Monthly Archives: May 2012

Bookstamp: Bibliothèque de Tsarskoe Selo

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In 1938, the Library purchased from New York bookseller Maurice Sloog “more than 600 volumes of early nineteenth century fiction … from the Imperial Library at Tsarskoe-Selo. Most of the books have the stamp of the Imperial Library, and some bear the bookplate of Alexander III. Another plate with the words “Bibliothèque de Tsarkoe-Selo” indicates that the books came from that section of the private library of Nicholas II which was housed in the Alexander Palace.” Further particulars given in the following article, here quoted above: Albert E. McVitty, Jr. ’32 “Books from Tsarskoe-Selo, Nineteenth Century French Novels, Bearing Imperial Bookplates, Now at Princeton” in the Princeton Alumni Weekly XXXVIII, 27 (April 15, 1938), pp. 1-2. ❧ News of the accession also published in The New York Times, May 10, 1938 [link to article]

❧ Example above on half title of Bantysh-Kamenskīĭ, D. N. (Dmitrīĭ Nikolaevich), 1788-1850. Siècle de Pierre-le-Grand; ou, Actions et hauts faits des capitaines et des ministres qui se sont illustrés sous le règne de cet empereur; tr. du russe … par un officier russe, avec des remarques explicatives du traducteur … A Moscou, S. Selivanovsky, 1822. Call number (EX) 1627.168.144 vol. 1.

Trade custom of pre-dating

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“The Rule in general observed among Printers is, that when a Book happens not to be ready for publication before November, the date of the ensuing year is used.” — John Nichols, Literary Anecdotes (London, 1812) iii, p. 249n. According to Philip Gaskell, Nichols is describing 18th century practice. Evidently the custom dated somewhat earlier as per this example.
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Narcissus Luttrell corrected the imprint date in his copy of Francis Manning’s Panegyrick (London: Printed for J. Weld, 1698.) Call number: (Ex)3598.999q vol. 64, no. 4.
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Another example: Inscribed on title page ‘Angelsey. The guift (sic) of the author. Dec. 19, 1674.’ of  Winston Churchill, Divi Britannici: being a remark upon the lives of all the kings of this isle, from the year of the world 2855. unto the year of grace 1660. London, Printed by T. Roycroft, to be sold by F. Eglesfield, 1675 (Ex DA130.C56q). The recipient was Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesey (1614-1686)

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Bookplate of an “Anglus Americanus”

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Pasted onto the inside front board of Jethro Tull (1674-1741), The Horse-Hoing Husbandry: or, An essay on the principles of tillage and vegetation. Wherein is shewn a method of introducing a sort of vineyard-culture into the corn-fields, in order to increase their product, and diminish the common expence; by the use of instruments described in cuts. By I. T. London, Printed for the author, 1733.
Call number (EX) S603 .T92 1733q. ❧

This plate is dated in manuscript at the corners “1740”. Another example is known dated “1743”.

There has been some confusion as to which Dudley Woodbridge owned this plate. Was it Dudley Woodbridge, born 1677, Harvard class of 1696, died 1720, who served as Director General of the Royal Assiento Company of England? Or was it the plate of his son, the Reverend Dudley Woodbridge, who served as Rector of St. Philips, Barbados,
born 1706, matriculated Magdalen College, Oxford 1723, and his will dated 15 March 1747/8 and proved 14 February 1749/50?

The dispositive evidence may be the use of the epithet “Anglus Americanus”. The only other recorded use on this epithet on a bookplate is that of Jeremiah Dummer (1681–1739). According to Calhoun Winton, “Jeremiah Dummer: The ‘First American?'”
William and Mary Quarterly, 3d ser., 26 (1969): 105-8, Dummer made a point of announcing his American origins to the English and other Europeans he encountered during his many years overseas. In his will, dated 7th June, 1738 Dummer left to “Dudley Woodbridge of
Barbadoes, £50, for the pleasure I had in his company when in England.”

Of the two, father and son, only the son, the Rev. Dudley Woodbridge was alive in 1738. Clearly he was well acquainted with another “Anglus Americanus” and evidently wanted to show his communal association.
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Example of Dummer bookplate from Charles Dexter Allen, American Book-Plates (London, 1895).

Cypher of Comte Henri Siméon (1803-1874)

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Comte Henri Siméon had a distinguished public career during the Second Republic and the Second Empire. He also devoted years to translating Horace; his work published during his final years. He had a notable library, about which see Leon Techener, “Le Comte Siméon,” Bulletin du bibliophile(1874) p.245-246. Twenty five of his books are found in the Library’s Horace collection. They include editions and translations published between 1650 and 1872. Some have presentation inscriptions, including one from Paul Lacroix (“le bibliophile Jacob.”) All are bound and marked distinctively: the bindings are signed “Petit succr de Simier” and have Siméon’s cypher consisting of the initial H and S in “majuscules fleuronnées” surmounted by a “couronne de comte.” Correspondence documenting the Horace collection shows that a number of Siméon’s books were acquired from Maggs Brothers ca. 1912.

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Bookplate designed by Ze’ev Raban

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Bookplate designed by Ze’ev Raban. “From the books of Batya and Shlomo Greenberg.” On front pastedown of Rebecca Gratz (1781-1869). Letters …,edited, with an introduction and notes, by Rabbi David Philipson. (Philadelphia, The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1929). Leonard L. Milberg Collection of Jewish American Writers, given in honor of President Harold T. Shapiro. [Call number (Ex) F158.9.J5 G7 Milberg JAmW.] ❧ This bookplate is also illustrated on page 14 of Not for myself alone : celebrating Jewish-American writers, October 21, 2001-April 21, 2002 : from the Leonard L. Milberg ’53 Collection of Jewish-American Writers. [Princeton, N.J. : Princeton University Library, 2002]. ❧

Armorial bookplate dated 1739: Francis Massy, Esq. of Rixton, Lancashire

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“Francis Massy, lord of the manors of Rixton and Glazebrook, born 1703, and who died unmarried 28 September 1748, when the family became extinct. By his will, dated 27 February, he left his estate and effects to his kinsman George Meynell of Yorkshire.” – Remains Historical & Literary Connected with the Palatine Counties of
Lancaster and Chester. Published By The Chetham Society. Vol. CX. (1882), p. 224.
❧ Bookplate signed “I. Skinner, Bath, sculpt.” Jacob Skinner was active between 1732 and 1753.
❧ The Massy bookplate is on the front pastedown of Gabriel Harvey’s copy of Livy (Basle, 1555). Call number (Ex) PA6452 .A2 1555q. A complete digital scan of this remarkable annotated book is available here, however, the scanning project did not include full coverage of this piece of ownership evidence.