New-York tribune., 1912-01-09
BOOKS BRING HIGH PRICES
Second IN Series of Auctions of
robert Hoe Library Begins.
LONDON DEALERS REVENGE
Bernard Quaritch, outbid at Last
Springs Sale, Carries Off
Many Choice Volumes.

beIHdtu Quarttch, the London book
dealer got his revenge last night at the
second session of Part 2 Of the Robert Hoe
library sale. at the Anderson Auction Gal
lerles' Madison avenue and 10th street, for
the many times last spring when he was
anxious 10 get choice volume and was
outoid by some American collector. out Of
fourteen books. valued by the assembly at
more than Sl,D0 each. he carried away
Twelve among them the pick of the even
ing an edition Of Thomas a Kempis $
Imitation Of Christ" printed in Paris in
1880, and bound by Monnier in old French
citron morocco. inlaid with curious person
ages in Chinese costume. II cost him
$50 to take it away from j F. Drake, a
collector Of this city, who wanted it to the
extent Of $500. The total for the day was
So, 9j5.
The second part of the sale of the print
ing press manufacturers library opened
yesterday afternoon, and will extend for
two weeks, with sessions each afternoon
and evening from Monday TO Friday, in
elusive More than nineteen hundred lots
were disposed Of at a similar sale last
spring. bringing in a total of nearly N,OOO.-
OOO. considerably more than any previous
book sale had ever netted. II will require
two more series of auctions before the I'M
mense library is finally disposed II. one OF
them being scheduled for this spring ana
the other for next fall
1t was thought the weather yesterday
might dampen the enthusiasm OF the bid
ders who followed the sale closely last
spring, but the evening session proved this
TO be a falsely founded fear. Mr.. Drake
forced Mr.. Quaritch TO the limit on nearly
every book for which the sums ran high.
although II happened that on several occa-
sions the English buyer was so anxious to
capture his choice that he placed his bids
where none dared follow. II was said by
several who knew him well and have fol-
lowed the book market with great care
that he was doubtless buying TO large
extent for J. Pierpont Morgan.
Mr.. Quaritch's second plunge was to the
extent Of t4.7OO for a volume OF Theo-
phrastus from the library OF Henry II and
Diana of Poictiers The third book was a
finely bound volume entitled "Recueil
General des Caquets de rAcouchee," the
binding being No IS OF the twenty-five
mosaic bindings by Trautz- -Bauzonnet, ex-
ecuted in 1876
Mr.. Drake took away the fourth book in
respect TO price from the Englishman,
volume Of Pontanus from the library Of
Grolier, as demonstrated by an autograph
signature on one of the leaves. The other
man who managed to capture one OF the
81 .O00-and-more variety was NJ. Sondheim,
representing j. Baer & Co. of Frankfort
on-the-Main, one Of whose members ques-
toned the authenticity of an edition NJ
Ovid purchased by George d. Smith, OF this
city, the largest buyer at the sale last
spring. He took one of Pierre Dores
works printed in Paris in 1540, in a con-
temporary binding Of brown morocco deco
rated with the arms of King Francis l OF
France
Other books going TO Mr.. Quaritch were
DE Belo Persico." by PTocopius, for
g 200. and a copy OF Hyginus's "Fabularum
Llber'' in old Italian brown morocco, for
1850 This was one Of those for which
Mr.. Quaritch opened with the only bid.
The total bid at the evening session was
SSH
The opening session in the afternoon gave
little promise Of the spirited rounds Of bid
ding which the evening session brought
forth. No book sold for more than 1900.
and only twenty landed on the further side
Of the 500 mark.
Arthur Hoe, son Of the collector, started
the second part OF the sale Of the enormous
library by capturing Gilbert Abbott's Com
ic History Of England" London, 1871 s.,
with a bid Of 81. after the bidding had
been opened by Arthur Swami. who keeps
tab on the purchasers for the Anderson
company, at SO The interest was lax then
until complete file Of The Spectator as
originally issued by Steele and Addison,
with uncut pages, was put M. Mr.. Swami
opened the argument with bid of so. but
was soon showed under by George D.
Smith, the New York dealer. who bought
the famous Gutenberg Bible for Henry F.
Huntington last spring; Walter NJ Hili,
of Chicago and DR.. ". A. Rosenbach OF
PHILADELPHIA, both extensive buyers at the
former sale who carried the price up 20
$50 The two volumes Of green veIum
into which the papers are bound finally
vent 10 Dr. Rosenbach Besides the con
tributions Of Addison and steele. the vol
unes contain Pope's THE Messiah pub
lished then for the first time.
The next price of the afternoon session
was given for a volume OF Esop's Fables,
probably printed by the printer Of the 1913
Jordanus de Quedlinburg at Strasburg,
and rebound by the Club Bindery. in which
Robert Hoe was interested. II went TO Mr.
Smith for $500, it's price at the Huth sale
some wears ago having been S75 Another
volume Of H1sop from the press Of jacob
de Phortzheim 1901, was obtained by MI
Smith for $3.50 Richard Arnolds "Chroni-
Gle of London" catalogued as perfect
copv Of the first edition, and notable for
o,n.aintre the first appearance in English
Of the famous ballad, "The Nut Brown
Maid" was captured by Mr.. Smith for the
sum Of $685. somewhat IN the surprise or
many in the audience as the Huth copy
sold for less than 800.
John James Audubon's THE Birds OF
America " with FIVE hundred colored plates,
IN seven volumes, was sold for s575. while
scribner paid $50 for book containing
the plans Of many Of Frances famous
chateaus. published in Paris In l6fo- H.
The total for the afternoon was Ho'8S.
WON'T DISMISS WILL, CONTEST