White Knights Library

Catalogue of that Distinguished and Celebrated Library Which Will Be Sold by Auction

By:

Robert Harding Evans

Format:

Paperback / softback

Series:

Cambridge Library Collection - History of Printing, Publishing and Libraries

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Description

The dispersal of the library amassed by George Spencer-Churchill (1766–1840), Marquess of Blandford and later fifth Duke of Marlborough, is most commonly cited today as a preservative against folly. The collection contained some of the most sought-after incunabula of a period defined by the high prices paid for early printed books. It included a fine selection of Caxtons, spectacular botanical and emblem books, and the iconic Valdarfer Boccaccio - the first edition of the Decameron, purchased by Blandford in 1812 for the unprecedented sum of £2,260. The Boccaccio was symptomatic of the profligate expenditure of its buyer. By 1819 his spendthrift ways had ruined him, leading to the sale of his opulent estate at Whiteknights, near Reading, and the dispersal of one of the key libraries in the era of bibliomania. Reissued here together are the two parts of the auction catalogue, both annotated by an auction attendee who recorded details of the purchasers and the prices paid. Ed Potten, Head of Rare Books at Cambridge University Library, has provided a new introduction that places the catalogue in its wider context.

Release date Australia

May 22nd, 2014

Author

Robert Harding Evans

Audience

Professional & Vocational

Pages

242

Series

Cambridge Library Collection - History of Printing, Publishing and Libraries

Dimensions

152x229x14

ISBN-13

9781108065986

Product ID

21654839

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