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Copyright, 1923

BY E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY

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PREFACE

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HE sales recorded in the present volume, XXVIII, of "American

THE sales in t" for the Season of 1921-22, chronicle a

year of satisfactory prices, wide range and significant promise. While
there were recorded few features of spectacular interest, the sale of
fair-priced items have been so numerous that the 117 sales yielded a
total of 16,963 items, an increase of more than 2000 over the sales of
the previous year, and this in spite of the general exclusion of extra-
illustrated volumes, and a ruthless pruning of "Library Sets." An
increased number of books in original bindings has been included, and
it has been preferred to list numerous new titles rather than to
duplicate prices on so-called "new editions."

Several general collections of high value and distinguished quality
have been dispersed and the opportunities thus offered met with gener-
ous response. Among these, the collection of the Late Theodore Vail,
sold at the Anderson Galleries, was representative. Besides the stand-
ard features of a rich general library, including a set of Shakespeare
Folios at $9,500.00, $1,800.00, $5,500.00 and $475.00 and a "Catholicon"
of Balbus de Janua at $2,200, this sale offered the most interesting item
of Americana, a copy of the 1649 "Platform of Church Discipline" at
$5,700.00. Among other important general collections sold at Ander-
son's were those of J. Herbert Foster, of Providence, a choice list of
printed books and manuscripts; Miss Rita Wellman Leo, which offered
a copy of Shakespeare's Poems, of the 1640 edition, at $2,995.00; and
Miss Blanche Dupuy, the latter a discreetly chosen "personalized" list,
containing a first edition of Keats's "Lamia" at $725.00 and a copy of
the scarce Elzevir, "Le Pastissier François" at $340.00. At the Amer-
ican Art Galleries was sold the Library of Mr. Louis Mohr of Chi-
cago, a collection especially rich in fine bindings, costly editions, and
specially printed sets. Another important sale at the American Art
Galleries was that of the collection of Mr. Edward K. Butler, which
offered among other rarities, a first edition of Fitzgerald's, "Omar
Khayyam" at $800.00.

The most significant and interesting feature of the year's sales, however, lay in the growing tendency to specialization, which revealed an increasing stabilization of values, and a widening of the collector's mfield which brought into the market a number of items of great interNest. Perhaps the most widely appealing feature of these specialized sales were the disposal at the Anderson Galleries of the Dickens' ColZlections of Dr. Jupp, of London, and William Glyde Wilkins, of Pittsburgh, the richest of those on both sides of the Atlantic, and these

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combined lists offer a nearly complete bibliography of the best loved of English Novelists. The high point of the sales was Dr. Jupp's set of the "Pickwick Papers" in original parts, at $3,500.00; while the Wilkins collection offered a complete list of early American editions, both affording a full showing of parodies, spurious works, and Dickensiana.

The sale, also at Anderson's, of the Van Duzer collection of Thackeray's works was of equal importance. This library was perhaps the most complete of all collections of Thackeray and Thackerayana. Many of the volumes were from the collection of Major Lambert, and nearly every important title was represented in the original binding. Typical offerings were a "Vanity Fair" in the original parts at $2,100.00, and a copy of "The Exquisites" at $2,350.00.

Another famous collection of special interest was sold at the American Art Galleries where the Kipling Library of Captain Martindell was offered with the Corder and Joyce collections. The Martindell list was not only the fullest hitherto offered, but contained a number of new Kipling items, among them sets of corrected proofs and several of the scarce copyright issues, formerly in the possession of Mr. Hutt, which sold for $200.00 to $250.00 each.

The growing vogue of illustrated books, especially those in color, was illustrated in the Corder sale, which proved to be especially rich in early nineteenth century books in original parts, among them much Cruikshankiana, Combe's Second and Third "Tours of Doctor Syntax" at $430.00 and $370.00, much of Egan, Heath and Rowlandson, and a complete set of Surtees's Sporting Novels, in the original parts, at $850.00. A collection of books on sport, sold at Anderson's on April 3, 1922, contained numerous unique items, histories of famous hunts, racing memoirs, etc., and a complete set of the Sporting Magazine, 1792-1870, selling for $1,000.00.

Another phase of book illustration of much charm was presented at the Anderson Galleries in the sale of Miss Meacham's collection of Kate Greenaway, which abounded in presentation copies and other features of associational interest. There was also sold at the American Art Galleries a quaint and curious collection, formed by Miss Susan Minns, of the "Dance of Death" illustrated in Typography, Engraving and Allied Arts. The collection of Mr. E. H. Coates of Philadelphia, sold by Stan. V. Henkels, brought into the market a quantity of presentation copies and modern first editions and the latter also characterized the sales of the William Macpherson and Edgar Saltus Libraries at Anderson's. One of the year's features of special interest to the dealer is the rise into positive value of new names, and of a widening list of titles not so new. The works of Cabell, Hudson, Masefield, and H. G. Wells, to select a few names at random, have never been cited so fully as in the present volume, which also shows a gratifying increase in value of the great Victorians, among them Tennyson, Meredith, George Moore and Hardy. The Butler sale produced two new and important Swinburne items, Trial Issues of "O Virgin Mother" at $830.00, and "First Act of Bothwell" at $900.00; also two trial issues of Tennyson, "Crossing the Bar" at $650.00, and

set of Anthony Trollope's first editions, which brought $1,700.00, and a set of W. D. Howells's first editions in the Foster sale brought $850.00.

A portion of the Van Antwerp collection of Early Printing and Manuscripts, at the American Art Galleries, comprising some fifty items, yielded a first edition of the "Imitatio" of A Kempis at $2,350.00, a Josephus, in the French edition of 1492 at $2,800.00, and the Wallace-Poor copy of Higden's "Polychronicon" at $1,900.00. The Van Antwerp sale also included a Coverdale Bible, of 1535, at $2,300.00, and two Caxton's: an "Aeneid" at $1,000.00, and Gower's, "Confessio Amantis" of 1483, at $3,200.00.

Throughout the season the Walpole Galleries offered full lists of attractive novelties in various lines, Gardening, Japanese Art, Old Medicine, Bibliography and Belles Lettres.

In the older Americana, the outstanding feature was the splendid collection of Colonial Acts and Laws of Judge Russell Benedict. Among them may be cited the 1649 Massachusetts Charter at $650.00, the 1675 "General Laws and Liberties of Massachusetts Colony" at $1,000.00, a New York Charter, printed by Zenger, at $550.00, and "Laws of the Province of Pennsylvania, 1714" at $1,000.00. The Libraries of James Phinney Baxter, Dr. Coutant, and C. E. Norton, all sold at Anderson's, offered countless opportunities to the student and collector, as did also the Manigault, Meade, Barnwell and Ruston Collections dispersed at Henkels. Books of Washington Association interest showed increasing value; a notable item was a set of Gibbon from the Mount Vernon Library, bringing $4,800.00.

The list of Almanacs in the present volume compares favorably with that of last year's, supplementing it with a number of new titles, many of these from the salesrooms of Charles Heartman, whose contributions to American Bibliography maintain their sterling value.

The newer Americana, that vast body of material dealing with the development of the Middle and Far West in the last century, continues to increase steadily in range and importance. Another portion of Dr. Frank O'Brien's Library was sold at Anderson's and proved to be rich in surveys, maps, numerous personal narratives and those often crudely written and roughly printed "locals" whose value has recently been recognized. A second file of "The Saturday Star Journal," realizing $1,200.00, was an interesting feature of the O'Brien sale. In this field the Heartman sales again contributed a steady succession of important items.

The season's sales of Manuscripts and Autographs were unusually full, making it necessary to exclude much material worthy of special mention in leaner years. The Van Antwerp list contained a 14th century Manuscript of the Wyclif Bible at $1,500.00, a Document signed by King Edward VI at $700.00, and the highest priced Manuscript item of the year, "The Froissart Chronicle," written on vellum, which brought $12,900.00. Among the numerous and valuable modern Autographs in the Foster collection were two important Mark Twain items,

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[[] script of "More Tramps Abroad," which brought $4,500.00; a collection of autographic material relating to "Oliver Twist" at $950.00; the manuscript of George Meredith's, "Egoist" at $350.00, and the unpublished letters of Ruskin to Henry and Emily Swann, which realized $2,200.00. The Louis Mohr collection contained an interesting Stevenson Manuscript, "The Young Chevalier," selling for $1,025.00, and Charles Lamb's "Commonplace Book" which brought $2,650.00. Another Stevenson Manuscript, "The Ebb-Tide," sold in the Depuy collection for $1,900.00. Among the numerous important Manuscripts sold by Mr. Henkels were Washington's letter proposing to establish the Federal City at Washington, D. C., selling at $550.00, and Edmund Randolph's Draft of the Constitution at $600.00. The O'Brien sale yielded the Swagerty "Survey of the Territory South of Ohio" which sold for $785.00, while at another sale at Anderson's, on October 17, 1921, was offered the most important item of Americana of the year, the long-lost "Fort Sutter Papers," which realized $8,450.00.

As the volume may come into the hands of some persons not familiar with the work, the following explanation of the scheme of this work and the abbreviations used, is reprinted from the earlier issues.

The name of the author (or, in the case of anonymous books, the first part of the title) is set in black-faced capitals.

Club or Press publications are (generally) under the Club or Press, and a few other books, such as anonymous histories and biographies, are entered under their subject. The titles of the various works of an author, printed in black-faced lower case type, are arranged in alphabetical order. This is followed by the place where printed, the printer (in a few cases), the date, and size of volume. The first portion of the description is general and applies to all copies of the work listed. Following this general description is the specific description of the copy or copies of the book as sold, each lot beginning a new line. This specific description is made up as follows:

First. A description of the binding, the abbreviations being those which are universally used and understood.

Second. A statement as to the condition of the particular copy recorded, if on large paper, with extra plates inserted, from a famous library, etc.

Third. The name of the sale, where a name was given on the catalogue. This does not mean in every case that the name as given is that of the owner of the book, as additions from other unannounced sources are often included with books of a known owner.

Fourth. Capital letter, indicating the name of the Autioneer under whose management the sale took place.

A. is the Anderson Galleries.

B. is Charles F. Heartman.

G. is the American Art Association.

H. is Stan. V. Henkels.

W. is the Walpole Galleries.

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