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 great sale by Evans of James Bindley’s library, which was
particularly rich in early English literature, was spread over several
years. Part 1, December 1818, twelve days, 2250 lots, amount of sale
£3046. Part 2, January 1819, twelve days, 2588 lots, amount realised
£4631. Part 3, February 1819, eleven days, 2321 lots [amount not given
in Evans’s sale catalogues in the British Museum.] Part 4, August 1820,
books, six days, 1132 lots, amount £2253. [Part 5] omissions, January
1821, five days, 1092 lots [no totals given].
Bindley’s portraits, prints and drawings, and medals were sold by
Sotheby in 1819. Part 1, Bindley Granger. Part 2, portraits. Part 3,
prints and drawings. [Part 4], medals. These realised £7692.
John North’s library was sold in 1819 by Evans in three parts. Part 1,
nine days, 1497 lots, £4285. Part 2, twelve days, 2175 lots, £5679. Part
3, four days, 842 lots, £2842. Total, £12,806.
Evans sold George Watson Taylor’s library in 1823. Part 1, six days, 965
lots, £3850. Part 2, eight days, 1207 lots, £4926.
The great Fonthill Abbey sale (Beckford’s collection) occurred in 1823.
The sale occupied thirty-seven days, of which twenty were taken up with
the disposal of the library of 20,000 volumes. The auctioneer was Mr.
Phillips of New Bond Street, and the place of sale was the Abbey.
George Nassau’s library was sold by Evans in 1824. Part 1, twelve days,
2603 lots, £4894. Part 2, eight days, 1661 lots, £3611.
A still finer library than this was sold in the same year by Evans,
that of Sir Mark Masterman Sykes, Bart. Part 1, eleven days, 1676 lots,
£9505. Part 2, six days, 825 lots, £4580. Part 3, eight days, 1190 lots,
£4644, making a total of 3691 lots, which realised £18,729.
Almost a rival to this was the sale by Evans in 1827 of the library of
John Dent, F.R.S. Part 1, nine days, 1502 lots, £6278. Part 2, nine
days, 1474 lots, £8762. Totals, 2976 lots, and £15,040.
In 1827 the library of the Duke of York was sold at Sotheby’s for £5718.
The Earl of Guilford’s library was sold by Evans in seven parts in the
years 1828, 1829, 1830, and 1835. There were forty days and 8511 lots,
and the total amount realised was £12,175. These totals were made up as
follows:--Part 1 (1828), nine days, 1788 lots, £1665. Part 2 (1829), six
days, 1459 lots, £1757. Part 3 (1829), three days, 740 lots, £880.
Manuscript (1830), five days, 679 lots, £4441. Library from Corfu: Part
I (1830), five days, 1124 lots, £998. Part 2 (1831), four days, 722
lots, £678. Remaining portion (1835), eight days, 1999 lots, £1756.
The great sale of George Hibbert’s library by Evans was commenced in
1829, forty-two days’ sale, 8794 lots, £6816.
Evans sold in 1831 the small but fine library of the Duchesse de Berri,
who is described on the catalogue as an “Illustrious Foreign Personage.”
There were five days, and 846 lots, which realised £5160.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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