Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20

time since the Library made its debut in 1900
that Congress have removed the rubber from the
bank roll of Treasury expressly for the purpose
of buying private libraries. Those preViousiy
purchased were President JeffersonS, in 1915.
and Peter Forces, in 1857, each regarded as the
premier collection of its day. But in the interim
numerous other collections have been bought
out of the regular accession fund of the Library.
The widely divergent prices paid for the
aforementioned collections-$23,950, 100000
and 81 500 OOO respectively-clearly indicate
the material enhancement of rare old books
during the preceding century. It also sounds
note OF warning to possessors of old volumes,
reminding them to have their wares appraised
by a reputable connoisseur before offering them
for sale.
Most remarkable were the circumstances un-
der which the Library Of Congress came into
possession of the Vollbehr collection Of cradle
books The accumulation, DR.. otto Vollbehr OF
Berlin, was until recent years prominent dye
nagnate with hardly a passing thought of
books and libraries. When he suffered phySi"
cal breakdown his physician prescribed for him
a hobby and he chose book collecting. Although
he at that time considered anything including
backs and leaves book, DIR. Vollbehr turned
thumbs down on general book collecting and
restricted his field of activities to the assem-
blage Of elegant fifteenth century specimens.
Germany the cradle of modern printing. af-
forded him the best available field, but the
of the great European cities of the Middle Ages.
nor did Diogenes with his daylight lantern,
seeking diligently for an honest man, scrutinize
the streets of Athens more closely
HITTER and yon DR.. vollbehr picked up the
choice classics of the old masters, the pro-
found writings Of eminent humanists and
illustrious works on astronomy, science, medi-
cine religion and jurisprudence. And the most
,rac;c,s Of all considered from the American
noint of view 20 volumes of the earliest pEheeo
1oCols violating to the eventful voyage OF ChIS-
TOPPER Columbus. ,o,,. ,,oI,,-
Not only are the vollbehr cradle BOOKS VaIu-
able as objects of virtu, but to the historian,
the scholar. the printer and the bookolnoef
they afford reference material aho coiHp".- ..t
80 othervise available In fact, they represent
q cross-section of that colorful period known as
the great Renaissance, contemporaneous WIN
the advent of the Reformation and the o1ScoV-
cry of America.
An exquisite three-volume edition OF the ceie-
brated Gutenberg Bible, the facile princeps Oh
the collection. was ferreted out OF the age-noary
r.or;rthian Monastery Of st. Paul, in Austria
whittier ii had been clustered TO hide IL from
NaDoleou,s milling hordes. This wonderful
bible printed on parchment and bound IN vel
1,lm at Mainz, Germany. about the mlooe OA
the fifteenth century, presents striking exam
ole of the dextrous handiwork Of Johann GU
tenberg the inventor of movable type ana tne
originator of modern printing. Moreover 1t Is
believed to have been the first book ever pro-
duced from movable types.
Johann Faust, who had advanced Gutenberg
1000 gilders with which to finance the project
seized the printing establishment ana DOCKS
Including this COPY of the Bible, because GU
teDberp was unable to repay the loan on de-
nand The BenediC inc friars bought 1t from
Faust for a sum equivalent to SIS by present
money standards. Then, after religiousiy guard
ing il in various abbeys for more than 500 years,
they conveyed it to DR.. Volibehr, who IN turn
transferred it to the Library of Congress. Thus
it has changed hands but four times since IL
was printed, in the 1450s
However exigencies occasioned by the World
War paved the way for the Bibles eventual
acquisition by the Library Of Congress. Sorely
pressed for money with which to restore the
Monastery of st. Paul, which had suffered from
the ravages of the conflict, the Benedictines
reluctantly sold it to DR.. Vollbehr in 1925 for
$305, 600. Likewise, the pressing need for funds
during the postwar period Of depression IN
duced scores of others to sell him rare volumes
which had been handed down as priceless heir
looms from one generation to the next.
directors Of the Library Of Congress, who
- have long coveted a copy Of the Gutenberg
Bible consider themselves peculiarly fortunate
in obtaining one with a history so extraordi-
nary. They also rejoice in the knowledge that
the million or more annual visitors to the
Library will be afforded the opportunity to see
and to admire this masterpiece Of fifteenth cen
tury craftsmanship
This collection Of cradle books was first
brought to the attention Of the American people
In 1926, when DR.. Vollbehr brought it to this
country and exhibited it at Chicago during the
Eucharistic Congress Seldom has a collection
of books been so widely discussed IN the press.