Prices of Books: An Inquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books which have occurred in England at different PeriodsWheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
History
Prices of Books: An Inquiry into the Changes in the Price of Books which have occurred in England at different Periods
Wheatley, Henry B. (Henry Benjamin)
Books -- Prices -- History
The Roxburghe library consisted of 10,120 lots, which sold for £23,397.
Although one of the finest libraries ever brought to the hammer, the
glory of the majority of the books was eclipsed by the Valdarfer
_Boccaccio_, 1471, which fetched £2260, the largest sum ever paid for a
book up to that time. It has been said that the amount of the
_Boccaccio_ day’s sale equalled what had been given by the Duke for the
entire collection.[53]
Leigh & Sotheby sold in May 1812 the library of the Marquis Townshend,
during sixteen days, for £5745.
The splendid library of Colonel Stanley was sold by Evans in April and
May 1813, during eight days. There were 1136 lots (or above 3000
volumes), which sold for £8236. A unique copy of De Bry’s Voyages, with
duplicates of parts x. and xi. and a large number of duplicate plates,
bound in blue morocco, sold for £546. Brunet wrote that at this sale the
thermometer of the bibliomania reached its highest point.
The library of Stanesby Alchorne, of the Mint, was bought entire by Earl
Spencer, who sold at Evans’s, in 1813, the portion which he did not
require, and added to the sale some of his own duplicates. There were
only 187 lots in this sale, and they sold for £1769.
Leigh & Sotheby sold the library of the Rev. Isaac Gosset, a constant
attendant on book-sales, in 1813 (the year after his death), during
twenty-three days. There were 5740 lots, which sold for £3141. Gosset
(the Lepidus of Dibdin) was much attached to Richard Heber, whom he
regarded as his pupil.
In this same year (1813) the famous Merly library (Ralph Willett) was
sold by Leigh & Sotheby. There were seventeen days, and 2906 lots, which
sold for £13,508. It was said at the time that if ever there was a
unique collection this was one.
A choice and small library of a well-known collector (John Hunter) was
sold in this same year by Leigh & Sotheby, in a three days’ sale, with
405 lots, which realised £1344.
Messrs. King & Lochée sold the library of John Horne Tooke, 1813. There
were four days, and 1813 lots, which fetched £1250.
In 1814 and 1815 the library of John Towneley was sold by Evans. Part 1
in June 1814, seven days, 904 lots, amount of sale £5890. Part 2, June
1815, ten days, 1703 lots, amount of sale £2707, or a total for the two
parts of £8597. The Towneley Mysteries sold for £147. A small remaining
portion of the Towneley library was sold by Evans in 1817.
Mr. Towneley’s collection of drawings, prints, books of prints, &c., was
sold by Mr. King in 1816 for £1414, and a collection of the works of
Hollar, also by Mr. King, in May 1818 for £2108.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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