Book Collecting: A Guide for AmateursSlater, J. Herbert (John Herbert)
History
Book Collecting: A Guide for Amateurs
Slater, J. Herbert (John Herbert)
Book collecting
Bible collectors do not as a rule notice editions later than what is
styled the "Vinegar" Bible, published in 1717. They commence with
Coverdale's issue of 1535, and proceed onward in regular order, for the
most part arranging their collection not according to date but under the
various "versions". This subject is very extensive and exceedingly
difficult to handle, so much so that, without a competent guide, it will
be found impossible to make satisfactory progress. This is provided in
Cotton's _Editions of the Bible and Parts thereof in English_ (1821, 2nd
ed., 1852), and J. R. Dore's _Old Bibles_ (1876, 2nd ed., 1888). Mr.
Dore is probably the best living authority upon English Bibles and
Testaments, and his book is in itself amply sufficient for the amateur.
It is published by Eyre & Spottiswoode at 5s.
For works on botany consult Pritzel's _Thesaurus Literaturae Botanicae_
(Leipsic, 1847-51, 2nd ed., 1872-7, 4to); and for books exclusively
relating to tobacco, some of which are very rare and valuable, W.
Bragge's _Bibliotheca Nicotiana_ (priv. prin., r. 8vo, 1880).
Angling and the whole of the literature devoted to it is dealt with in
Westwood's new _Bibliotheca Piscatoria_ (1883), and swimming in R.
Thomas' _Bibliographical List of Works on Swimming_ (1868, 8vo).
The Greek and Latin Classics were at one time great favourites with all
classes of collectors, but of late they have fallen considerably from
their high estate. Many of the early editions, being printed by famous
houses, as the _editio princeps_ of Virgil's works was, which sold for
L590 at the Hopetoun House dispersion, a few months ago, are still
eagerly sought after, but not _qua_ classics--merely as specimens of
ancient typography. Ordinary editions of Horace, Virgil, Sallust, Plato,
Livy, and the rest can be bought now for a fourth or fifth part of the
sum they would have cost thirty or forty years ago, and, from all
appearances, they are likely to decline still further in the market. The
great work on this subject is Dibdin's _Rare and Valuable Editions of
the Greek and Latin Classics_ (2 vols., 1827), which can sometimes be
bought by auction for as little as L1.
Art books are so numerous, and so readily subdivided into an infinite
number of classes, that they are rarely, if ever, collected as a whole.
Amateurs invariably use the _Universal Catalogue of Books on Art_, which
was compiled by order of the Lords of the Committee of the Council on
Education, and published between the years 1870-7 (in 3 vols. sm. 4to).
It is a work that would be exceedingly difficult to improve upon, though
as time goes on it will of course be necessary to add to it.
Works on Shorthand are catalogued by J. W. Gibson (Pitman & Sons, 1887),
on Magic and Witchcraft in Scribner's _Bibliotheca Diabolica_ (New York,
1874), while books on music and all about them are noted in C. Engel's
_Literature of National Music_ (1879, 8vo).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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