Evening star., 1932-05-01

me with plenty of money and gave me an
opportunity to help all of my friends.
IN lY first visit to America was as I have
lVI said in 1899 Then, in 1925, I came
over for my second visit on the maiden trip
of the Albert Ballin. Another passenger on
this ship was a brother Of a trustee of the
Huntington Library, Mr. Robinson He said
to me: You ought to visit the Huntington Lii
brary while you're over here, and he gave
me letter to Mr. Harry E. Huntington, the
noted capitalist and rare book collector, you
know, who gave his valuable library to the
State of California.
when Nine Vollbehr and I were visiting
the Huntington collection, she suddenly pointed
to a manuscript. Isn't that a manuscript you
used to have?' she asked eXcitedly. 1t was!'
"'Ah,' exclaimed our host. so these books
and manuscripts came from the Vollbehr col
lection. I have inquired everywhere trying
to discover where they came from, but with no
success
And l. put in DR.. Vollbehr have been at
tempting to find the one who bought those
books of mine
You see" the doctor explained, "a collec-
ton of my incunabula-2 ,385 Of them, to be
exact-is the basis of the Huntington incuna-
bula collection had sold them to an auction
house and never knew who bought them. And
then. after our mutual discovery, had to prom
ise Mr.. Huntington that if l ever wanted to
get rid of my remaining 4,500 incunabua,
them"
But this fortunately for the Library of
Congress and those of us who live in the East,
never came to pass. In 1926 DIR. Vollbehr
brought more than 5000 of his previous volumes
to America to exhibit at the Eucharistic Con-
gress at Chicago which was held to illustrate
the church's progress in civilizing the world.
Incidentally, he made Cardinal Mundelein a
present of several of his most valuable manu-
scripts which were written by saints. But, in
the meantime, Mr.. Huntington died, and that
market was closed. And it was just at this time,
hearing Of the wonderful books displayed at the
Eucharistic Congress that America went incu-
nabula- minded.
Observation-Disclosures this country-peo-
pie asked If I would exhibit my books" the
doctor continued. And did. I showed them
in Kansas City, in St Louis, in New York City
and at the Library of Congress in Washington.
Out in st. Louis in IA days 1000 people saw
my collection. And, by joe the questions had
to answer-thousards of them!" And here the
doctor threw up his hands in a gesture of dis
traction
But was in my element" he added quickly,
when saw that this country appreciated cul-
ture and was not at all as so many Europeans
had pictured America From every section of
the United States people wrote me- asking If
I would make some arrangement whereby the
books would remain in this country. American
experts had valued the collection at So 0OO, 900,
but I suggested that If some wealthy American
would come forward and supply one-half of this
amount. I would give the other half-that is,
provided the collection would be kept together
and be placed in an institution such as the
Library of Congress where it would be accessible
to every one"
But no big-hearted American appeared. Rep
resentative Ross A. Collins, however, without
ever having known or conferred with DR.. Voll-
behr, drew up a bill whereby Congress would
appropriate s1.5oo.ooo to buy the books for
the Library of Congress
OF late DR.. Vollbehr has been preparing
~ for an auction sale in which he is in
Guiding about rs titles of the oldest histories
OF the discovery of America-"Americana
Vetustissima," as such books are usually
quoted in the reference works of Mr. Harrisse
These Americana Vetustissima were printed
between the date of the arrival of Columbus,
1892, and 1850. None Of these books are
younger than 382 years! Think of it!
Among these treasures are outstanding
rarities as. for instance, six editions of the
Ptolemaei or earliest ALIASES ever printed
These Ptolemaei, named after the cid Greek
geographer Ptolemaeus, contain in their
editions before 1892, of course, no reference
to the new continent. But these six editions
are dated from the year 1911. 1914 1920 1925,
1542 and 1545. 1t is extremely interesting to
compare these six editions as far as they deal
with the new continent of America They all
show the development of the knowledge which
the people had in those days The Ptoemaeus
OF 1911 gives only very rough outline of the
American coast. while the Ptolemaeus of l545
goes into much detail
Among this amazing group are the exces-
sively books printed in Spanish that
belong to the class of early Americana. There
are also books in this group about America
printed in French of which there are very,
very few known