Am 3 PREFACE 7 T HE current tendency in the high cost of living has not been confined to foodstuffs, for the season's record given in this volume reveals that choice books and manuscripts are rising on the tide of our American prosperity. In a general way, without taking into account the purely miscellaneous catalogues, the sales show again a preponderance of Americana, of which there were forty-five sales, while in seventeen others Americana figured largely; among them we he Burton collection of Lincolniana and Civil War, two sales of early American newspapers, and three others devoted to the Western States. First editions figured in fifteen sales, including the Coggeshall library of Dickens and Thackeray. Of law books there were five sales; of Napoleoniana, three; of scientific books, two; of bookplates, two; of sports, architecture, music, and bibliography, one each. Several sales embraced the fine arts and extra-illustrated books, notably the Wilson collection of John Leech and a series of Cruikshankiana. The Rivière consignment of fine bindings and the rare books, fine bindings and literary manuscripts which formed the composite Huntington, Bixby and Church sale, deserve honorable mention. There were twentyfive sales of autographs and other manuscripts, as well as such materials included in other sales; special mention must be made of the Robert Louis Stevenson manuscripts, part III, the Dickens and Thackeray manuscripts in the second part of the Coggeshall collection, the Joline and the Thacher sales. The Walpole Galleries, of New York City, inaugurated their first season in November, 1915, and have been added to this year's record. With respect to gross sums above five thousand dollars realized from the disposal of collections, we are able to record the following: At the Anderson Galleries, Adrian H. Joline, parts VII-IX, $13,165.85; John E. Burton, parts I, III-VI, $27,050.45; John Boyd Thacher, parts VI-VII, $10,368,45; W. S. Allen, $5,520.25; Henry Chapman, $5,940.65; Rare books, January 4-5, 1916, $6,192.75; Robert Louis Stevenson, part III, $16,621.50; V 370281 Robert Rivière and Son, $38,410.45; Mrs. Gertrude Cowdin and others, $26,366.65; William M. Franklin, $11,111.75; Rare autographs, March 27-28, 1916, $15,549.35; Huntington, Bixby and Church, $63,099.50; John Wylie Barrow and others, $21,327.05; Edwin W. Coggeshall, parts I-II, $93,935.80, the record sale of the year; Howard K. Sanderson (autographs), $16,948.70; Samuel B. Snook and others, $23,119.05; Rare books, etc., June 12-14. 1916, $7,960.50. At the American Art Association, William Nelson, $11,357.50; Alfred Henry Lewis, $7,157.75; Charles Cooper Townsend, $16,339.25; Borden, Kennedy and others, $9,949.50; Noteworthy Americana, February 3-4, 1916, $9,195.00; Sidney Herbert and others, $11,629.50; Mrs. Amzi L. Barber and others, $8,237.50; William H. Dunwoody, etc., $26,054.50; Major Charles J. Buchanan, $6,761.75. At the Collectors' Club (Scott and O'Shaughnessy), 1916, February 18, $15,480.25; May 23, $4,700; June 9, $7,532. At the Walpole Galleries, 1916, March 10, and May 24, there were miscellaneous sales that netted above $5,000. The present volume contains records of 16,148 lots selected from 130 catalogues describing some 102,290 lots. As it may come into the hands of some persons not familiar with the work, the following explanation of the abbreviations used and of the scheme of the work is reprinted from the earlier volumes. The name of the author (or, in the case of anonymous books, the first word 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 (in a few cases), the date, and the size of the volume. The first portion of the description is general and applies to all copies of the work. 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, if with extra plates inserted, if from a famous library, etc. Third. The name of the sale where the name was given on the catalogue. This does not mean in every case that the name other unannounced sources are often included with books of a known owner. Fourth. Capital letter, indicating the name of the auctioneer 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. L. is C. F. Libbie and Company. S. is Scott & O'Shaughnessy, Inc. W. is the Walpole Galleries. Fifth. The date of the sale. In case of sales of more than a single day's duration this date is that of the first day of the sale. Sixth. The lot number in the original sale catalogue. Seventh. The price realized. This is the price for the lot, not per volume. December, 1916. V. H. P. |