The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-04-25
A TREASURE OF
HOE COLLECTION
Largest Auction Sale of Books
Ever Attempted Is Opened,
and Almost Priceless Speci-
mems of Printers Art Are
Offered to Public-Firs
Days Bidding Spirited.


aight brought the highest price ever
raid for any book. The prize was tho
Gutenberg Bible. the purchaser Henry
u. Huntington. of Los Angeles. and
the price $4,000.
The purchase was made at the open
Ing session tonight of the sale OF the
library Of the late Robert Hoe, the
largest public auction sale Of books
ever attempted Experts have esti-
than million dollars, and wealthy
amateurs and dealers from Europe
nave come to vie With the American
collectors in the bidding 1t was evil
dent from the progress of the sale to-
night that American bidders were TAX
ing the cream of the offerings at prices
avera Sing higher than any ever offered
at public auction
The highest price previously paid
Tor the Gutenberg Bible at auction was
s2o.oo0, at which Bernard ouaritch
purchased 1t In England fourteen years
ago At private sale he disposed or
II shortly aftcrward to Mr.. Hoe at a
( proht OF $500. and IT has remained
In the Hoe collection ever since Tho
copy was printed some time between
1850 and 1855. -
Kidding for the treasured hook was
spirited. With bernard Quaritch son
OF the former owner. participating un-
I'll the bids passed the s2I 900 mark.
From there 1t jumped By thousands
1t a clip 10 $4,000. AT $4,000 p. Al
T. Widener. OF Philadelphia, who had
been the most determined OF the run
ners-up, dropped out of the race, and
the even $4,000 was bid by Mr.. Hunt
inHton. The winner is son OF the
ate Coils p. Huntington. M
The entire collection OF first
editions. historical bindings, ilIumi,
mated manuscripts, incuna bula. rare
Americana. autographs, Photograph
manuscripts and other treasures priced
hy bibliophilcs which The late Robert
Hoe put nifty years TO gathering wa.
placed on sale. The actual value of the
collection is what It will bring. bu,
the London Times feels no hesitation in
predicting that the Robert Hoe sale
will constitute in the way Of aggregate
totals, the greatest event OF its kind
In the annals OF book auctions" And
:hc prediction seems safe. for whereas
The largest amount hitherto realized
from sale OF books at auction is
s3e5.00o. competent experts estimate
the Hoe collection to be worth from
{l.eo0.000 to sl.500.000. 1t is true that
the collection of the late Earl Spencer
brought sl.250.o00. but that was at pri-
+ rate sale, to Mrs Ryland who later
gave II entire to the city .of Man
chester England.
Robert ROE did not want his books
to go TO any public collection there
70 lie unhandled and unread In glazed
show cases for the illiterate to stare
at. He himself was a maker of books
as well as lover OF them He came
OF family Of pressmen: the processes
OF the binders art were we'll known to
him; ne not only bought books. but
he read them, and 1t was his desire
that at his death the treasures he had
spent so many loving hours in amass-
ing should pass into the hands of those
who could appreciate them, and he be-
lieyed the best means to insure his
T desire was to distribute them at public
auction. How far his desire will be
realized remains to be seen. for j. P.
Morgan has been a conspicuous buyer
at all notable sales of recent years.
and II is supposed that at his death
his collection will pass to the Metro
politan Museum of Art Mr.. Morgan
is In Europe at present, but his repre-
sentativcs will undoubtedly attend the
sale.
Beverly Chew. himself collector
and literatus OF note. and long a friend
OF Mr.. Hoe. is the authority for, the
motives behind the sale. '.Mr. Hoe
once told me-" he has written. son his
return from Europe, OF visit he had
made to one OF the great libraries. and
Of his feeling of surprise and disgust
at the utter lack of reverence and an
probation he found, MS shown In the
care given to the great monuments
OF printing. The catalogue OF this
library was rich In the masterpieces
OF the early printers, and when he
asked for them. volume after volume
was brought to him covered with dnst
with leaves stained and bindings
broken and in every way proeIaimine
the effects OF Indifference and neglect
This. he said. confirms me in the
conviction that those who love books
should have them in custody, and viii
take the best care OF them. If tina
great collections of the past had nott
been solda where should have found
my books?'" 80
Historical Interest.
The value OF the Gutenberg BjbIa
Is not alone in Its beauty as an exam
pie OF the book makers art. consjd
cradle though that be, for more beam
tiful books have been printed; nor In
lis rarity, for there are thirty-four
copies In existence; but In Its l.istori-
cal interest, Tor It was the first book
known to have been printed from
movable types. One hundred and
eighty copies were struck Off IN =.
and thirty on vellum and OF those
twenty-aeyen on paper and seven On
velium are now known to be In exis-
tence OF which two-one the Hoe ooov
and the other owned by Mr. Morgan.
are IN this country. Tho Hoo conv5tu
the more perfect Of the two and ~ 10
probably the last that will over ba
sold at auction, for the othors are nov
eitherain libraries or museums. Tsi3i1s"l
But tho Gutenberg Bible, though