Biblio Researching

Researching the Value of Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare

2011-12-27T12:22:00.007-05:00

I received a comment to last month's My Sentimental Library blog from Chris Larizza of Stratford, Ct. regarding a book by J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps. He recently acquired a presentation copy of an 1882 second edition of Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare by J. O. Halliwell-Phillipps at an estate sale and queried me as to its value.

Chris acquired a second copy of this edition as well, but that copy was unsigned; however, it did have a bookplate that I found intriguing:

Here is the verse from the bookplate. It's from Chaucer:

For out of olde feldys, as men say
Comeyth all this newe corn fro yere to yere
And out of olde bokes, in good fey
Comeyth al this new science that men lere

I will discuss the monetary value of both copies of this work in this blog post. But first, I will discuss the literary value. I can think of no better way to introduce the literary value of this book than refer to the book review by Henry B. Wheatley (1838-1917), which appeared in The Bibliographer: a journal of book-lore, London, 1882, Vol. 2, Page 147:

Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare By J. O. Halliwell Phillipps, F.R.S., F.S.A., etc.   The second edition, London, Longmans, Green & Co, 1882, 8vo, pp. 703.

   This book is a bibliographical curiosity, for the reason that in 1881 Mr Halliwell Phillipps printed it privately in an octavo volume of 192 pages, and within a year he has produced a second edition nearly four times as big, and now sells it for 7s 6d. It is certainly one of the cheapest books ever published.
   We do not propose to review the book as a life of Shakespeare because it is so full of matter, and contains so exhaustive a treatment of the information connected with its subject that we should need a whole number of our journal to do anything like justice to it, and moreover such a review would be more appropriate elsewhere. We wish however to draw special attention to the mass of bibliographical information which it contains. Mr Halliwell Phillipps has for so many years made a practice of studying the literature of Shakespeare's time for illustrations of the poet's life and works that any book which he produces is sure to be full of bibliographical detail. At p. 527 we find a series of copyright entries from 1593 (of Venus and Adonis) to 1623 (of the plays for the first folio). An account of lifetime editions follows these, and then there is a full account of the first folio.
   The volume is completed by the addition of a Documentary Appendix which contains particulars of all those documents that are important as giving us authentic information on the particulars of Shakespeare's life. These number fifty in all, and range from the conveyance (dated 17th July 1550) by Robert Arden, Shakespeare's maternal grandfather, of a house and land at Snitterfield, in trust for his three daughters (this farm was then occupied by Richard Shakespeare the poet's own grandfather), to some anecdotes respecting Shakespeare written in 1693.
   We have in this volume all those facts connected with the life of Shakespeare which are certainly known and we can find them kept apart from the conjectures so frequently hazarded in books of a similar character.

A review in the Sept 16, 1882 issue of The Academy echoed the same sentiments:

"This volumes deserves commendation for its uncommonly moderate price as well for its very valuable contents."

The low price surprised me because many of Halliwell-Phillipps's works were published in pricey limited editions of 150 copies. In writing his obituary, a writer in The Critic said he once asked Halliwell-Phillipps why only 150 copies were printed of most of his works? Halliwell-Phillipps replied that some collectors would pay extremely high prices for limited editions, but wouldn't even consider buying unlimited editions.

As for the 1882 edition of Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare being a bibliographical curiosity because of the vast expansion of its pages, I am reminded of Thomas Frognall Dibdin's book, Bibliomania. The 1809 edition was a mere 87 pages. But the 1811 edition was a whopping 782 pages!

Writing the 1881 edition of Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare wasn't the first time Halliwell-Phillipps wrote about the Life of Shakespeare. In 1848, he published a biography of Shakespeare which contained 336 pages: The Life of William Shakespeare. Including Many Particulars Respecting the Poet and His Family Never Before Published. in 1853, he included a "Life of the Poet" in Vol 1 of the massive sixteen-volume edition of the Works of William Shakespeare, London, 1853-65. Only 150 copies were printed of each volume. The first volume alone was priced at 70 guineas. The 1853 "Life of the Poet" was called by some Shakespeare scholars "an extension" of the 1848 Life, but it contained only 303 pages and that included the Preface and list of plates and woodcuts. If he wanted to, however, Halliwell-Phillipps could have used the phrase "never before published" for the many editions of Outlines of the Life of Shakespeare. From 1881 to his death in 1889, he consistently either added to or revised the contents of this work. Here is a sampling of the record of editions of this work which were published during his lifetime:

Year Edition Number of Pages

1881 First Edition 192
1882 Second Edition 703
1883 Third Edition 736*
1884 Fourth Edition 480**
1885 Fifth Edition 640
1886 Sixth Edition 784 (384 & 400)
1887 Seventh Edition 851 (419 & 432)***

* Some sources cite 786 pages.
** COPAC was the source cited here. I don't know why the size decreased.
*** Some sources cite 848 as the number of pages.

As far as literary value goes, the 1887 edition contains the most pages, but the early editions are nothing to sneeze at. I would want to compare the 1887 edition to the 1882 edition, and see how much the extended quantity of pages contributed towards an increase of literary value.

There were even editions published after Halliwell-Phillipps's death: an eighth edition in 1889, a ninth edition in 1890, and a tenth edition in 1898. These editions were simply reprints of the 1887 seventh edition because the number of pages remained the same. The year 1898 marks the end of Halliwell-Phillips's dominance because that is the year that Sidney Lee published his biography of Shakespeare. For over forty years, Halliwell-Phillipps researched and wrote about Shakespeare, leaving Sidney Lee and the many Shakespearian authors to follow a of mountain of Shakespeariana to borrow from.

As far as monetary value goes, there is no mountain of information to research in order to determine the monetary value of the Larizza copies of the 1882 edition of Outlines.... There is only one copy of the 1882 edition listed for sale on the web. There are no listings of a presentation copy of the 1882 edition for sale on the web. Charles Parkhurst Rare Books in Prescott, Az. has a copy of the 1882 edition listed for $400, but the Parkhurst copy is in much better condition than either of the Larizza copies. Charles Parkhurst also has an 1883 edition of this work, acquiring both copies when he bought the Shakespeare collection of the late Los Angeles book collector, Jerry D. Melton. The 1883 copy is listed for $250.

In order to increase their monetary value, both Larizza copies are in need of minor repair by a professional bookbinder. The cloth of the presentation copy is split on the top right side. Additionally, a previous owner's label needs to be removed from the top of the spine:

The cloth is frayed on the top of the spine of the second copy and is splitting along both sides of the spine.

The color of both bindings is still bright and no other faults are evident. I've already provided Chris with the name and number of a professional bookbinder in Connecticut.

After these copies are repaired, how much will the Larizza copies be worth? Exactly how much a buyer is willing to pay for them. The monetary value of a presentation copy depends upon the scarcity of the work, the collectibility of the author, and the prominence of the person the book was presented to. Obviously, the Larizza presentation copy is scarce because no other presentation copy of that edition is listed on the web. There is an 1887 seventh edition listed by a UK bookseller for $193 that could be a presentation copy.

But how collectible is Outlines...? And how collectible are presentation copies of other works by Halliwell-Phillipps?

There are only two copies of Outlines... listed on ILAB, the two Parkhurst copies mentioned above. There are eighteen copies of Outlines... listed on Abebooks, ten of which are exlibrary and in poor condition. The Parkhurst copies are listed on Abebooks as are two copies of the 1887 edition.

KHP Books in Vernon Hills, Il. has their 1887 copy listed for $350 with the only fault being that the spine of Volume 1 is weakened. Several pieces of Shakespearian ephemera belonging to a former owner are included with the set. The other 1887 edition is listed by Staniland Booksellers in Rutland, U.K. This set was bound in richly decorated contemporary green morocco with raised bands and marbled boards by Henry Sotheran & Co., probably shortly after its first owner purchased it. What is interesting is that in the listing it says that this copy is "inscribed by author on half-title," which makes me wonder if it is a presentation copy. If so, I believe it is underpriced at a mere $192. The only drawback would be the postage from the U.K. to the U.S.

I found five presentation copies of works written and inscribed by Halliwell-Phillipps. And the Staniland copy of Outlines... was the most expensive. One of them, Memoranda on the Tragedy of Hamlet, London, 1879 was only listed for $56. That copy was presented to Sir Arthur Hodgson, an Australian politician. I have a presentation copy of this work in my own library, but I believe the provenance of my copy increases its value. My copy was presented to the author James Russell Lowell. When I bought my copy six years ago, it was listed for $100. Today I believe it would be closer to $150.

But how much are the Larizza copies worth?

The Larizza presentation copy of Outlines... was presented to F. H. Pryor, Mayor, Alderman, and Burgesses of the City of Gloucester. Both Halliwell-Phillipps and Pryor were members of the British Archaeological Association. I don't believe this provenance affects its monetary value. I do believe either a university librarian or a Shakespeare collector will buy this presentation copy. Once the copy is repaired, I believe it could fetch upwards of $500.

And now for the second copy with the bookplate and verse from Chaucer. The book belonged to Caleb Thomas Winchester (1847-1920). He was the librarian of Wesleyan University at Middletown, Ct. from 1869 to 1885, and Professor of Rhetoric and English Literature from 1873 to 1920. He was the author of a biography of John Wesley as well as a number of articles and books on literature.

As for how much this copy will fetch, I will leave that up to Chris Larizza. But I believe that provenance will play its part in determining monetary value. Here is where I hope the Caleb T. Winchester copy goes:

The Olin Library, Wesleyan University, Middletown, Ct.

What is the name of the library catalog at Wesleyan University? Why Caleb, of course! The library has three of Winchester's books already. Why not add a fourth?

Corrections to the 1810 Catalogue of Greek & Latin Classics in the Auchinleck Library

2011-07-27T14:14:00.007-04:00

When James Boswell died in 1795, he left the affairs of his estate in sad order. It wasn't until almost fifteen years later that Sir Alexander Boswell received the final decreet arbitral concerning his ownership of the Auchinleck Library. In 1810, Alexander catalogued the Greek and Latin Classics in the library. With his Auchinleck Press, he printed copies of the Catalogue of Greek & Latin Classics in the Auchinleck Library, and sent his brother Jamie a copy. He also told his brother that he was working on a general catalogue of the entire Auchinleck Library. There was no date or imprint on the nine-page catalogue of the classics, but John Martin recorded it in his book, A Bibliographical Catalogue of Books Privately Printed; Including those of the Bannatyne, Maitland and Roxburghe Clubs, And of the Private Presses at Darlington, Auchinleck, Lee Priory, Newcastle, Middle Hill, and Strawberry Hill, London, 1834. Martin also reported that Alexander Boswell printed a general catalogue of the Auchinleck Library, containing 111 pages, but most of the copies were destroyed because Alexander Boswell never completed the catalogue.

In February 2010, James Caudle, Associate Editor of the Yale Editions of the Private Papers of James Boswell, contacted me after reading my note in the September 2009 issue of the Johnsonian News Letter. I had informed Johnsonians and Boswellians that we were cataloguing the libraries of Samuel Johnson and James Boswell on Library Thing. James Caudle made our work more expansive, providing me with several catalogues and lists of books formerly owned by the Boswells. One of them was a copy of the Catalogue of Greek & Latin Classics in the Auchinleck Library.

I recently completed the cataloguing of the 279 works listed in this catalogue. The listings can be viewed on Library Thing. I invite Boswell lovers, and especially the people who catalogue books for a living to review my work, and inform me of any errors in my research so I can correct them. I have yet to modernize the latin place names or standardize the spelling of the names of the authors.

Of the 279 works listed in the 1810 Catalogue, at least 75 of the them were sold during the 1893 Auchinleck Sale. Another five works were sold during the 1916 Sotheby Catalogue. Auction lot numbers are annotated in the right-hand column, with "A" denoting the works sold in the 1893 Auchinleck Sale, and "S" denoting the works sold in the 1916 Sotheby Sale.

I am providing an annotated copy below of the 1810 Catalogue of Greek & Latin Classics in the Auchinleck Library for your research purposes. The official sources for this document are:

Marion S. Pottle, Claude Colleer Abbott and Frederick A. Pottle, eds. Catalogue
of the Papers of James Boswell at Yale University, 3 Vols. (Edinburgh:
Edinburgh University Press; New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993).
and

Boswell Collection. General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, MSS89, Box 60, Folder 1271, Catalogue of Greek and Latin Classics...(p15) 1810

The 1810 Catalogue is nowhere near perfect. Hardly any of the titles are provided. And some of the dates and places of publication are inaccurate–or at least they appear to be inaccurate. Some of them could be, as James Caudle cautioned, "ghost editions." I've annotated my corrections in the catalogue below. Please contact me if you believe any of my corrections are flawed.

P1 Aesop Latin R. Stephanus 1550 Should be 1546.

P1 Aristophanes Plant. Lugd. Bat. 15 Should be 1600.

P1 Aristophanes Maire 1524 Should be 1624.

P2 Ausonius Scaligeri Heidelb 1688 Should be 1588.

P3 Claudianus Heinsius Elzevir Lugd. P. 1665 Should be Amsterdam.

P3 Dion Cassius Oporinus Basil 1557 Should be 1558.

All bibliographical records on Page 4 appear to be correct.

P5 Lucanus Elzevir Lugd B. 1658 Should be Hackium.
P5 Lucanus Amst. 1658 Should be Elzevir.

P6 Pindar H. Steph. Antw. 1560 Could be Paris.
P6 Plinius Senior Froben. Fol. Basil 1534 Could be 1530.

All bibliographical records on P7 appear to be correct.

P8 Statius Ed. Prin. Fol. Romae 1475 Could be Venice 1483.
P8 Suetonius Jansson Amstel. 1531 Could be 1631.
P8 Suetonius R. Steph. 1533 Could be Paris 1543.
P8 Terentius R. Steph. 4to Paris 1531 Could be 1541.
P8 Terentius R. Steph. Paris 1740 Could be 1540.
P8 Theocrites 8 vo Oxon. Could be 1699.

P9 Virgilius 12mo Gryphius Lugd. 1572 Could be 1592.
P9 Virgilius H. Steph. 8vo no date Could be Geneva 1576.

Thanks again to James Caudle and Yale University for enabling us to catalogue another portion of the Boswell Library for viewing on Library Thing.

ADDENDA:
Jul 31, 2011:
My friend, Per Ralåmb, Proprietor of Rosenlund Rare Books & Manuscripts in New Jersey, and a collector of early printed books reviewed my corrections, using three bibliographies I was unfamiliar with: Schweiger, Renouard, and Brueggeman. His research recorded below is already included in the respective Library Thing listings.

P1 Aesop Latin R. Stephanus 1550. This is should be, as you indicated, the 1546 edition in 4to though it was printed in Greek and not Latin. The only 1550 Latin edition was printed in Basel.

P1 Aristophanes Plant. Lugd. Bat. 15 . This is, as you mentioned, the 1600 Plantin edition.

P1 Arsitophanes Maire 1524. This is the Scaliger edition of 1624. By the way, in order for this edition to be complete, it must contain the 56p of the Fragments which is sometimes missing.

P2 Ausonius Scaligeri Heidelb 1688. This is correct. Should be the 1588 Heidelberg edition.

P3 Claudianus Heinsius Elzevir Lugd. P. 1665. Should be Amsterdam.

P3 Dion Cassius Oporinus Basil 1557. The preface is dated November 1557, but the printed title page is dated 1558.

P5 Lucanus Elzevir Lugd B. 1658 The Hackius edition was printed in Leyden and the Elzevier in Amsterdam.

P5 Lucanus Amst. 1658 Should be Elzevir Correct

P6 Pindar H. Steph. Antw. 1560. Printed in Paris by the Estienne Press.

P6 Plinius Senior Froben. Fol. Basil 1534 . Froben printed one edition in 1530 and another 1535.

P8 Statius Ed. Prin. Fol. Romae 1475. Schweiger mentions a 1475 edition printed in Rome.

P8 Suetonius Jansson Amstel. 1531. This is tricky because there are a few choices, but no 1631 Amsterdam edition by Jansson in Schweiger. There is by Jansson a 1621 Amsterdam edition listed.

P8 Suetonius R. Steph. 1533. Agree. Should be 1543 by Estienne.

P8 Terentius R. Steph. 4to Paris 1531. A bit tricky as well. There is an 8vo edition printed in Paris 1531 and a 12mo as well as a 4to edition printed in Paris 1541. My guess, this is the 4to edition.

P8 Terentius R. Steph. Paris 1740. There is no Estienne Paris edition of 1540 according to Renouard. So, this should be the Estienne 12mo edition of 1541. Schweiger is a bit unclear, but seems to follow the same flow of editions.

P8 Theocrites 8 vo Oxon. Tricky. There are in Brueggeman three 8vo editions from Oxford, 1676, 1699 and 1760. There is even a fourth but 4to edition printed in 1770.

P9 Virgilius 12mo Gryphius Lugd. 1572 . I agree. 1592. Schweiger lists it as a 16mo.

P9 Virgilius H. Steph. 8vo no date. There are a two by Henri Estienne in 1576, 1583

A Statius Check

2011-07-16T16:01:00.036-04:00

When it comes to researching Greek and Latin classics, the phrase "that's Greek to me," accentuates its own meaning. The names of the authors, printers, and publishers are often spelled three different ways. And there are sometimes three different versions of the same title, whether it be in Greek or Latin. But I've been getting quite a bit of practice while cataloguing the Boswell Library on Library Thing. It took us 13 months to catalogue the 1825 Auction Catalogue, and another 13 months to catalogue the 1893 Auchinleck Sale. But we didn't stop there. Dave Larkin and Anna Ritchie started on the 1916 James Boswell Talbot Sale, while I concentrated on the 1810 Catalogue of Greek & Latin Classics in the Auchinleck Library:

I was going along fine––until I came to Statius. The two 1475 Romae editions confused me. And then it did a whole lot more than that!

Alexander Boswell wrote this catalogue in 1810. I just wish he was a bit more descriptive in his identification of the titles of the two 1475 Statius editions. Was the same title published in two different sizes in 1475? Or were these two works two entirely different books? Some explanations: "Ed. Princ." stands for "Editio Princeps" which means "First Edition." "Pannaru" is a different spelling of the name of Pannartz the publisher. Don't ask me what the "E.S." after "Silvae" stands for because I'd only be guessing (See Addendum 07/18/11). "Silvae" is the title of one of Statius's works.

I did a COPAC search using the following criteria: Author: Statius Date of Publication: 1475 Place of Publication: Romea

I got three results:
First Result
Second Result
Third Result

All three books were identified as 4to editions (quartos). And although the first one was identified as an "Editio Princeps" (First Edition), it was not a folio as called for in the 1810 Catalogue.

I then performed a search on Overcat, a special Library Thing search engine to find the exact editions of titles of books to catalogue for "Statius 1475." I got two hits. One was an edition of Silvae, but the listing said the book was published in (Venice after 1475). The brackets meant that the place and date of publication were not identified in the work). The other hit was for a book which included the Silvae of Statius, but Catullus was listed as the author. Next, I searched the Library Thing link to the GBV, a German network of European libraries. I got a hit on a title and edition that was already catalogued from the 1893 Auchinleck Sale, lot 752:

Looking for additional information, I searched COPAC by that title and got this unexpected hit: A folio edition that was a reprint of the 1475 edition Pannartz published in Rome. Again, the brackets meant the place and date of publication were not listed in the work. What's more, this work sounded suspiciously like the first result from the Overcat search (Venice after 1475).

I had noticed several references to a Statius 1475 folio edition on the web, but found no library listings of a 1475 folio edition of Statius published in Rome. So I rashly concluded that the circa 1482 Venice edition was actually the work identified in the 1810 Catalogue as "Statius Ed. Prin. Fol. Romae 1475." My thinking was that the Venice edition, in which the date and place of publication were not identified on the title page, may have had the title page of the 1475 edition inserted behind it. I further deduced that the work catalogued in lot number 752 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale was the Silvae 4to edition listed in the 1810 Catalogue. In a "Correct Me if I'm Wrong" email, I announced my findings to the esteemed members of our Boswell Advisory Group to Library Thing: James Caudle, the Associate Editor of the Yale Editions of the Papers of James Boswell, Paul T. Ruxin, the Boswell collector, and Terry Seymour, the Boswell cataloguer.

Terry was the first to jump all over my s___. He insisted that the work listed in lot number 752 of the Auchinleck Sale was a folio edition. His reasoning was that Sotheby listed the work in the Folio section (works are separated by size: octavo et infra, quarto and folio)... I had to admit. He had a point there!

Okay. Back to square one!

I remembered that Quaritch had bought lot 752, and that the Quaritch Rough List No. 135, Sept. 1893, was online:

Here's a more readable copy:

941 STATIUS. Page 1 blank. Page 2: eirwiriluv Hoc Yolvmine Domitivs

Inservit Syluarum Statii Papinii libroa quinqj a se emendatos: Com-
mentaries: quos in Syluas composuit Commentariolos in Sappho
Ouidii quos edidit Propertii loca obscuriora a se elucubrata Particulam
ex tertio libro suarum obseruationum . . . small folio, red morocco
extra, gilt edges Romae ad aedes Maximorum. Arnoldus Pannartz . .

MCOOCLXXV . . (1475) 10 0 0
The text is in a larger, the commentary in a smaller type, the latter being Pannartz's
new fount, the former apparently (with some additions) the old and well-known type
of Sweynheym and Pannartz.

942 STATIUS. Page 1 blank. Page 2: iirtairiluv HOC Voujmine Domitivs In

SErvIT. Syluarum Statii papinii libros quinque a se emendatos. Commen-
taries: quos in Syluas composuit Commentariolos in Sappho Ouidii quos
edidit. propertii loca obscura a se elucubrata particulam ex tertio libro
. . Page 3: Domitii Calderini Veronen. . . Page 6: Domitius hortatur
Statium . . Page 7: Domitivs Calderinvs Avgvstino Mafeo . . Page
164: .. . Syluarii quinto libro finis . . . MCCCCLXXV. Page 165:
Domitii Calderini Veronensis secretarii apostolici . . MCCCCLXXV.
Papinii Vita . . Pp. 166-7-8 blank. Page 169: Ad Franciscvm
Aragonivm . . Page 201: . . Domitius ad lectorem . . Finis. Pp.
202-3-4 blank. Small folio, fine copy in old calf gilt

(Venice about 1476) 2 10 0
This edition is alluded to by Brunet in doubtful terms as being probably supposititious.
Its great rarity accounts for the ignorance of the bibliographers. It is not an edition
of the Works of Statins, but contains exactly the same matter as Pannartz' edition of
the Sylvae above described. The volume consists of 102 leaves with signatures a-m,
A-C, of which d, g, h, k, 1, m, B, are in six leaves each, C in four, and the rest in
eights.

The key words in 941 of Quaritch's Rough List No. 135 are the words "small folio." This is the work listed in lot number 752 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale. Remember the edition published in Venice after 1475? That sounds awfully similar to the edition identified in 942 of Quaritch's Rough List No. 135. Surprisingly, this book was not listed in the 1893 Auchinleck Sale.

But what about the other listing in the 1810 Catalogue? Time to do more research, but this time I hit some of the books in my own library. And I'm looking for an Editio Princeps of one of Statius's works that was published in Rome in 1475. There are four works to choose from, but only two works are possibilities: Statii Opera and the Silvae. The other two works, Thebais and Achilleis, were published before 1475.

Brunet's bibliography was first published in 1810, the same year Alexander Boswell created the 1810 Catalogue. In fact, there was a copy of the 1810 edition of Brunet's work listed in lot number 73 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale. Which Boswell was the first to take it down from a shelf and refer to it? Was it Alexander Boswell? Did he read French? Could be! The Auchinleck Library also contained a seven-volume set of Bibliographie instructive: ou, Traité de la connoissance des lvres et singuliers by Guiillaume Francoois Debure, published from 1763 to 1768 (see lot number 262 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale). Also in lot 262 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale was a set of Adam Clarke's Bibliographical Dictionary... published in six volumes in 1803 with two supplements added on.

If you can read French, take a look at the Statius listings below, and have at it. It's Greek to me, although Brunet appears to be referring to a premiere edition (first edition) of a Statii Opera published in Rome in 1475. The Statii Opera contained all of the works of Statius.

Notice the Pannartz edition of Sylvarum published in Rome in 1475 "in 4-" below? That would be a 4to edition. I've seen several listings of this 4to 1475 edition on COPAC.

The first edition of Fournier's bibliography was published in 1805 and the second edition in 1809.

Fournier also presented information about a premiere edition of Silvae in 1475, but the edition he identified is a folio edition!

Have no fear, the next classical bibliography was published in English. Thank God! It was first published in 1825.

Moss's words about the Statii Opera are enlightening to say the least; but don't help much in identifying an Editio Princeps of a work by Statius that was published in Rome in folio in 1475.

Moss also lists the 1475 Rome edition of Silvae in folio. Could Pannartz have published the work in both folio and 4to at the same place in the same year?

Dibdin's bibliography of Greek and Latin Classics was first published in 1802.

Note Dibdin's words about the Statii Opera.

Here Dibdin says that the 1475 Rome edition published by Pannartz is a 4to edition, and that it is not an Editio Princeps.

And then there is the Bibliotheca Spenceriana catalogued by Dibdin. I have yet to acquire a copy of this work for my own library. But there was a copy of this work in the Auchinleck Library (lot number 73 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale); however, the work wasn't published until 1814. What is striking in the Bibliotheca Spenceriana is that Dibdin identifies a 1475 folio edition of Silvae. In his bibliography previously presented, he identified a 4to edition of the same work by the same publisher in 1475, increasing the likelihood that Pannartz published both a folio and 4to edition of the work in 1475. The first paragraph of the Statius listings in the Spencer Library provides a summary of sorts for you, but doesn't help in identifying the 1475 Editio Princeps if one ever existed at all:

Statius. Thebais et Achilleis. Without Name of Printer, Place, or Date. Folio.

Editio Princeps. There are few points in bibliography more difficult to settle with satisfaction, than that of the exact chronological order of the publications of the several pieces of Statius. De Bure is exceedingly brief and superficial; and Ernesti and Panzer are not only a little confused, but incorrect. Brunet is somewhat methodical and satisfactory. The present impression of the Thebais and Achillas is called by Count Rericzky, in his usual style of designation, Editio PrimariA Princeps.The Count considered it to be more ancient than an apparently similar impression in the Cat. de la Valliere, vol. ii. n°. 2544; and which impression Brunet introduces as the first genuine one, in the order observed by him in the Manuel du Libraire, vol. ii. 505. Whether the Valliere copy be the same as the present edition, is rather doubtful; but if we may judge from extrinsic evidence, there seems to be little or no doubt that the impression under description is more ancient than the Sylvte or Achilleis, each with the express date of 1472....

And then there is George Wolfgang Panzer's Annales Typographici, a massive eleven-volume bibliography published from 1793 to 1803. Its English title is Annals of Typography From the Origin of Printing to 1536." As if there wasn't enough bibliographical references already available in the Auchinleck Library, this set was on the shelves as well (see lot number 449 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale).

In his Anecdotes..., William Beloe was kind enough to translate the portion pertaining to Statius from Panzer's books:

STATlUS.

In the accounts given by various Bibliographers of the editions of Statius, there is great confusion. That which is here offered is as accurate as an examination of several of them, and a diligent investigation of the different notices which are given of the others by various authors, has enabled me to draw up. There is only one edition of the 15th century, containing the entire works of this poet, which can be considered as valuable, and I suspect that to be of a much later date than has usually been assigned to it The others contain only separate pieces. Whether this has arisen from the manuscripts, which were in the hands of the editors, comprising no more than what they have published, or that were at the time the more admired and popular parts of the author, is not possible at this day to be determined.

The complete edition is thus described by Panzer

Stati I Opera, i. e. Thebais, cum interpretatione Placidii Lactantii. Achilleis cum recollectis traditis a Domino Francisco Maturantio Perusino; Sylvarum Libri V. cum commentar. Domitii Calderini.

Sine nomine typographi, et cum alia praefatione ab ea quae est typis Arnoldi Pannartz Romae Calendis Sextilibus Mcccclxxv. Folio.

This book was in the Crevenna Collection, the learned possessor of which has given a very particular account of it, vol. iii. 234, by which it appears, that the date of the year, which is subjoined to the Sylvae, and to the Commentary of Calderinus, is not to be taken for the year in which the book was printed, but for that in which the Commentary was composed at Rome. That it was not printed in that city is clear, not only from the silence of Audiffredi concerning it, but because the types do not resemble those of any Roman printer. Nor was it so early as the year 1475, as the book has signatures, and every other appearance of having come out much nearer the end of the century. Crevenna himself, with some reason, supposes it to be no other than the edition set forth at Venice in 1490, by Jac. de Paganinis, as the contents are the same, and the characters exactly resemble those of that printer.

There is indeed another edition of the whole works of Statius, said to be printed at Rome, 1476, which is cited by Panzer ii. 467j 250, on the authority of Maittaire, but this is probably the same with that which has been just described, as Audiffredi gives no other account of it than what is derived from the Annales.

The Sylvae, which are to be first mentioned, are to be found with that most rare edition of Catullus, Tibullus, and Propertius, which has already been noticed as printed (probably by Vindelinus Spira) at Venice, in 1472. They are also subjoined to another edition of the same author's, Ven. J. de Colonia, 1475, and to the edition of Catullus, Parmae apud Corallum, 1473.

An edition of the Sylvae, circa annum 1473, is mentioned by Panzer iv. 196. 1169, with reference to the Crevenna Sale Catalogue. Having never seen the book, I am unable to ascertain whether the antiquity of it is so great as is presumed.

With more certainty can I speak of a very rare and valuable edition of the Sylvae, with the comment of Calderinus, which was printed at Rome by Pannartz, in 1475, The text is in the same character with that which he used when he printed with Sweynheym; but the commentary is in a smaller and more elegant type, which he began to use after the death of his partner. This book is in Lord Spencer's and in the Bishop of Rochester's Collections.

The Sylvz were also printed at Florence in 1480, apud Sanctum Jacobum de Ripoli. All the books which came from this monastery are valuable. I have seen no copy of this edition.

Achilleis. • . Ferraria e per Andream Gallum, 1472, 4to.

This edition certainly exists, (though no copy is known in this kingdom,) as it is mentioned and particularly described by the accurate Audiffredi. Specim, 230.

c c 3 Venetiis,

Venetiis, 1472, 4to. In fine, Uteris qu&dratis, Papinii Statu Sursuli Achilleidos finis M.ccccixxii. Nicolao Trono principe Venetiis.

The character is that of J. de Colonia, and the book has 24 leaves, and 34 lines in each page.

In Lord Spencer's Library, and in that of the Bishop of Rochester.

Parm.e, 1473- 4to.

The Colophon subjoined to this edition is very curious, and contains a severe censure on the editors of one or both the forementionod editions. "Si quas optime lector hoc in. opeie lituras inveneris nasum ponito, nam Stephaqus Corallus Lugdunensis invidorum quorundam malevolentia lacessitus, qui idem imprimere tcntarunt citius quam asparagi coquantur id absolvit ac summo studio emendatum literarum studiosis legendum tradidit Parmae. wcccc wsxi i1. x CaL April.

This most rare book is at Blenheim, as is also the edition of the Sylvae cum Catqllo, 1473.

Thebais. Panzer 2. QJ). 613, C. Pap. Stati I Thebaidos Libb. xii.

Prascedunt

Pnscedunt versus 32 Bonini Mombritii ad Barth. Calcum. In fine. Disticha g. Ejusdem ad eundem.

Thirty-four lines in a page with signatures, about the year 1478. Folio.

The curious reader will find some beautiful Latin verses by this Boninus Mombritius ad Borsium Ducem Mutinueet liegii prefixed to the Hesiod, printed at Ferrara, by Andreas Qallus.

MCCCCLXXIV.

Thebais Et Achilleis. Panzer 4. 1

This edition is in the Royal Library, at Lord Spencer's, and at Blenheim. It is exceedingly rare.

So what was that bolt of lightning which appeared directly above? Was this the mysterious Statii Opera cited by a number of bibliographers? Could this be the Editio Princeps Alexander Boswell was referring to in the 1810 Catalogue? Good question.

Addenda:

07/18/11. My friend Asta just informed me that "E.S." stands for "Editio Secundum." That would be correct because the 1475 edition was the second edition of Silvae.

07/20/11. As far as cataloguing Statius's editio princeps on Library Thing, I'm going to go with the 1483 edition of the Statii Opera that was published by Octavianus Scotus in Venice in 1483. Panzer's argument concerning the 1490 edition sounds good too, but the 1490 edition was already listed in the 1810 Catalogue and was catalogued as lot 753 of the 1893 Auchinleck Sale.

Stylized And the Forgotten Edition of Strunk's Elements of Style

2010-04-09T18:38:00.006-04:00

I read Mark Garvey's book, Stylized: A Slightly Obsessive History of Strunk & White's The Elements of Style and I was disappointed. Although he provides a comprehensive history of E.B. White's editions, he doesn't do the same for William Strunk's editions. One Strunk edition, the undated Thrift Press edition, isn't even mentioned in Garvey's book.

In his Introduction, Garvey tells us that the story begins in 1957 when White received a copy of the 1918 edition in the mail. Garvey slants his story that way with hardly any mention of Strunk's other editions. He tells us that he visited the Cornell archives, and held a copy of the 1918 edition in his hands. Had he held a copy of the 1919 edition in his hands as well, he may have discovered that W. F. Humphrey was the printer of the 1918 edition and the 1919 edition, and not W. P. Humphrey, as everyone including E. B. White had believed.

The only thing slightly obsessive about Garvey's book is his inclusion of the thoughts of other writers concerning The Elements of Style. I'd rather know how many copies of the 1918, 1919, and 1920 editions were printed. The book is supposed to be about the history of The Elements of Style. Garvey tells us that another Cornell instructor, Edward A. Tenney, revised the 1935 edition and changed the title to The Elements and Practice of Composition. Did Strunk help revise it? What about the 1934 or 1936 editions? Did Strunk help revise them? And how many copies of the 1934,1935, and 1936 editions were printed? That is the slightly obsessive history I want to know.

The 1934 edition was undated, but Strunk and Tenney acquired the copyright on August 17, 1934. Tenney and possibly Strunk totally revised the format, replaced several words in Strunk's 1920 list of "Words Often Misspelled" with numerous new words, and replaced some of Strunk's recommended reference books. The title, however, remained the same: The Elements of Style

Strunk and Tenney acquired the copyright for the 1935 edition of The Elements and Practice of Composition on September 17, 1935. Strunk had already been in Hollywood since July as an adviser for the MGM production of Romeo and Juliet. At the time, Strunk was considered to be one of the leading Shakespeare authorities in the country. Strunk remained in Hollywood until June 1936 and most likely played little part in the editing of the 1935 and 1936 editions. Except for one major change, the format of the 1935 and 1936 editions remained the same as the 1934 edition. The 1934 edition did not include the practice leaves; students had to purchase them separately. The 1935 and 1936 editions contained the practice leaves in the back of the book.

Strunk retired in 1937, and that should have been the end of the history of Strunk's early editions. But Garvey tells us that because of the shortage of instructors during the war, Cornell called Strunk out of retirement in 1943. Strunk only lasted two months because he got sick, but in that time, what book do you think he provided his students with? Do you think he provided them with Tenney's revised edition? I don't think so.

In my Elements of Style Collection, I have an undated edition of The Elements of Style that was printed by the Thrift Press of Ithaca, New York. When I acquired it in 2001, I thought the edition preceded the 1920 edition – until I glanced at the title page: The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. Professor of English, Emeritus, Cornell University. The word "emeritus" means that this edition wasn't published until after Strunk retired in 1937. I had always thought that some of the other Cornell instructors had the Thrift Press edition printed because they didn't care for the Tenney editions. I now believe that Strunk had the edition printed when he returned to teaching in 1943. Except for minor revisions, the Thrift Press edition is a reprint of the 1920 edition.

In their listing of the Thrift Press edition, Cornell University has the publication date as circa 1958. I believe it was published in the early 1940s. One of the recommended references in the Thrift Press edition is Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Fifth Edition, G. & C. Merriam Co.. This edition was first published in 1936 with numerous reprints in the 1940s. In 1949, Merriam published The New Collegiate Dictionary, replacing Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. If the Thrift Press edition of The Elements of Style were published in 1958, wouldn't the newer reference have been listed?

In his 1934 edition, Tenney deleted five of the "Words Often Misspelled" which were listed in Strunk's 1920 edition: affect, effect, impostor, incident, and Philip. In the early 1940s edition, four of the five "Words Often Misspelled" were reincarnated: affect, effect, incident, and Philip. The word not brought back was impostor. The fact that the word "Philip" was brought back makes me believe the word was one of Strunk's idiosyncrasies. Moreover, of the 47 new "Words Often Misspelled," Tenney added to the 1934 edition, at least 37 were deleted in the Thrift Press Edition, and replaced by 71 new words, three of which could describe the Tenney editions: contemptible, irrelevant, and outrageous. Was this Strunk's doing? Possibly.

A Correction to the Copyright and Bibliographic Records of The Elements of Style

2009-09-21T16:58:00.047-04:00

I recently acquired a copy of the 1919 edition of The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. for my Elements of Style Collection. While collating the book, I was surprised to see that the printer was identified on the verso of the title page as the Press of W. F. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y..

I thought at first that it had to be a typo because the bibliographic records at the Library of Congress and elsewhere identify the Press of W. P. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y. as the printer of the 1918 and 1919 editions. Moreover, W.P. Humphrey is listed as the printer of the 1918 and 1919 editions in the Catalogue of Copyright Entries published by the Library of Congress. A quick check online, however, revealed that there was a printing firm by the name of W.F. Humphrey in business in Geneva, New York during that period.

I queried Cornell University, identified my findings, and asked them to examine their copies of the 1918 and 1919 editions. Patrick J. Stevens, Curator of the Fiske Collections, Kroch Library, Cornell University, performed the examination. Here are his findings:

"I examined two copies of the 1918 and one copy of the 1919 Elements of

Style immediately available to me in our Rare Books Collection, Division

of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

"Examining first the 1919 copy, I saw that the very small typeface could easily

be read as W.P. Humphrey. With my reading glasses, however, it is clear

the name is W.F. Humphrey.

"As for the 1918 copies, both have what appears to be the same printer

statement on the title page verso as the 1919, but for the 1918, it is

considerably harder to discern whether the letter in question is a P

or an F. I think the impression is simply not a good, clean one and

that it could therefore very well be an F. One cannot with absolute

certainty confirm it as a P. So I would, given the history, the appearance

of the typesetting and so forth, say it was an F.

"Our cataloguing records thus appear to be wrong for the 1918 and 1919

editions.

"Several days later I again examined the three items mentioned above,

this time with a fairly strong magnifying glass. I came away even more

convinced than before that we are looking at W.F., not W.P.

"The 1919 edition we have is unequivocally W.F.

"In the 1918 editions, it is clear under magnification that the tops of

the letters across the entire printing statement suffer from inadequate

impression. Thus the F in the word "of" in the statement is identical

to the F in the initial pair "W.F." (remembering that these are all small

caps). One can also see more clearly the curved segment in the letter P

of the word "press" connecting the upper and lower horizontal strokes.

This curved segment is of course absent where the letter F is confirmed.

"I have included an image in jpeg of the title page verso of one of our 1918

copies. Using a viewer such as Windows Picture and Fax Viewer at a quite

high magnification--remembering these printer's statements are extremely

small on the originals--one can clearly see the defects in printing across the

tops of the letters and consequently see why the F was interpreted as a P.

"The jpegs are moderately large. I have included one of the title page as well

as one of the title page verso.

"Kind regards,

"Patrick"

While Patrick was examining Cornell's copies of the 1918 and 1919 editions, I was researching the histories of the Press of W.F. Humphrey and the Press of W. P. Humphrey. If the records at Cornell were wrong, that meant the records at the Library of Congress, WorldCat, and everywhere else in the book world were wrong.

The Press of W. F. Humphrey had been in the printing business in Geneva, New York since the late 1890s. In 1896 its place of business was 30 Linden Street. In 1917, its place of business was 300 Pulteney Street. William Francis Humphrey was the proprietor of the W. F. Humphrey Press. While a student at Hobart College in Geneva, he was an editor of the Hobart College Herald. His firm later became the printer of the Herald. His firm also printed the Cornell Law Quarterly. William Francis Humphrey was very active in the community. He was a member of the Elks, the Masons, Trinity Church, the Chamber of Commerce, the Rod and Gun Club, the Geneva Country Club, and the United Typothetae of America. He died of pneumonia in 1934.

On the other hand, the Press of W. P. Humphrey was not in the printing business in Geneva, New York. At least Karen Osburn, Archivist of the Geneva Historical Society, could find no record of its existence. Google Books erroneously lists W.P. Humphrey as the printer of numerous works; but an examination of the printer's name on the publications will show the same problems with the typeface as experienced with the 1918 edition of The Elements of Style. The only publications listed in the records of the Library of Congress in which W.P. Humphrey is identified as the printer are the 1918 and 1919 editions of The Elements of Style.

And now we know that these records need to be corrected.

Addendums:
The Library of Congress corrected its records on Sept. 28, 2009.
Here is an image from another copy of the 1918 edition:

......

Kings of Persia

2009-08-11T13:53:00.002-04:00

Reading about Anne Fadiman catching butterflies in her essay, "Collecting Nature," reminded me of a manuscript of one of Logan Pearsall Smith's pieces, "Kings of Persia."

Kings of Persia

What things there are to write if one could only write them! My mind is full of gleaming thoughts; gay moods and dreams and mysterious, moth-like meditations hover and fan their painted wings in the garden of my imagination.

William Strunk's Other Books in My Library

2009-05-25T22:07:00.027-04:00

William Strunk Jr. was not just the author of The Elements of Style. He was the author or editor of books on Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, Poetry and several literary classics. He was one of the leading Shakespearean authorities of his time. In 1935, MGM hired him as an adviser for the movie, Romeo and Juliet, directed by George Cukor.

Topics and Questions on Shakespeare

By William Strunk Jr.

Ithaca, N.Y. 1927

The Tragedy of Julius Caesar

Edited by Arthur D. Innes

American Edition Revised by William Strunk, Jr.

Boston, 1915

Macaulay's and Carlyle's Essays on Samuel Johnson

Edited With Introduction and Notes By William Strunk, Jr.New York, 1895

Macaulay's and Carlyle's Essays on Samuel Johnson

Edited With Introduction and Notes by William Strunk, Jr.

New York, 1896, Second Edition, Revised

English Metres

By William Strunk, Jr.

Ithaca, N.Y. 1922

The Last of the Mohicans

By James Fenimore Cooper

Edited For School Use by William Strunk, Jr.

English Classics-Star Series

Yonkers-On-Hudson, N.Y. 1913

Studies in Language and Literature

In Celebration of the Seventieth Birthday

ofJames Morgan Hart

November 2, 1909

New York, 1910

William Strunk was one of the editors of this work, and contributed an article as well: The Importance of the Ghost in Hamlet.

Strunk received a few copies of the article which was reprinted from the book. He gave a copy of the article to the author, Frederick Tupper. It is stamped "With the Compliments of" and signed "W. Strunk Jr."

There are at least three other books that Strunk either wrote or edited. I will include them as I acquire them.

MY ELEMENTS OF STYLE COLLECTION

2009-05-19T14:56:00.122-04:00

I collect multiple copies of The Elements of Style. In this blog entry, I will display my collection, and identify some of the revisions for each edition. To date, I have thirty-one copies of The Elements of Style, and one copy of The Elements and Practice of Composition. Eight copies of The Elements of Style are collectible copies of pre-1959 editions. One of them is a copy of the 1919 edition. Four of them are reprints of the 1920 First Trade Edition. Three of them are copies of the 1934 Revised Edition. And the last is a copy of the circa 1940 edition, published after Strunk retired.

I am actively seeking a copy of the 1918 edition. Please contact me if you have a copy for sale. In the meantime, I will refer to the 1918 edition on Bartleby.com.

Below is an image of a copy of a 1919 edition of The Elements of Style which I recently acquired.

The Elements of Style

by William Strunk, Jr.

Ithaca, N.Y., 1919.
Press of W.F. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y.

43p.

in paper wrappers

What struck me right off was that the 1919 edition was privately printed by W. F. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y.. The 1918 edition was supposedly privately printed by W. P. Humphrey, Geneva, N.Y. – at least, that's what everyone, including me, had been led to believe (See footnote at the end of this post).

Surprisingly, there were several changes between the 1918 and 1919 editions.

In the 1918 edition, Rule 4 read:

Place a comma before and or but introducing an independent clause.

In the 1919 edition, Rule 4 was changed to read:

Place a comma before a conjunction introducing a co-ordinate clause.

Several words, including the word, but, were added to Section V. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused.

Several words were added to Section VI. Words Often Misspelled. The following information was added after the list of words often misspelled:

Note that a single consonant (other than v) preceded by a stressed vowel is doubled before -ed and -ing: planned, letting, occurring. (Coming is an exception.)

The Elements of Style

by William Strunk, Jr.

New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, [1920]
52p.

The edition pictured above is not an image of the first trade edition. Harcourt Brace and Howe published the first trade edition in 1920. Will D. Howe left the firm sometime in 1920, and the firm officially changed its name to Harcourt, Brace and Company. I have four copies of the edition printed by Harcourt, Brace and Company. I bought my first copy in May, 2001, and have bought six copies in all (I gave two copies away as gifts). I have seen listings for another ten copies.

There were several changes in the 1920 edition as well.

I. Introductory: There were minor changes to the wording in this chapter.

II. Elementary Rules of Usage: One rule, rule 8, "Divide words at line-ends in accordance with their formation and pronunciation," was eliminated in the 1920 edition.

III. Elementary Principles of Composition: One principle, "use definite, specific, concrete language," was added .

IV. A Few Matters of Form: One additional heading, "Syllabication," was added. The Syllabication chapter provided clearer methods of dividing words at the end of a sentence than Chapter II, Rule 8 of the 1918 edition.

V. Words and Expressions Commonly Misused: There were minor word changes.

The title of Chapter VI was changed from "Words Often Misspelled" to "Spelling." Several words were deleted while others were added.

A new chapter was added to the 1920 edition: VII. Exercises on Chapters I and II. It contained 25 exercises printed on three pages.

The Elements of Style, Revised Edition

by William Strunk Jr. and Edward A. Tenney

New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, c.1934

(3) 62p.

This edition is known as the Strunk & Tenney Edition of 1934, or the Revised Edition. I now have three copies of this edition. Revise it they did, revamping the entire Table of Contents:

I don't know how much input Edward A. Tenney had in this revision, but I suspect it was quite a bit. I do believe, however, that Strunk was responsible for providing a ready reference table for abbreviations and numbers used in criticism of papers graded in the Cornell course on English Usage and Style.

The 1934 edition is a totally different book than the earlier editions. In fact, when 47 practice leaves were added to the 1935 and 1936 editions, the title was changed to The Elements and Practice of Composition. I had never seen a copy of either the 1935 or 1936 edition available for sale until I spotted a copy of a 1936 edition on Amazon.com a couple of years ago. I grabbed it.

The Elements and Practice of Composition

by William Strunk Jr. and Edward A. Tenney

New York, Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1936(iv), 60p. (47)

The 1936 edition is a softcover and is two inches longer and one and a half inches wider than the 1920 and 1934 editions.

Surprisingly, the Table of Contents of the 1936 edition was totally revised from that of the 1934 edition. I believe that Edward Tenney was responsible for the changes because Strunk was in Hollywood from July 1935 to June 1936 as the technical adviser for MGM's Romeo and Juliet, directed by George Cukor.

The Table of Abbreviations used in criticism changed somewhat as well.

The 47 practice leaves were included in the 1935 and 1936 editions. The practice leaves were in tablet form for the 1934 edition. This practice proved to be inconvenient and expensive. The practice leaves for the 1936 edition were removable, and students were instructed to tear out the assigned leaf , write the exercise in pen, and turn them in at the beginning of the class. Each leaf had two sides. My copy is lacking leafs 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10, 12 ,14, and 36.

The Elements of Style

By William Strunk, Jr., Professor of English, Emeritius, Cornell University

Ithaca, N.Y., The Thrift Press, c.1940

52p.

in paper wrappers

This is the first pre-1959 edition I bought, acquiring it sometime in 2000. The key information in determining when this edition was published is the term "Emeritus." Strunk retired in October, 1937, meaning this edition was published sometime after 1936. The format of the Strunk & Tenney edition evidently wasn't popular at Cornell because Cornell went back to using the same Table of Contents as the earlier editions.

The Elements of Style

By William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White

New York, The Macmillan Company, 1959

xiv, 71p.

This is the book that E.B. White made famous. I currently have one copy of the true first printing and three copies of the first printing of the book club edition. Another copy, a fifth printing, is lacking the dust jacket.

Can you tell which copy is the true first printing and which copy is the book club edition? You can't by this picture.

The true first printing has a price of $2.50 printed on the inside flap of the front cover.

The book club edition does not have a price printed on the inside flap.

There is another way to tell a true first printing from a book club edition. The book club edition has an indented square stamped into the bottom right corner of the rear cover.

Here is an expanded view of the indented square.

For the 1959 edition, E.B. White used a Table of Contents similar to that of the earlier 1918 edition, while adding a chapter on writing at the end:

Folded inside one of my copies of the 1959 edition was the following article about E.B. White, written by a well-known personality:

I have two copies of the fifth printing of the 1959 edition, one copy which lacks the dust jacket.

The price for the 5th printing is printed in the bottom right hand corner of the front inside flap, whereas it was printed in the top right hand corner of the first printing.

This is a paperback copy of the 1959 of The Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White. I have a sixth printing and a ninth printing.

Two copies of the 1962 Macmillan Paperbacks Edition. One of them is the fifteenth printing (1967) of the 1959 edition, and the other is the seventeenth printing (1968). Both copies were marked $.95.

This is a paperback copy of the 1972 Second Edition of The Elements of Style by William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White. Its marked price is $1.25. Strunk deleted the Note on this Book and included the information in the Introduction. He kept the same Table of Contents as before, while providing additional examples of rules and updating other examples.

Immediately below are three paperback copies of the 1979 Third Edition with Index, all of which are different printings. The listed price of the eighth printing was $2.95. The listed price of the twenty-third printing was $4.95. And the listed price of the thirty-second printing was $5.95.

Here are two oversized unpriced paperback copies of the 1979 Third Edition with the Index.

Here is an oversized hardback copy of the 1979 Third Edition. Its marked price on the inside flap of the dust jacket is $11.95.

Here are two later paperback printings of the 1979 Third Edition without the Index. As of June, 2010, I have four copies of this edition. One of them is price parked at $1.95. another is price marked at $2.25, and two are unmarked pricewise. The major difference between the second and third editions is that Strunk added four rules to Chapter I. Elementary Rules of Usage.

This is a later printing, in hardback, of the 1999 Fourth Edition of The Elements of Style. Roger Angell, White's stepson, edited this edition, providing a new Forward, and updating some of the examples. The marked price of this edition is $14.95.

This is a softcover copy of the Fourth Edition.

This concludes the display of My Elements of Style Collection. If you'd like to see Strunk's other books which are in my library, click here.

Footnote.

See my post: A Correction to the Bibliographic and Copyright Records of Strunk's Elements of Style.

Charles Lamb's Library on Library Thing

2008-09-09T10:55:00.006-04:00

I've been putting my researching skills to good use. We just finished cataloging the library of Charles Lamb on Library Thing. In addition to citing reference lists identifying some of the books in Lamb's library, we researched Lamb's letters contained in the Bibliophile Society and Marrs editions.

You can find out about the group "I See Dead People's Books" here.

Update on Letters Found in Books

2008-02-13T19:41:00.002-05:00

I still have not discovered where Joseph Carson's memorial on A.S.W.Rosenbach appeared. It was not printed in any of the Philadelphia or New York papers, and was not presented at any Philadelphia institutions or book clubs.

Likewise, I still have not identified the recipient of George Birkbeck Hill's letter. I can say, however, that the marginalia written in the accompanying books was not written by the hand of Robert Ernest Cowan.

Letters Found In Books

2007-10-31T11:36:00.000-04:00

Wouldn't it be nice to find an autograph letter in a book? In "A Talk Over Autographs," ATLANTIC MONTHLY, April, 1895, George Birkbeck Hill wrote," Of my own collection, I have no anecdotes to relate. No such luck ever befell me as befell Mr. Fields, who, in a book picked up at a stall, found inserted an autograph letter of Johnson's (p.450)."

I, too, have been blessed with finding a letter inside of a book. It was a piece on A.S.W. Rosenbach hidden inside of the book, TO DOCTOR R. I am still trying to discover when and where Joseph Carson presented this address on Rosenbach.

Ironically, a G.B. Hill letter that I picked up in an ebay auction concerns the very same Samuel Johnson letter that James T. Fields found in a book. Frank Lynch, webmaster of the Samuel Johnson Sound Bite Page,clued me in to the G.B.Hill letter, which was included with a dilapidated set of Hill's edition of BOSWELL'S LIFE OF JOHNSON. Since I already had a few of the books Hill wrote, I wanted the letter.

Researching this G.B. Hill letter, which was not included in his daughter's book, THE LETTERS OF GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, London, 1906, is an on-going project. I was able to identify the Johnson Letter; but I was unable, at first, to discover how the American book collector, who still remains unidentified,was aware that Fields was the one who found the letter. Researching Hill's letter deserves a separate blog posting of its own.

Researching a G.B. Hill ALS

2007-10-28T09:57:00.000-04:00

In Nov 2004, I acquired one of George Birkbeck Hill's autograph letters.
George Birkbeck Hill wrote this letter to an unidentified American book collector while he was staying at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Ashley, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the top left corner, a previous owner wrote the word, "Johnsoniana," and the name, "Cowan."

In this letter, Hill reveals his interest in a Samuel Johnson letter to the Reverend Compton that, according to the American book collector, an American publisher had acquired. This SJ letter was not identified in Hill's 1892 edition of THE LETTERS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON LL.D..

6 Acacia Street

Cambridge, Mass.

June 1, 1893

My Dear Sir,

You will be surprised in receiving a letter from me written on your side of the Atlantic. My wife and I left Liverpool for Boston on May 11, & since Sunday week have been in the pleasant shelter of my daughter's house in this beautiful town. Unfortunately I caught cold on the voyage, in a fog off the Banks & so have been able as yet to see next to nothing. I am beginning to creep out a little, but am still weak. I hope soon to see Boston.

I am sorry that your letter should have been returned from Pembroke College through some mistake on the part of the porter. Had it been sent to my private residence it would have reached me. I have not been in Oxford since September. On our return from Switzerland early in May we only stayed in London and Liverpool.

I hope that your copy of Dr. Johnson's Footsteps has not miscarried. No tidings of it have reached me. If you have received it, I shall be happy to write in it as you request.

I am much interested by what you tell me of Johnson's Letter to the Rev Mr Compton & shall be greatly obliged by a copy of it. If James T. Fields was the publisher, his widow is living in Boston & is known by my daughter, so that I may perhaps be able to see the original.

Do you know Mr. R.B. Adam of Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, N.Y. a great Johnsonian Collector? From him I have lately received copies of four or five unpublished letters of Johnson.

The story told by Sir Walter Scott of the altercation between Johnson & Adam Smith has been shown in every particular to be untrue. It was no doubt one of those numerous inventions in which the Scotch might revenge for Johnson's wit.

Your very truly

G.B. Hill

P.S. Your letters were forwarded to me from England, having I think been sent first to Switzerland. My son who forwarded them had taken off the envelope, so it is unknown how far they had traveled. This explains my delay in sending you an answer.

The SJ letter referred to in this correspondence is the letter that Samuel Johnson wrote to the Rev. James Compton on Oct. 24, 1782. Compton was a Benedictine monk who, after reading Johnson's Rambler essay #110, wanted to convert to the Church of England. Johnson assisted him monetarily upon his arrival.

This letter first appeared in print in the ATLANTIC MONTHLY, Vol 8 No. 48, Oct. 1861,p.442,in "My Friend's Library," an article about a woman's library of choice books, many of them containing inscriptions from renowned authors of the day. The letter to Compton was found "in a well-preserved quarto copy of "RASSELAS," with illustrations by Smirke, which my friend picked up in London a few years ago."

In 1877, "My Friend's Library" was published in UNDERBRUSH, a collection of articles James T. Fields had contributed to the ATLANTIC MONTHLY. The SJ letter to Compton was printed on page 17.

In its Oct. 1, 1877 review of UNDERBRUSH, THE LITERARY WORLD, another Boston periodical, speculated that the library described in "My Friend's Library" belonged to Mrs. James T. Fields.

JAMES T. FIELDS: BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES AND PERSONAL SKETCHES , Boston, 1881, was published anonymously by Annie Adams Fields shortly after her husband's death . There was no mention of Johnson's letter to Compton in the book.

In the March 1888 issue of SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE, in "A Shelf of Old Books," Mrs. James T. Fields first revealed the true provenance of the books described in "My Friend's Library." She admitted that the library belonged to her late husband, James T. Fields.

In 1892, Hill published THE LETTERS OF SAMUEL JOHNSON L.L.D.. Johnson's Oct 24, 1782 letter to Compton was not included because Hill was still unaware of its existence.

Sometime shortly afterwards, the American book collector wrote a letter to Hill, informing him that an American publisher, possibly the late James T. Fields, had been in possession of the SJ letter to Compton (see GB Hill's June 1, 1893 letter).

A facsimile of the Compton letter was first published in "A Third Shelf of Old Books," SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE, Sept 1894. This article, and two other articles written by Mrs. Fields, were published in A SHELF OF OLD BOOKS, New York, 1894.

In his April 1895 ATLANTIC MONTHLY article, "A Talk Over Autographs," George Birkbeck Hill first publicly revealed that he knew Fields was the one who found the SJ letter; however, Hill said Fields found it in a book stall, and not in a bookshop. This article was later published in TALKS ABOUT AUTOGRAPHS, London, 1896.

George Birkbeck Hill printed a copy of Johnson's letter to Compton in JOHNSONIAN MISCELLANIES, New York, 1897, Vol. II, P.453. In his footnotes he cited the Sept 1894 SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE article, and UNDERBRUSH, Boston, 1877. Hill also corrected himself by saying that Fields found the letter "in a copy of RASSELAS purchased at a second-hand bookshop."

In 1906, Lucy Crump published her father's letters in THE LETTERS OF GEORGE BIRKBECK HILL, London. Hill's letter to the unidentified American was not included in the book.

After Mrs. James T. Fields died in 1915, the SJ letter to Compton was given to Harvard University.

Although I have learned just about all I can about Mr. James T. Fields and George Birkbeck Hill, I have learned very little about the American book collector Hill wrote to. I know he was a book collector because he mailed a book to Hill to inscribe. He either owned or had access to several of Hill's books, so he was probably a Samuel Johnson collector. He had a copy of Hill's FOOTSTEPS OF DR. JOHNSON, which was lost in the mail. He was aware that Johnson's letter to Compton was not included in Hill's edition of Johnson's letters. He was a reader of literary magazines. Unless he was the recipient of insider information, he had to have read Mrs. James T. Fields' April 1888 SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE article, "A Shelf of Old Books," as well as either the Oct 1861 SCRIBNER'S MAGAZINE article, "My Friend's Library," or its inclusion in UNDERBRUSH, Boston, 1877. The book collector evidently had a very good memory.

As mentioned previously, a former owner wrote the word "Johnsoniana" and the name "Cowan" on the top of the letter. The only Cowan I know is Robert Ernest Cowan, the California bibliographer. I know he attended UC Berkeley from 1882 to 1884, and became a San Francisco bookseller in 1895; but where was he from 1885 to 1895? Ward Ritchie once said that Cowan had a fantastic memory. He also said that everyone called him by his last name, "Cowan."

On the negative side, there is no record of correspondence between Cowan and Hill at UCLA, its off-site location, SRLF, or at Pembroke College in Oxford. There were no Johnsonian books in the Robert E. Cowan Library at UCLA.

In the books that came with the Hill letter, Hill's edition of Boswell's LOJ, the bookseller's ticket of Jerrold Nedwick, Chicago bookseller, was pasted on the rear endpaper of the first volume. Nedwick was prominent in the early 1900s on. There are no other marks of provenance in the books; however, there are six short instances of marginalia, one of which is included below. You can view the other marginalia here.

best,
Jerry Morris