S. to Sidney Colvin
Letters from Vailima read in proof May 16th '95

––––––––––––––––– About a year and half ago not knowing the reason of above dedication I was also very much "bowled over" by Sensations d'Italie
Will H Low

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Will H. Low marked only one more page in his friend's book, and very fitting at that:

PROVENANCE Will H. Low: 1892 - ?
W.K. Bixby: ?- Sold on Feb 26, 1917, Anderson Galleries (bookplate on front pastedown).
Henry A. Colgate: 1917 - Sold on Feb 8, 1928, Anderson Galleries
Richard Sessler: ?-? (Note on top of half-title page). Related to Charles Sessler the Philadelphia bookseller?
Lew Jaffe: ? - Dec. 2012
Jerry Morris: Dec. 2012 - present

ADDENDUM: More on this book's provenance. Richad Sessler is probably Charles Sessler's son, J. Leonard "Dick" Sessler, who died in 1951. He was Lessing J. Rosenwald's main supplier of prints. In fact, a "Richard Sessler" is identified in the provenance record of some Fifteenth Century engravings Rosenwald acquired from him.

Twelve Blogs For Christmas: Contributions to Biblionotes: Ex-Libris

Tipped into my copy of About a Great Book, With Some Literary Autographs is this presentation sheet:

Except for one, each Christmas, from 1912 to 1932, Luther Brewer, at his Torch Press, privately printed a book "For the Friends of Luther Albertus and Elinore Taylor Brewer." I have over half of them in my library.

For Christmas 2012, I want to begin a similar custom to greet "all my bibliobuddies." But instead of greeting you with a book, each Christmas I will greet you with one essay from Contributions to Biblionotes.

The source for this first Christmas blog post comes by way of England, from Questor Rare Books, to be exact, and acquired in 2002:

What is Contributions to Biblionotes? And who is Walter Harris? And who is Mary Murray?  The answers to your questions will start to unfold when you read the notes below, which were posted one of my old Picture Trail photo albums:

And here is Jim Thorp's response:

In 2003, I contacted Barry Shaw, the former editor of the Bookdealer; but, complaining that his memory wasn't what it used to be, he couldn't recall if he published any of Walter Harris's twelve pieces.

And now, without further ado, here is the first of the "Twelve Blog Posts for Christmas." The first blog post is a piece on bookplates which Walter Harris wrote in 1953.  If you find the following pages too hard to read, keep scrolling down because I typed Walter Harris's piece in its entirety.

Merry Christmas to all my bibliobuddies! 

Ex-Libris

EX-LIBRIS by Walter Harris, 1953

The collecting of Book-plates as a hobby appears to be a thing of yesterday. Collecting began seriously in the middle of the last century but was probably keenest during "the Nineties" and the first two decades of this century. In those days, practically every Antiquarian bookseller - at least in London, had a box or two somewhere in his premises, and sales devoted exclusively to this subject were more or less a regular feature on some auction-rooms. Messrs Puttick & Simpson held one such sale in 1897 in which some individual plates realized several pounds each, whilst quite a large number reached a figure in the region of two pounds. Very few new buyers have come on the scene to replace those who have either passed on or given up collecting. And I doubt if at present there are more than a score of serious collectors in the whole of the country. The reason for the decline of collectors is rather puzzling, at least to me because I consider that Book-plates are a much more interesting proposition than, say, stamps, which support a live and flourishing business.

There are of course some rare and expensive plates but on the whole, prices are very low, and with such an extensive field from which to choose, it is rather surprising to find such a lack of interest. Judged from the artistic standpoint, the design of the earlier and many of the later Book-plates is much superior to that of stamps. The "Chippendales," for instance, are especially attractive, with their frills or borders of open shell-work, surrounding the shields, out of which spring slender flowering plants.

The Book-plate is no modern invention; it has its origin in the early sixteenth century. Albrecht Durer designed what is believed to be the first specimen, a portrait of his friend Baron Pirckheimer assigned by some authorities tot he year 1524. This particular plate is described by Bartech in his "La Peinture-Graveur." In England, the earliest engraved plate is assumed to be that of Sir Nicholas Bacon 1574, followed in 1585 by one of Sir Thomas Tresham.

Almost the first English reference to these tokens of ownership as "plates" occurs in Pepys's Diary, under the entry of July 1st, 1668. Pepys himself has five plates, comprising two of portraits, two heraldic, and one with his initials S.P. combined with the Admiralty crossed anchors. Two of the plates are very rare. The larger of the two portrait plates seems originally to have been engraved as a frontispiece to the privately-printed edition of his "Memoirs relating to the State of the Navy in England" 1690. Some first-class artists and designs engaged themselves in the production of these movable marks of ownership, including George Bickham, Thomas Bewick, Archibald Burton of Edinburgh, William Hogarth, William Henshaw, Mark Lambert of Newcastle (an apprentice of Bewick), Daniel and William Lizars, R. Mountaine, Cipriani, Kate Greenaway, Sherborn, Eve, Barrett, Barnett and many others.

The plates are usually classified under the generic headings laid down by Leicester Warren (Lord De Tabley) in his book, " A Guide to the Study of Book-plates," namely Armorial, Jacobean, Chippendale, etc. Practically all subsequently deceived classifications have been based on his general scheme.

Some very large collections have been formed in this country in days gone by; probably the best known and one of the largest was that of Sir Wollaston Franks whose collection of roughly 80,000 plates was bequeathed to the British Museum. The catalogue of the English and American examples alone forms three large octavo volumes, and is an invaluable book of reference for both collector and dealer. Another magnificent collection was formed by Mr. Julian Marshall. It contained 60,000 plates, comprising examples from England, America, France, Germany, Russia, China, Spain, and in fact specimens from practically every country in the world. Among them were most of the rarer examples (some unique), including the famous Durer woodcut, Scrope of Danby; all three varieties of the plate of Thomas Gore, the earliest about 1660, the second by Michael Burghere and the third by Faithorne.

The English collector usually, however, finds England a sufficiently wide field, and nowadays, although there is no great upward tendency in prices, it is becoming increasingly difficult to procure the finer specimens, which have always maintained a price. On the whole, modern designs are not nearly so interesting, but there is one artist whose work stands out alone, namely, C. W. Sherborn. He began as an apprentice to Robert Oliver, a goldsmith of Soho, in 1845. In 1852 he was admitted a Freeman of the City of London, by virtue of his services tot the Company of Goldsmiths. After spending three years in Geneva as a designer and goldworker, he returned to London where he still followed his calling, but gradually deviated toward another branch of art, engraving, etching and designing Book-plates. Throughout his career, on this special subject his work retained a wonderful excellence, some of the plates having a depth and tone of richness unsurpassed. A catalogue of his plates compiled by himself and Mr. G. H. Viner is given in a sketch of his life and works by his son. Mr. G. H. Viner himself has an exceedingly fine collection.

This being Coronation year, it is pleasing to look back on a similar event in 1902. In that year, by Royal permission, was published a set of three plates, to be sold for the benefit of King Edward's Hospital Fund. The largest plate contained the Royal Arms within the Garter, with supporters, crest and Imperial Crown, with E. R. at the sides, and the Union Badge below the Shield; inscribed "Royal Library, Windsor Castle." The third plate has the Royal Crest only, a lion statant guardant on an Imperial Crown, with the letters E. R. as before, and the inscription as in the second plate, on a scroll below. Only 50 sets were issued at the price of £8-8-0 per set, and must by now have become exceedingly rare.

There is a fair amount of literature on the subject of Ex-Libris, most of which is obtainable without much trouble and at reasonable cost.