History, Literature and Biographical Books
Wide-ranging is probably an understatement for the subjects covered by this Book
Sale category. Histories are among the earliest printed works produced apart from
Bibles (which are also included). Literature runs, of course, from the earliest
compositions from the 17th century right up to modern first editions, with biography
being a constant theme running through the centuries.
Robert Howlett's The School of Recreation printed for H Rhodes in 1696 realised
£450 in our Antiquarian Book Auction in February 2013.
Histories of the world are a fascinating study, not only for the information they
provide about their chosen subject, but also for their insight into the attitudes
revealed by the authors and the view they give of the time they are written. The
earliest works recording the history of ancient civilizations, including the Romans
and Greeks, are bread and butter to the classical scholars of today.
The works of Hollinshed, which were the source materials for many of Shakespeare's
plays, are highly sought-after but more modern historians' work, from Ralegh
through Hume to the present day also have their devotees.
The family bible belonging to Samuel Taylor Coleridge with geneaological manuscript
notes, some in the hand of Samuel Taylor Coleridge himself, fetched £5,500 in the
Februry 2013 Antiquarian Book Auction.
The Bible was, of course, the first book ever printed and although you are unlikely
to pick up a Gutenberg Bible easily, many late 16th and 17th century versions
appear regularly on the market and are very much sought-after.
Robert Barker, who was the printer of the King James Bible, is an important
name in this field but look out for the 'wicked' Bible he produced in 1631, where
the word 'not' was left out of 'Thou shalt not commit adultery'. Apparently, very
few copies of this edition survived and Barker was thereafter disgraced!
English literature, from the earliest novels of Smollett and his ilk via
Jane Austen and Thackeray to Agatha Christie, is of course
a rich area of collecting. As with most subjects, the earliest editions are
considered to be closest to the author's original intentions and, therefore, the
most desirable.
The presence or absence of a dust jacket on more modern works can make an extraordinary
difference to value, as these cover were originally intended to be discarded and
generally were.
The Works (5 volumes) by George Crabbe with portrait frontispiece and thirty steel,
engraved plates by Westall realised £150 at auction.
Charles Dickens is a fascinating area of study all by himself and the different
'states' of his works, right from their original publication in parts to later editions
'in book form', were altered by him as he grew disenchanted with a particular artist
or illustration or the publisher's advertisements within the works changed.
Private Presses became very prevalent, especially in the United Kingdom during the
early part of the 20th century. The Nonesuch Press, Shakespeare Head Press,
Golden Cockerel Press, etc, aimed to produce books which harked back to
simpler artisan method of production using hand presses, handmade paper and issuing
limited editions. These books are really works of art in themselves, before you
consider the contents, and artists such as Eric Gill were pleased to provide
illustrations for them.
This idea of producing quality publications was followed up by The Limited Editions
Club and The Folio Society who production values were a cut above
the average but were (and are) available to a wider audience. Thus, there are
works in this field suitable to all budgets.
Biographies give fascinating insights into the characters of their subjects and
the time in which they lived. Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is a particular
classic, but there are few individuals in history who have not been written about
and as many who have written about themselves.
Specialists
 | Roger Collicott
Rare Book Expert
|