The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-05-13
VAIL LIBRARY
AND ART WORKS
AUCTION SALE
Valuable Literary Treas
ures Brought a Total of
131,S65.2

The auction sale of the splendid
private library and art collection
of the late Theodore n. Vail
which has been in progress in New
York City the past week, and has
just been completed, brought a
total of $131 $685.. The first ev-
ening's sale totalled $24,062.25.
The highest price paid at the
| opening sale was $500, by G.
a. Baker and Co., for "A Platform
of Church DISCIPLINE, published
at Cambridge, Mass, in 1919. This
is probably the only copy known
with the imprint OF Samuel Green.
1t is the earliest known book is
sued from his press.
Walter NJ. Hill of Chicago paid
$1,000 for John J. Audubon's
"Birds of America, the original
elephant edition published in
London in 1927. $3.50 was paid
for the album of the Duchess de
Berry, containing a remarkable
collection Of royal autographs.
Mr.. Walls art collection brought
S10,985.50.
Gabriel Wells paid $3.50 for
Eliot's Indian Bible, published
in Cambridge in 1860. Mr.. Wells
also obtained rare first edition
of Robinson Cruso" for which he
paid 1854.
William r. Hearst obtained for
$3.50 a desirable set of Dickens
"Christian Books, including a
presentation copy of "A Christmas
Carol" He also obtained for SITE
an extra illustrated copy of "Pick-
wick Papers" with ten original
drawings.
Gabriel Wells also purchased
for $4,000 a first folio Shakespeare
published in London in 1923. 1t is
in a binding by Bedford and vers-
es by Ben Jonson facing the title
page. This was the highest price
paid for any individual number in
the collection at the sale.
Lathrop c. Harper gave $500
for Capt. John Smiths "Descrip-
, ton of New England" printed in
London in 1916. This is the first
book that bears on its title page
the name of New England, which
had been called up to that time
North Virginia.
The highest price for any article
in the art collection was S3,400
which was paid for a contempor-
airy chintz panel with a centre me-
dallion holding the portrait of
George Washington and bearing
the inscription, Liberty and indie
pendence Our Countly's Pride and
Boast"
G. A. Ball paid s1,700 for a
paper cover copy Of the first edi-
ton of Washington Irving's Life
of Washington" This is said to
be the finest extra illustrated copy
of this work IN existence.
Walter NJ. Hill of Chicago gave
5000 for a copy of the first edition
of Thackery's VANITY Fair"
Mrs. F. W. Morris gave $7.95
for Washington's household ac-
count book, kept for him by his
farm steward from January, 1894,
W NONtIHDcI, iJO. one d1SU GU
tanned for $3.50 a portrait of Wash
ington painted by Rembrandt
Peale.
Walter H. Hill also purchased
New England's Prospect" pub
lished in London in 1854, for
which he paid $3.50. This is
fir-t edition of the first printed ac-
count of the Massachusetts, Col
ony.
These were some of the features
of the sale. 1t was a most unique
and valuable collection and con-
tanned some splendid individual
numbers. Mr., Vail was persis-
tent rare book and curio collec-
tor, and when any article was To-
Gated that struck his fancy or was
wanted to make his collection COM
plete, he obtained it if it was to
be had for money. AS a result, be |
probably had one of the most val
liable personal collection in the
country. OF course the part of
his library that was disposed of at
this sale did not represent the en-
tire collection, but only such a
part of it as remained after Mrs.
Vail and his daughter, Katherine
Vail Marsters, had selected what
they wanted to keep for their own