The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-05-30
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERTC J. HAsKN. Directsr.
WaaE1ine1On. ID. @.
BOOM IN FIRST EDITIONS.


Chambers portrait, dated 1923 1t
was a first edition. of course, in re-
markedly good condition considering
its vast age, and considered by the
gratiffed purchaser to be great par
gain as first editions go.
Here is something well worth re-
membering the next time you feel i'm
posed upon at having to pay $3.50 for
the latest product of your favorite
author. You never can tell-in few
years his works may be worth good
deal more. Some of Joseph Conrad S
already bring as much as $50 per
copy, while a first edition Of Walt
Whitman's Leaves of Grass" recently
sold for $3.50
But first editions, like all other
antiques, grow more valuable as they
get older An author has to be dead
long time before his books will
bring as much as $1,000 apiece, and
few of the books. published nowadays
are capable of surviving thru several
centuries Not that some of them are
not of lasting merit, but the materials
of which they are made are too
fragile.
The Elizabethan literature w.
printed on strong, thick paper, MADE
by hand from rags, and in many cases
remains whole and firm today The
Shakespeare volume mentioned above.
for instance, is in as perfect condition
as IL was in the seventeenth century,
except for a front pages where an
expert eye can detect a break in the
water-mark of the old paper, showing
that it has been mended.
"A good many of the old books have
to be doctored,'' explained Mr.. A.
Babe of the Anderson galleries, as he
pointed out to US the almost imper-
ceptible flaw in the precious Shake
speare volume. There are, of course,
experts who specialize in this restor-
ing work Some of the books have
been washed and ironed, in which case
it is always apparent Many have
been virtually ruined in the big Eng
lish Libraries, where they remained for
centuries without proper care, and
now have to be extensively repaired.
"Others fell into the hands OF care
full collectors, and have been passed
down in surprisingly fine trim. We
can usually tell from the owners label
in the front of a book just what to ex-
pect. To mention one example, books
from the library of the late Robert
largest private library in this country,
are always in good shape. Mr.. Hoe
evidently took elaborate pains with
them. Then we have several volumes
here from George Washington's Ii
brary, which are in astonishing1y good
condition. Washington was a great
collector for his day, and took excel
lent care of his books. Fortunately.
so did those who later acquired them"
Americans are Collectors
Americans have always displayed an
unusual interest in collecting rare
books. according to Mr.. Babe, altho
they have not been given much credit
for it. There were book catalogs as
far back as 1880. Fortunately many
of these early collectors took a pa
triptic interest in the development of
the United States and carefully col
lected all material relating to its his
toric growth. Thus there is a great
deal of valuable historical data scat
tered about the various private Ii
brarfeS of the country, which some
day will doubtless be turned over to
or otherwise made avail
able 20 the public
In one case a wealthy American
collector financed the preparation of
a complete history Of all the various
tribes Of American Indians. Several
OF the finished volumes, containing
exact historical details and
accompanied by large numbers of re-
Photographic plates. were
brought to the Anderson Gal
leries and placed on exhibit. They
will have to be sold because unfortu-
nately the wealthy collector died be-
fore the monum entail work was COM
pleted. and his heirs have not the
same interest in supporting it The
Library of Congress, which is an ex- 1
tensive buyer at these rare book auc- !
tons. is said to be interested in OBJ !
tanning the material
BY the way. GelaIie fIedQSTg II you
should suddenly come across any an
cient historical data packed away in |
your garnet or cellar, don't give it to I
the ashman, but look it over carefully
and then consult a book expert 1t |
may turn out to be extremely valuable, |
like your great-aunt's old bureau, /
which you foolishIy sold to the second |
hand man only later to discover that
1t was a true product of the brothers
Adam Not long ago a man sent in |
AvI 81 hi
torical pamphlets handed down by
his grandfather, estimating their worth |
at SIS. In the auction which occurred 1
a few days later. they brought $1,40O.
The subject of the pamphlets was the
early development of the American
West.
Rare Books Coming Here.
The majority of the high-priced |
volumes which are handled by the 1
Anderson Galleries, however. come /
from European, instead of American
private Libraries This has been espe-
cially true since the war. Gradually Il
the worlds greatest book treasures in
the English language are coming to this /
as the result of the dwindling |
fortunes of the English nobility. No
man can enjoy luxury while he is hun
CRY, so, in spite of their cherished /
family traditions, the remonstranceS
Of British booklovers and the scorn of
an indignant government, the owners
0f some OF the most remarkable DOCK
abroad are reluctantly put
ting them UP for auction They have
One consolation The prices now be-
ng offered by American collectors are
from three to six times as great as
hose offered before the war.
DR.. Rosenbach of New York. who is
one of the largest buyers at the Brit
sh sales. also points out another con-
soling factor: 'In bringing these rare
volumes to the United States" he says,
there is no real loss to the scholarly /
world ask you, where is a rarity /
more accessible, in an Englishman's
private library where not even great
scholars can always get it, or in the i
collection Of one of our great Ameri- |
IAN collectors? Mr.. Huntington has
announced that he intends to leave