Nieuwsbrief 811: Highlights

Op 6 en 7 oktober aanstaande vindt in het Marriott Hotel Amsterdam, hartje centrum, de Amsterdam International Antiquarian Book Fair plaats. Vijftig antiquariaten, uit binnen- en buitenland, presenteren zich. Wij zijn uiteraard ook van de partij. Gratis entree. Zien we u daar?

Vooruitlopend op deze belangrijke beurs heeft de Nederlandsche Vereeniging van Antiquaren een gezamenlijke catalogus uitgebracht. NVvA-leden bieden in deze jaarlijkse Joint Catalogue mooie boeken en zeldzame aanwinsten te koop aan.

Onze Engelstalige bijdrage aan de catalogus vindt u hieronder. Eventuele vragen over deze highlights beantwoorden wij graag.

In the first weekend of October the Amsterdam International Antiquarian Book Fair takes place on a beautiful location, the Marriott Hotel Amsterdam (near the Leidseplein). Fifty antiquarian booksellers present themselves. We are of course also present. Free entrance. Ahead of this important fair, the Dutch Association of Antiquarian Booksellers (NVvA) released a Joint Catalogue. In this catalogue, NVvA members present beautiful books and rare acquisitions. Our contribution can be found here. We are happy to answer any questions about these items.

1. AQUINAS, THOMAS Opuscula. Venice, Hermann Liechtenstein, 1490, September 7. 25 x 18 x 8 cm. Contemporary pig leather binding with rich blindstamping over beveled wooden covers, bound strongly on three double cords. 436 leaves. Gothic type.
Sold
* Collection of 72 pamphlets and short essays, edited by Aquinas’ biographer Antonio Pizamano (or Pizzamano, 1462-1512), a friend of Domenico Grimani and later bishop of Feltre. Attractive typography. Many detailed and lovingly drawn red lombards, partly with playful appendages.
According to an inscription in red ink (dating from the early 16th century) this book was owned by the Dominican monastery of Wimpfen (‘Wympina’) in Baden-Württemberg, especially for the use of ‘Michaeli Vhe’, one of the most important monks of the monastery: Michael Vehe (1485-1539), an apologetic theologian, also the editor of the first Catholic hymn book with music. Wimpfen was Vehe’s main residence in 1500-1506 and 1513-1515. Also with a 19th-century rubber stamp of the Grossherzoglich Hessische Hofbibliothek (Darmstadt). Inserted is a 1929 invoice of a Darmstadt antiquarian bookshop, with the name of typographer C.H. Kleukens (1880-1954), at that time professor at the Arts and Crafts School in Mainz.
Goff T 258. In all, a clean and impressive incunable with a fine provenance.

2. BÜCH, Boudewijn ‘Wassenaar’. Autograph manuscript poem. One leaf. 21 x 16 cm. Dated ‘1 juni 1965/ Leiden 50. ½ 2 ’s mid.’.
Sold
* Hymn to the author’s hometown, five stanzas written in an archaic style, a mixture of ‘Tachtig’ and a rhyming dictionary. This surely is Büch’s earliest poem about Wassenaar, written when he was only sixteen years old.
On verso are two other, rather exuberant texts: ‘Ik vind dit leven om het te beleven zo eigenaardig, zo onwaardig…’ and ‘Droomkasteel’, dated ‘einde-5-1965’ and ‘Boudy/ 29-5-1965’ respectively.
More (collections of) autograph manuscripts by Büch available.

Printed on vellum

3. ERENS, Frans Berbke. Arnhem, Hijman, Stenfert Kroese & Van der Zande, 1923. Contemporary full gilt morocco in slipcase. 40 p. Printed under supervision of J. van Krimpen in red and black in 155 copies. 1st (separate) edition.
€ 2850
* One of only 5 (five) copies printed on vellum. Very few modern books in the Low Countries were printed entirely on vellum.
Palladium series. From the library of the great collector M.B.B. Nijkerk.

4. GERHARDT, Ida G.M. ‘Kosmos’. Original mimeograph typescript with manuscript additions and deletions by the author. 27 x 21 cm. Stapled in wrappers (staples not present anymore). 30 leaves. [(before) 1940].
€ 1450
* Most authentic version of this collection of poems, Gerhardt’s official debut. This typescript is very similar to the book: only the poem ‘Air de violon’ was not included in the printed version and the poem ‘In Memoriam’ is not present in this typescript.
This typescript has several manuscript additions and deletions by the author. She repeatedly crossed out her typed name, added and deleted dedications, she clarified two words, and expanded a motto by Lucretius. All titles of the sections and the table of contents are also in Gerhardt’s handwriting.
Important document of a female poet, an expression of her deepest feelings, with classical style and beauty. These typed poems were mimeographed (‘stenciled’), but no other mimeo typescripts are known to exist.

Nude woman by Renoir

5. MALLARMÉ, Stéphane Pages. With an original etching by Auguste Renoir as frontispiece. Brussels, Edmond Deman, 1891. Marbled boards with spine ticket (original upper wrapper mounted on half title). 192 p. Printed in 325 numbered copies. 1st edition.
€ 2000
* Exquisite etching (‘Nude woman untying her hair’) by the great Renoir, signed in the plate by the artist. One of 225 copies on Hollande Van Gelder paper.

6. SEUPHOR, Michel Carnet Bric-à-Brac. Antwerp, Het Overzicht, [1924]. Original wrappers. Stapled. (24) p. Printed on blue papier. 1st edition. Folds in corner, but a very good copy.
€ 950
* Modernist cover design (‘Typografiese omslagschikking’) by Jozef Peeters. Innovative poetry in French and Dutch, featuring modern cinema, Erik Satie and a teddy bear.

Signed proclamation of Liberation

7. WORLD WAR II Proclamatie. Nederland herwint zijn vrijheid. (May 6, 1945). Original poster. 70 x 50 cm. Printed in black and in the national colors red, blue and orange. With the image of a lion, coat of arms of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
€ 2500
* ‘The Netherlands regains its freedom’: a momentous declaration by the Founding Fathers of post-war Holland, ending with ‘Long Live the Queen, Long Live our Homeland!’ In August 1944 the London-based Dutch Cabinet appointed a College of Trusted Men (‘College van Vertrouwensmannen’), that would govern the country in the weeks after the Liberation of the Netherlands. On May 6, 1945, the day after the official Liberation, this fine copy of the declaration was signed by eight of these nine Founding Fathers: L.H.N. Bosch ridder van Rosenthal, R.P. Cleveringa, J. Cramer, W. Drees, L. Neher, J. Oranje, J. van der Gaag and J.G. Stokman.
Proclamations like this were issued by the (local, regional) government to post on walls and shop windows, and after use were thrown away. Only one other copy with original signatures could be traced.