The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-04-12
A RARE LIBRARY,
Adolph Sutro's Collection OF Antique
Books In San Francisco.


Books In San Francisco.
For several years past Adolph Sutro
has been quietly buying up rare books
and manuscripts at public and private
sales, through his agents and person.
ally. The purchases, of course, are
made in Europe. Mr.. Sutro's intention
is to, at some future time, erect suita-
ole building aud place tho library at the
disposal of the public, for gtUdents and
scholarly research. The intention on
the Tart of Mr.. Sutro would not have
been made public for some time had
not the first cons gnment of books been
damaged while in transit to this cOun-
Try. III Will be remembered THAI the
books were packed in boxes and ship
ped on borad the steamer Bordeaux Il r
transportation 10 San Francisco. When
they arrived several of the cases were
found To be wet with salt water, and
many of the rare old books DESTROYED
or badly damaged. The collection has,
however, been partially arranged Tor
Calaloguing, and yesterday the repre-
seniatives OF the press we're invited to
Inspect 1t at the temporary quarters,
No. 10Y Battery street
That the library will he most yalu.
ablo addition, not only TO the city, but
10 me Whula nation, needs but "A single
| glnac9 Mt It's mao treasures to be nj
once evident TO even the least skilled
anuquarian. There are now on the
shelves about G0,O10 volumes, which rs
ouiy the beginulng of q proposed
| library OF many huudrets oil
| thousands Cf volumes. The brief in
| spectiOn allowed yesterday was scarcely
more than sufficient to mako manifest
q few of The photographic treasures
There are hundreds of volumes known
az incunabula-that is, works printed
prev Gus to tho year 1900. when the art
OF printing was in It's infancy bibles
that date back TO 1883, with their elabo.
rate illuminated Initials. There is also
the whole ralmud complete In 10 vol.
umes' There Is also In the collection 2
photograph OF The first letter written
from California. The letter Is dated nj
Monterey, December %, 1902, aud wac
sout to Spain by Sebastian Veseauio
Mr., NutrO secured this photograph al
Seville hy special permission of the
hing OF Spain. The works cover tho
range oi All tue arts and sciences. The
library Will be particularly rich in bot.
Hnical works, many OF which date back
into the fifteenth century. Aliases
histories, travels, aud dictionaries are
IN great numbers. The antique illustra.
iel works on medicine and surgery will
ne 81 great Interest to physicians and
meulchl ssud0nt3. There X also very
me edition Of the complete works Gi
William Hugarth. One little volume
exhibited yesterday Is presentation
copy OF work on English military dis.
Clpllhei presented by Charles III % ord
Cornwallls in lGS2 There are In tho
collection over 10000 tracts aud pam.
phlet7 OF tho time OF Charles |. Tbere 4
very largo collection of Hebrew and
Arabic manuscripts, which have
not aN Fet boon thoroughly examined
Mr. SultO says that the British museum
ulrsctofs Will send out men t0 overhaul
these manuscripts and definitely a-c8i.
Wlh lholr character and va ne. A Gu
/, nous 'Nhioit is copy of tho fsmou.
lllh Iho edition Ia 10 named because
OF "A typographical error that occurs iu
Lhe ZIth chapter OF 81 Luke, whore thr
Wor1 vinegar ~ substituted for vine
| y4rd. Many Of tho works nro illuitrafod
w d elegant and cOBtly plotas, notably
illustrations OF statuArv, of untiopaI
costumes and Of the Oglo collection oi
! gems A large number of flea of ths
LONDON Morning Chronicle, dating back
y2 l'bO, are among the large collection
OF newspapers and periodicals There
~ ESQ tho-Volume work on Calitor.
ma, original y wilton in 1853 BY Jas.
esting oxhihit Is luttor writlen eby
Marths Washington 20 Mira Lord Fslr.
TAX, ana dated May ", l7gS. Mr.. Sutro
a'so mas large scrap.bouk cOntaiuinu
| autographs of Lafayette, Nnpola1n'
/ Neiungton, Nelson, st. Vincent. Hon,
| Mas. Norton, Dickens, Tom Tnvloy.
Is ich'tpne, Charles Matthews aud many
olher celobrotios. a prayer-h0ak and
| P'Ai ieryl once the properly of Charles
/ - rs also IN Mr.. kutro's collection.
! Among the Egyptian curios ara several
lhumuues, one OF a lady who died $500
years aSo' There il one mummy head
that IL In 80 perfect hi condition that
tho little ringlot4 OF hair arc nlainlv
visible en- the skull. There ara several
/ very perfect hands and feet. Ono hand
sun retains tho lone, well shappd nails.
ana on the wrist = beaded brtoplet, A
/ miniature EEYptiau ca 90 with human
[ ngures attracts ones attention, as it was
taken irum grave, and IN claimed to be
i,VOl years old, dating back to the time
OF Abraham, 1898 u q. There Ia also a
SINAI COLLECTION of insects found In the
| SoudAn. To adequately describe MIR,
/ Sutro's collection would take az leest A
/ week OF careful examination aud criti.
cal study IL Mr.. Sutro lives 10 carry
| ont us ideas he will establish such "A
library as will earn for himself the ain.
| core thanks otantiguariAu aus and stu1ents
engaged In historical research. As vet
ne hardly knows just what treasures he
has In his collection. Tho classification
and cataloguing and subdividing of the
works Will DO a task OF long duration
aud one calling for special and accurate
soholarship.-[San Francisco Alta.
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