#libraries
Torn page.
From p. 246 of Where Shall We Go? A Guide to the Healthiest and Most Beautiful Watering Places in the British Islands (1866). Original from Princeton University. Digitized April 29, 2009.
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Crayon-colored musical staff.
From p. 9 of Good Cheer! by S. W. Straub (1874). Original from the University of Michigan. Digitized May 1, 2007.
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The halo of a removed flower.
From p. 390-391 of A Debate Between Rev. A. Campbell and Rev. L.N. Rice: On the Action, Subject, Design and Administrator of Christian Baptism (1844). Original from UC Southern Regional Library Facility. Digitized March 20, 2015.
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Ever have one of those classes?
Idle page number doodles.
From p. 131 of John Keats: A Literary Biography by Albert Elmer Hancock (1908). Original from Harvard University. Digitized February 15, 2008.
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Wrinkled paper.
From the front matter of Del Cane di Dingene (1687). Original from the National Central Library of Rome. Digitized March 12, 2013.
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Annotation: “Not So!!!” and “Stop!”
See entire text for more, including “Let’s not be so damned naïve!” “That’s OK, huh?” and “Bull!”
ThroughoutResist Not Evil by Clarence Darrow (1902). Original from Harvard University. Digitized October 14, 2005.
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Illustration left folded.
From the back matter of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, v. 4 (1675-82). Original from the National Library of the Netherlands. Digitized September 8, 2014.
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Employee’s hand.
From p. 259 of The Souls of Black Folk: Essays and Sketches by W. E. Burghardt Du Bois (1907). Original from Stanford University Libraries.
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Rocked, chopped.
ThroughoutPractical Discourses On All the Parts and Offices of the Liturgy of the Church of England: Wherein are Laid Open the Harmony, Excellency, and Usefulness of Its Composure, v. 4:2 by Matthew Hole (1716). Original from the Bavarian State Library. Digitized December 14, 2010.
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18th century manicule illustration.
From the front matter of Nouvelle Pratique d'Arithmétique (1697). Original from Lyon Public Library. Digitized May 30, 2012.
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Employee’s hand covers text.
From p. 20-21 of Auction Catalogue, pt. 2 by C.F. Libbie & Co (1750).Does not include metadata indicating library of origination or date of digitization (but does include Stanford library artifacts).
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Stamp spectrum.
From p. 289 of Les Eaux Minérales de Sainte-Claire à Clermond-Ferrand by Henri Lecoq (1831). Original from Lyon Public Library. Digitized July 18, 2011.
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‘Frances Wolfreston her bouk’
A shelf-check undertaken in 2019 turned up a book held by the Alexander Turnbull Library that was once owned by the 17th-century collector Frances Wolfreston (1607-1677), a gentrywoman who formed a substantial library focused primarily on English literature and drama. (Better late than never to announce the find!)
The book is The dance machabre or Death’s duell:a metrical treatise on death composed by the English Franciscan friar Walter Colman (1600-1645). It is also an extremely scarce work, with just nine copies recorded in the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC). Wolfreston’s ownership inscription appears on the first page of verse.
In her will, Wolfreston bequeathed her library to her son Stanford (b. 1652). Her collection remained with the family until the mid-19th century when much of it was sold by Sotheby’s in 1856 and dispersed.*
Wolfreston’s copy of Colman’s La dance machabre was purchased in the Sotheby’s sale by the writer and book collector George Daniel (1789-1864), whose collection was sold over a ten-day period in July 1864 just a few months after his death. La dance machabre was lot 377 and was acquired by Joseph Lilly on behalf of the notable bibliophile Henry Huth (1815-1878). His 'Ex Musæo Huthii’ book label is present on the front pastedown.
Huth’s vast library was auctioned in a series of Sotheby’s sales that took place between 1911 and 1922. La dance machabre was sold in 1912 (lot 1702), and was likely knocked down to Bernard Quaritch on behalf of Alexander Turnbull.
Although his bookplate is not present, Turnbull purchased numerous books in the Huth sales - most notably Huth’s complete set of Theodor de Bry’s voyages in both the German and Latin editions - and like Wolfreston he had a particular interest in English literature. A work as scarce as Colman’s La dance machabre with such a collecting lineage would not have escaped his eye.
*For the wonderful project being led by Sarah Lindenbaum that seeks to list the surviving books from Wolfreston’s library along with their present locations (including the book described here) see:
https://franceswolfrestonhorbouks.com/
The website records over 230 books to date. Here is to the discovery of many more!
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Walter Colman, La dance machabre or Death’s duell. London: printed by William Stansby, [1632?], Alexander Turnbull Library, REng COLM Dance 1632
The Bronx is Writing: Bronx Writers To Read for Bronx Week
The Bronx is Writing: Bronx Writers To Read for Bronx Week
May 5-May 15 is Bronx Week, the celebration of the culture and heritage of what makes this borough of New York City truly great. It’s always great to celebrate my home borough but instead of highlighting the great institutions that come out of the Bronx, but also wanted to take the time uplift the Bronx writers that are gracing our bookshelves! I’m so proud to say that there are so many great…
Problems of an Overworked Librarian #204
After having your 4th virtual meeting of the day…
Author Talk with Misa of Japanese Ammo & Mike Montesa
Author Talk with Misa of Japanese Ammo & Mike Montesa
Perfect event for manga fans and lovers!
Manga extraordinaire and regular contributor to this blog, Joe Pascullo, will be hosting an author talk that fans of his recommendations would love to attend. Join him Thursday, May 26 at 1 PM EDT where he will be in discussion with with Misa of Japanese Ammo & Mike Montesa, the translator & editor respectively of Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End!
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