Evening star., 1938-11-13

u Ut pItSeIlt dt tlle pTeVleW. II
bration is to pe held, has a seatin
has had to limit the invitations to
distinguished Shakespearian schol-
ars, collectors and bibliophiles in
this country and abroad. But the
exhibition will be open to the puo-
lie for several weeks.
Worlds Unique Copy Of
Shakespeare's Play.
The November monday sun
streamed in through one of the
great windows of the library, glori-
ously lighting up the Flemish tap
estrles over the book shelves on
the eastern wall of the beautiful
oak room and causing the mellow
brown and gold leather bindings on
the ancient tones on the shelves to
glow with autumnal beauty. With
the f1ickering shadows cast by the
trees outside the windows, the rows
on rows of books resembled a forest
in the late fall. While we waited to
see DR.. Adams. we took walk
around with DR.. McManaWay, the
assistant director, and he brought
out and showed us the chef d'oeuvre
of the collection the only copy in
the world of the 1894 first quarto
folio of Titus Andronicus.
This certainly would be the piece
de resistance of the celebration if it
could be exhibited but DR.. McMan-
away said it was not decided whether
it would be best to exhibit it. We had
the surprise of our life when the little
book was presented to our view.
But before we 60 further may we
say that DR.. A. S. w. Rosenbach, the
famous bibliophile. will be the prin-
cipal speaker at the premiere meet
ing in the library, Wednesday eve
ming the 30th. He doubtless will tell
in his delightful conversational way
about Adventures With the Shake
speare Quartos," and will illustrate
his talk with some of the rare and
most valuable quartos.
DR.. Rosenbach and
Mr.. Chamberlain Smoke Pipes.
One would argue himself unknown
If he went into dissertation on one
of the most distinguished bibliophiles
and collectors in this country and
abroad. His beautiful library in
New York and his rare collection of
art, furniture, tapestries and silver
just next door, are known to all in
terested in the amenities of collect
ing or hobbying. While in Phila-
delphia DR.. Rosenbach keeps per-
haps the rarest of his historical let
ters. autographs and manuscripts.
He has another and most delightful
distinction: He, with Mr.. Neville
Chamberlain, Englands peaceful
prime minister, are the only two
men who are allowed to smoke
pipe at a formal luncheon when
others are consuming cigars and
cigarettes.
But, to return to the copy of Titus
Andronicus: We expected to see a
wonderful book; an edition de luxe
with the handsome leather case
lined with velvet, was opened, and
the 1894 first quarto of the play was
taken out. But instead we saw q
little old worn paper bound pamph-
let.
A short description of the price
less quarto: DR.. Adams does it
beautifully: TT is clear the play, 40
ouarto leaves, was originally-as
vas the custom-merely stitched
and sold as an unbound pamphlet,
the holes made by this stitching are
discernible, even in facsimile. Later
1t was bound up with other items
in leather (the back displays a thick
coating of glue and vellum bands
cleanly cut by sharp knife) and
the edges, at least those at the TOP,
were trimmed"
At a later date the book was re-
moved from the collected volume
and separately bound in full paper.
And believe it or not, this $4,000
pamphlet, as it appears today, has
binding made by pasting stiff blue
gray cover over white end papers.
On holding this binding to a strong
light. one discovers that the end