New-York tribune., 1908-09-14
IEFT sl,OOO.OOO IN BOOKS
,1RR 4RY OF E. D. CHURCH.
rontc;ns Rare Editions of Early
Historical Works.

.. ,e-+ers and accounts of travel re-
ha'e i've discovery Of America were the hobby
slLe - 7 Dwight Church. who died on August
Of lo lone business career IN Wall Street Dur
.st-+v years OF search ny Church acquired
ing u-s e-sr editions and ancient imprints that is
DbTS-! =. - Of the most valuable in the United
oonslo- -rl,,c, he spent many thousands Of dollars
stsies +be volumes he desired, few of his friends
70 o00h-- the four or FIVE thousand books would
kno" - are worth 100000 it has been esti-
net They @-s
mated. -, Americana. first ,rnnr;n+s ~
Ihey :. Columbus. vespucius. Cortes, Drake.
letters " g. walter Raleigh and other voyagers
FIo'is--e- FIo'.,ers of America In many cases his
ano oi'to .at5 20 be the only one in existence.
ednon ~ hooks have only three or four dupli-
Most Of the DooAS
Gates. 81, --s7,,sb1a lyb-s-v NJ r-,,,,--b
~ e-IT.-+e5 several oil paintings. Chinese and
aEo ,,-o-tas lacQuers and porceiains. That the
-No,l5 have the benefit Of his art treasures
Woll- 1age SIN II the preparation Of cata-
Dc SF -, I,b-arv Five volumes have already
losue -,,.-,A5 nv Dodd Mead & Co. and are on
-. ale IS well in the Lenox Library.
PD- .+alor7,e is the work Of George Watson
ca,as Many old title pages and wood cuts are
W W q, facsimile. The catalogue IS considered
- 4tgblv By historians in their search for avail
- material on American history
a. ,sa5 T., the collection Is the first book printed
.-s,s and It is the only copy known to exist
- - = tb4 Bay Psalm Book which pub
80 N cambridge in 1870 Not far from It on
,elves is the first printed book Of laws re-
10 n the American colonists in Massachusetts
3sDnsylvana New York and New Jersey. II vas
+-e5 IN this country IN l64S
-.+.-s and earliest references to Americas dis
.-.-s rs they first appeared in print form the
t,Esore of the Americana section Of the library
49, nf these relate 70 Columbus Pomponius Mela.
T5-o Nunez Francesca degn Albertino. Cortes,
80 +bs Narryr Frances Drake, Theodore de Bry,
Hawkins and Frobisher-
!, texts Of Shakespeare and his contemporaries
A. churchs library is considered extremely valu-
bie N addition 10 several Of the first folios and
,uar1os Of Shakespeare, the collection includes
s,dsut and original texts of Sir Philip Sidney,
J5sn Bunyan John Milton and Bacon.
NJ Church conducted most OF his purchases
,srough Dodd. Mead d Co and never went abroad
himself although many Of his books came from
eolsctions in London and Paris.
n his youth Nr. Church determined to become
sr artist but after being graduated from college
Re decided 70 enter his fathers business Of manu-
5sc-uring soda. and eventually he became head OF
the Church & Dwight Company, At No. 6 Wall
street Married twice both his wives shared his
liking for artistic things. and accompanied him TO
1he art galleries ana auction sales. 10 which he
devoted most Of his leisure hours He was well
known figure in old Chickerirg Hall, in Mendels-
soh1 Hall and az auctions OF porcelains in the
American Art Gallery
When il came 10 books. r Il. Dodd was his per
Eunal representative. Collectors. historians, bib
hographers and others who desired TO see any
hook that Mr.. Church owned were referred 10 Mr.
Doid, and the book always accessible. In
purchases Of art objects the American Art AS
e5cistion represented him
L speaking Of his friends library Mr.. Dodd said:
There Is not a better collection of imprints re-
htne 10 these subjects anywhere 20 be found in
successful as M church was in gettine tbe ye-y
II 3 Ffra n nj TT77r
value on what be has accumulated is almost i'm
possible OF course, I know nov much M Church
spent but IS ne always guarded that fact care
fully ron outsiders in his lifetime his friends
must continue 10 90
M Church's generous contribution to American
historical material is unparalleled. Such 4 vaIU-
abe catalogue this has never been printed on
Americana It's value from bbuog-aphical point
g. T1sw Is tncalCulable.''