New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1879-02-05
illustrated Books.

But few persons are aware of the
great cost Of producing this class of
works, unless they have had peculiar
faculties for obtaining the information.
The records of bankrupt courts could
"many tale unfold of the ruin
brought on enterprising publishers and
authors by undertakings of this char
acter. A remarkable case was that of
the enthusiastic Lord Kingsborough,
who expended almost his entire fortune
upward of $16O, 00O in producing sew
en- volumes of his Mexican Antique
TIES" and sad to relate he was thrown
into prison in Dublin for small debt
and died there from typhus fever. 1t
may be said that this sum was q very
small fortune for 'Lord;" but It
should be remembered that he was only
a Lord by courtesy. Had he survived
few weeks-and this is the most mel
ancholy reflection connected with his
misfortunes-he would have become
Earl of Kingston and inherited estates
yielding an income of over $500, 900
year.
Perhaps the most notable case of
this kind was that of Alderman Boy
dell, of London, to whom Shakespeare
an students are indebted for one of the
most magnificent editions of the writ
ings of the immortal bard. This work
cost him 81, $50, OOO-an almost fabu-
lous sum-and he was completely
ruined by it in estate and died not long
after. 1t was in view of this edition
that he caused to be produced that
magnificent series of paintings long
exhibited in London under the name Of
Shakespeare Gallery and after which
the engravings to illustrate the printed
work were made. 1t was hisintention,
had not poverty ovcrtaken him, to
leave this gallery as legacy to his
country. He was, however, compelled
to dispose OF it by lottery, though he
did not survive long enough to realize
in his own person the result Of the ar
rangement.
There is another class of works to
which the tern, ''illustrated' is ap-
piled. They are copies "made up'' by
the insertion of extra plates, auto
graphs, etc. A copy of lrving's Life
of Washington extended in this way
from five 10 twelve volumes, brought
large price at the Menzies sale. Copies
of Shakespeare exist containing a.
many as 5,OOOextra illustrations. One
such was sold at Hanrott's sale for
$500. A German lady illustrating
the Bible, found the prints number 700
before she had reached the twenty-fifth
verse of the fifth chapter of Genesis.
The late Dawson Turner had in his
collection copy of 8 Blomefield's His
tory of Norfolk and tie catalogue
containing the mere titles of the extra
illustrations which he inserted in it is O
goodly volume Of some 500 octave
pages. A copy Of Pennant's History
Of London" which was presented to
the British Museum, cost the donor
$4,000; and the illustrated History
of His Own Time," by Clarendon.
formed by the late Mr.. Sutherland and
presented by his widow to the Bodleian
Library, cost upwards of 100000. 1t
was extended to sixty-seven large vol
umes and contains $4,000 extra prints.
A couple of centuries ago one John
Bagford made up series of such vol
umes to illustrate the development OF
the art of printing, and, in the course
Of his operations, withdrew the title
pages and plates from thousands Of
books which are now worth their
weight in gold. fortunately this col
lection was neither destroyed nor dis.
perscd, and it now finds safe resting.
place in that great repository for book
rarities-the British Museum.-Ptilo-
ueLDhi0 Librarian