Thursday, May 02, 2013

Antiquarian News from Ibookcollector - including English PEN and Sotheby's venture


Hutton drawings now online

NLSThe late eighteenth century soldier and antiquary, George Henry Hutton, collected many documents and drawings of Scottish castles, landscapes, churches and other religious buildings. These are now available to view these on the NLS website.

The son of mathematician Charles Hutton, he served with the Royal Artillery in the West Indies, losing an eye and becoming a prisoner of war for a year. After returning home, he developed a passion for architecture and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Antiquaries.

Although he died in Ireland in 1827, he had connections with Aberdeen, which figures prominently in the collection.
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Bloomsbury Auctions

On the 9th May Bloomsbury Auctions will be selling the private botanical library of a continental gentleman. This wonderful collection of botanical texts is strong on dendrology, mainly fruit trees and conifers, and includes works on horticulture with a focus on orchids, rhododendrons and camellias.

Bloomsbury AuctionsOf the many works on fruit and fruit trees, Joseph Antoine Risso's Histoire Naturelle des Orangers (1818-20) is an especially notable work. With 109 stipple-engraved plates, printed in colour and finished by hand, this magnificent monograph of citrus fruits contains drawings of every known variety of orange, lemon and grape-fruit in the style of Redouté and is given an estimate of £6,000-£8,000 [lot 219].  Another prominent work on fruit is Johann Prokop Mayer's Pomona Franconica (1776-79) which is a study of the fruit gardens of the Palace of Würzburg. With 99 finely hand-coloured plates of fruits and flowers, and 11 plain plates of tree pruning, this rare work is estimated at £8,000-£10,000 [lot 170].

Delineations of Exotick Plants Cultivated in the RoyalGardens at Kew (1796-97) by Franz Andreas Bauer is one of the horticultural highlights of the sale. Including parts 1 & 2 of the first edition, which was limited to 90 and 80 copies respectively, this beautifully illustrated flower book is estimated at £4,000-£5,000 [lot 12]. Peter Simon Pallas' Flora Rossica (1784-88), is a glorious copy of the first great illustrated Russian flora in a fine contemporary French red straight-grain gilt morocco by Bozerian. With 101 hand-coloured engraved plates this work carries an estimate of £6,000-£8,000 [lot 191].

Lutheran minister August Sievert's early 19th century German florilegium contains over 1100 original watercolours illustrating both wild and cultivated flowers as well as fruits, mushrooms and herbs. Appearing loose in 26 numbered and labelled wrappers together in a contemporary box, this wonderful and unique work is estimated at £20,000-£25,000 [lot 248]. In addition there is a number of lots by the Japanese School that showcase the beauty of horticultural illustration - one of which is a collection of 50 watercolours on flowers and plants inscribed in Japanese, estimated at £4,000-£5,000 [lot 130].

Another of the many highlights of the sale is Nikolaus Thomas Host's Salix (1828-30). This is a magnificent and exceedingly rare monograph of the willow and includes 105 finely hand-coloured engraved plates. This work carries an estimate of £12,000-£16,000 [lot 119].  A rare book on dendrology is André Michaux' Geschichte der Amerikanischen Eichen, (1802-04). With only two copies appearing at auction in the last 30 years, Histoire des Chênes de L'Amerique is scarce found in German and is given an estimate of £4,000-£5,000 [lot 172]. There is also a collection of Woburn catalogues published for John Russell, Duke of Bedford in the 1820s and 30s including Salictum Woburnense (1829) which is one of 50 copies, a signed presentation copy from the Duke of Bedford to William Wilkinson, and which carries is expected to fetch  £4,000-£5,000 [lot 230]. 
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The Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation
and The Rosenbach Museum & Library Announce Join Forces

In an historic move, the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation and The Rosenbach Museum & Library today announced their intent to merge, creating 'The Rosenbach of the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation'. The affiliation will bring together two of the world’s pre-eminent collections of rare books, artifacts, and manuscripts, including Bram Stoker’s notes for Dracula with Edgar Allan Poe’s The Murders in the Rue Morgue. This historic joint decision will bring advantages to each institution, and it is hoped will further solidify Philadelphia’s position as an educational and cultural leader in the nation. The recent announcement marks the signing of a letter of intent following board approval by each of the organizations on April 16, 2013. 
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English PEN and Sotheby's

English PEN and Sotheby's are delighted to announce First Editions, Second Thoughts (FEST), a ground-breaking auction in which 50 of the UK and Commonwealth's most outstanding contemporary writers have annotated, commented on and illustrated a first edition copy of one of their works. Authors including Margaret Atwood, Julian Barnes, Alan Bennett, William Boyd, Margaret Drabble, Helen Fielding, Nadine Gordimer, David Hare, Seamus Heaney, Kazuo Ishiguro, Howard Jacobson, Ian McEwan, Michael Morpurgo, J.K. Rowling, Lionel Shriver, Ralph Steadman, Tom Stoppard and Jeanette Winterson have generously contributed to the sale. Their unique personalised books, with extensive authorial annotations, offer a fascinating insight into each author's creative process and the genesis and nature of their work. The auction will be held on 21st May at Sotheby's in London. Proceeds will benefit writers' association English PEN to defend the freedom to write and the freedom to read in the UK and across the world.

Rick Gekoski, Trustee of English PEN and curator of FEST, said: "In 40 years in the rare book trade I have never seen a collection of books to compare with those in this sale. The self scrutiny of the authors is highly considered - crafted, thoughtful and thought provoking. And like works of literature themselves, their annotations give a peek into the soul of their maker. In many cases, the commentaries will affect how the book is to be read and understood in the future."

Philip Errington, Director of Printed Books & Manuscripts at Sotheby's, said: Sotheby's is delighted to support this charity sale to benefit English PEN. The authors' annotations are as unique as the authors themselves and each book reflects an author's highly individual response to the task of annotation. As a result, many of these books are, quite simply, the finest copies of these highly collectable first editions.

Gillian Slovo, President of English PEN, said: "We are grateful to all the writers who have contributed such goodwill to this project. Their generosity to English PEN is hugely appreciated.

The auction contains works by a remarkable list of major novelists, playwrights, poets, memoirists and writers of non-fiction, including many winners of the great literary prizes including the Nobel Prize for Literature, the Man Booker and Orange prizes. They were asked to: "Feel free to scribble second thoughts, marginalia or drawings throughout the work in whatever fashion moves you, thus singling out this particular first edition and making it even more desirable for a reader or collector to want to own".

The results are astonishing and highly individual. Some writers made copious amendments, others chose to jot comments on endpapers and blanks; some excised or corrected text and several illustrated their works.

Highlights of the 50 works to be auctioned on 21st May include:
  • Julian Barnes: Metroland
  • Nadine Gordimer: The Conservationist
  • Seamus Heaney: Death of a Naturalist
  • Kazuo Ishiguro: The Remains of the Day
  • Ian McEwan: Amsterdam
  • Yann Martel: Life of Pi
  • Michael Morpurgo: War Horse
  • Philip Pullman: Northern Lights
  • JK Rowling: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone
  • Lionel Shriver: We Need to Talk About Kevin
  • Ralph Steadman: Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas
  • Tom Stoppard: Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead
  • Edmund de Waal: The Hare with Amber Eyes
  • Jeanette Winterson: Oranges are Not the Only Fruit
The full First Editions, Second Thoughts catalogue is available online

Exhibition
All the works from First Edition, Second Thoughts will be on public exhibition at Sotheby's London Mon 20th and Tues 21st May 9am – 4.30pm.
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