While the Atlanta Antiquarian Book Circle has been
unable to meet in person for the past three months due to coronavirus lockdown
restrictions, some members of the group have used email to share photos and
descriptions of acquisitions made during isolation. Gathered here, these books represent finds
for the respective collectors which were just too exciting not to share
now. These books will likely appear
again in future blogs once they are able to be shared with the group in person,
held and inspected, and admired for the incredible finds they are.
In addition to the wonderful books themselves,
these new acquisitions highlight the reward of diligently searching for those
must-have items. Each respective
collector shares a little about the acquisition itself. [See the January 2020 blog for additional
acquisition stories.]
When you form good relationships with booksellers
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| Title page of first American prayer book for the Episcopal church |
Book of Common Prayer. A Liturgy Collected Principally from the Book of Common Prayer,
for the Use of the First Episcopal Church in Boston; Together with the Psalter,
or Psalms of David. Boston: Peter
Edes, 1785. The first
American prayer book for the Episcopal church, bound together with a
contemporary revision of the Book of Psalms.
This copy is complete and in the original binding.
As long as the American Colonies were under the authority of the
British Crown, the Protestant congregations which later became the Episcopal
Church remained a part of the Church of England. After the Revolutionary War, they continued to
be a part of the Anglican community but sought to establish themselves as an
independent denomination. In November of
1784 Samuel Seabury was ordained the first American Bishop. He had gone to England since new bishops had
to be ordained by other bishops but because one of the requirements was to
swear allegiance to the King and the Archbishop of Canterbury, he went north
and was ordained in the Scottish Episcopal Church. After returning to Boston, he was able to
ordain new Bishops across the country.
In 1785 American congregations began seeking ways to adapt the
Anglican Book of Common Prayer to the new Episcopal Church. The first attempt was completed in 1785 and
published under the auspices of King's Chapel—an interesting blend of Episcopal
and Unitarian theology. It was too radical to be accepted by the Episcopal
Church, and that same year a committee was appointed to revise and authorize an
American Book of Common Prayer, which was published in 1789, but superseded the
following year by a much more "Anglican" edition.
The Book of Psalms bound with the 1785 prayer book contains a
number of revisions to make it more acceptable to Episcopal and Unitarian
congregations.
The collector describes the acquisition: “My new
acquisition is a very scarce copy of the 1785 Liturgy Collected Principally
from the Book of Common Prayer, for the Use of the First Episcopal Church in
Boston. I can find no other copies
listed on the Internet at all. This copy
was listed by a bookseller I have done business with before on eBay, and as
soon as I entered my opening bid, he accepted it and closed the auction.”
When you persevere in the hunt
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| The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. |
Irving, Washington. The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. New York: C. S. Van Winkle, 1819-1820. All seven parts bound in a binding of the
period, early half roan, marbled boards.
First edition, first printing of each of the seven parts. This set contains the uncorrected text points
indicating the first printings, as noted in Bibliography of American
Literature (BAL). A fairly clean and
attractive copy.
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| Title page of The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent. |
This series of tales brought Washington Irving
instant fame and made him American's first international literary star. In Part I, "Rip Van Winkle" made
its first appearance. In Part VI,
"The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" made its first appearance. These classics are the earliest works of
American literature that are still commonly read today and of course influenced
all authors from that time until now, including Edgar Allan Poe.
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| First pages of "Rip Van Winkle" and "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" |
The collector writes of this acquisition: “I have
been wanting to snare a copy of a famous book by the so-called father of
American literature for about 40 years. At that time, I walked away from a signed copy
dated 1819 in Richmond Virginia at a rare bookshop and have regretted my action
ever since. Of course, I was a poor
student at the time and the book was very expensive especially being a rare
signed copy. That was one debt worth
taking on, but alas... The seven parts
in original wraps are exceedingly rare today making this early bound set the
best I could ever hope for.”
When you search unexpected places
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| England Made Me |
Greene, Graham.
England Made Me. London:
Star Editions Ltd., 1947. England
Made Me is Greene’s sixth novel, first published by William Heinemann Ltd.
in 1935. In 1947, Star Editions Ltd., an
imprint of Heinemann, published the first paperback edition to be sold only on
the continent of Europe. Star Editions
were cheaply printed, and some titles can be difficult to find today in good
condition. This copy is inscribed on the
title page to Melle Rennesson.
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| Inscribed half title page of England Made Me |
The collector describes the acquisition: “The lockdown
has been very good to me in regard to auctions.
I have picked up several amazing books these last few months, including
two items I thought I would never own.
This signed book came up for auction in France with two other Greene
titles, each inscribed in the same pen to Miss Rennesson. The other two books were French translations,
including Mère Angleterre (Mother England) the French title of England
Made Me. Bidding on the two French
translations was competitive, but I placed the lone bid on this title, the only
one in English. Even with auction fees,
international shipping charges, and an unfavorable exchange rate, this
inscribed copy was a steal.”
