The Ashburnham Library. Catalogue of the magnificent collection of printed books the property of the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Ashburnham. first portion : [ Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, auction catalogue, sale date: 25 June, 1897 and seven following days].

Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge.

Published by Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, London, auction catalogue for the sale held on 25th June-2nd July, 1897, 1897

Printed wrappers, 27 cm, vii, 172 pp. Lots 1-1683. The first volume of a 3 volume catalogue. This first day's sale reached Furerus ab Haimendorf in the alphabet. From the introduction - "It will be seen from the contents of this first portion of the Printed Books, and will be still more evident in the succeeding portions, that the late Earl set out with the idea of obtaining the rarest editions of those Books and Authors to which his taste or fancy inclined him. He was not an omnivorous collector. .The collecting of Bibles and Testaments in various languages (but especially English), Missals, Horae, Breviaries, Offices, Prayers (public and private), and other early religious service books, was his strong point. But here, also, he confined himself to the rarest editions he could obtain, or to copies of more common editions having some historical or family interest attached to them. . Outside his special liking for early religious books, his tastes were as wide as the rarity of the books introduced to his notice, and were very largely concerned with the earliest editions of the first English writers, and works from the earliest English presses. So we have his probably unique collection of the editions of Dame Juliana Barnes's Book of St. Albans; his series of early editions of Chaucer; the comparatively large number of specimens of the presses of Colard Mansion, Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde, Pynson, Julian Notary, Lettou and Machlinia, Thomas Godfrey, the first printers at St. Albans, Oxford, and Ipswich, and many other English printers before the death of Q. Elizabeth. A perusal of the Catalogue will show, also, how fond the late Earl was of books printed upon vellum, of which there is a large number, the 1483 Aristotle and the 1472 Pliny being remarkable for their decoration. Of editions of Foreign Classic Authors there are many very fine and rare, especially of Ariosto, Boccaccio and Dante ; and also of the principal Greek and Latin writers in the original, or very early and fine editions of the first Continental presses…". The bibliographer Graham Pollard's copy with a small label on the title-page. A few lots priced in pencil. Lacking the wrappers, slight spotting to title-page, first gathering held by one (of two) stitchings, slightly agetoned, otherwise Good. Seller Inventory # ABE-20333

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Ashburnham Library. Catalogue of the ...
Publisher: Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge, London, auction catalogue for the sale held on 25th June-2nd July, 1897
Publication Date: 1897
Binding: Soft cover
Edition: 1st Edition