If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
Americana 109: The Last Word
I am a sucker for bibliographical challenges. This last one really
wasn't that hard to solve, and it didn't cost too much either; but it sure is goinng to take a long time to tell you about my research into this book though! I have it in front of me now, a book bound in period binding (late 1700s), with leather on the spine and corners, and light blue paper boards that are just a bit soiled with age. There is no lettering on the spine. In fact, there is no title page. Pages i through iv of the xvi pages of the Introduction are missing as well. On the ffep are the following notes: First American Edition 1783 Pages v--226. Howes C783 Ca 1990 $3.00 C Tax Paid 1990 Tax Return. "A ReplyTo Sir Henry Clinton's Narrative Wherein...Errors Are Pointed Out And The Conduct Of Lord Cornwallis Fully Vindicated." One of my favorite ebay sellers listed this book, with a starting bid of $9.99, without a reserve, and with the missing pages noted (see ebay item number 3579662313). I did a quick check of the value of this book at abebooks. There were two London second editions, also published in 1783, listed for $300 and $594.64 respectively. Already, I was thinking of getting photocopies made of the missing pages. The William L. Clements Library at the University of Michigan had purchased the papers of Sir Henry Clinton in 1925. This collection is known as the Headquarters Papers of the British Army During the American Revolution. The collection includes the books and pamphlets of the Clinton-Cornwallis Controversy. Some of these books contain marginalia from the hand of Sir Henry Clinton. Photocopies would, of course, be made from other copies of the book. I had to do a little more homework before bidding though. I got my Geoscope 30X magnifier out and read the listing of this book in my Readex Microprint set of Sabin's Dictionary of Books Relating To America. Something was not right! Sabin 16814 stated that this book contained 109 pages? The seller stated that the book up for auction contained 226 pages of text. Just to be sure, I checked U.S. IANA, the bibliography compiled by Wright Howes. Howes C783 called for109 pages as well. Clearly, this book was not what the ebay seller said it was. It did contain the correspondence between Clinton and Cornwallis, but it had too many pages to be A Reply To Sir Henry.... I checked U.S. IANA again. There were two possibilities, C781 and C493. C781 Cornwallis, Earl. An answer to that part of the narrative of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, which relates to the conduct of Lieutenant-General Earl Cornwallis. L.1783. O (24) 260 errata slip fold.tab atp236 +4adv-p aa --ed.2 L 1783. O a -Am ed Phil 1866. O (12) 260 C493 Clinton (Sir Henry) and Cornwallis (Earl). Correspondence between: [N.Y. 1781]. O 76 [4] a --Eng. ed. [L.1783]. Translation: An answer..... was published in London in 1783. Octavo. 24 introductory pages. 260 text pages, with an errata slip at page 236. A second edition was also published in London in 1783. The First American edition wasn't published until 1866. Translation: Correspondence between.... was first published in NewYork in 1781 in octavo and contained 76 pages of text with four other pages. The English edition wasn't published until 1783. The book up for auction was not Correspondence..... That book only contained 76 pages. If the book up for auction was An Answer.... then either the "226" was a typo, or there were 39 pages missing at the end of the book. The book definiitely was not the 1866 edition because the "long ess" was used in the printing. Something else didn't fit right either. Howes C781 said there were 24 prelim pages in An Answer..., yet the seller clearly stated that his book should have had 16 pages in the Introduction. I went back to Sabin again. Sabin 16811 Cornwallis (C) An Answer to that part of the Narrative Of Lieutenant-General Sir Henry Clinton, K. B which relates to the conduct of Lieutenant-General Earl Cornwallis, during The Campaign In North America, In The Year, 1781. By Earl Cornwallis. London: J. Debrett M.DCCLXXXIII 8vo Title pp xvi (6) 260 errata: 8 lines folded sheet at p236. ....... The total number of prelim pages did not add up, but Sabin 16811 verified that there were xvi introductory pages. Moreover, an image of the errata sheet that the seller provided in his listing showed 8 lines of errata. I was almost certain that the book was An Answer...... I was also almost certain that the book was missing 39 additional pages that the seller didn't know about. I went to abebooks and checked the prices of this book. There were seven copies of the 1783 edition of this book listed, ranging from $600 to $1075. I decided to snipe the auction with the intention of getting photocopies made of all the missing pages if I won. I won the auction for $31.00! After the auction was over, I notified the seller of my suspicions and asked him to verify that the page count was correct. He confirmed that there were only 226 pages. I stressed that I still wanted the book, and would let him know if my research was correct when the book arrived. When the book arrived, I opened it to the very last page. The last word on the page provided clearcut proof that the book was incomplete. The word was "NUM-." It was a catchword. Publishers inserted catchwords at the end of each page to assist printers and bookbinders in arranging the pages correctly. The catchword, "NUM-" was the first word of the next page that was published, page 227. The book itself had been rebound sometime in the 1800s. There was no evidence in the binding that pages were missing. In 1990, a bookseller paid California taxes on the book and incorrectly identified the title. I notified the seller of my findings. He offered me a full discount including shipment both ways. I thanked him for the offer, but respectfully declined. I'm keeping the book. I'm also getting photocopies made of all the missing pages. Jerry Morris Americana 109: The Last Word Welcome to Moi's Books About Books: http://www.tinyurl.com/hib7 My Sentimental Library http://www.picturetrail.com/mylibrary and moislibrary.com http://www.tinyurl.com/hisn |
Ads |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
FS-Collectible Word Game | stephen whittaker | General | 0 | February 20th 04 11:54 PM |
looking for outlets for vintage americana negatives 1880-1920 | Dr. Robert Selig | General | 0 | October 9th 03 08:23 AM |
The new forbidden word for colored water | JimL | Pens & Pencils | 3 | August 17th 03 04:32 PM |
The Word Is Out On Charlie | trippin2-8track | 8 Track Tapes | 3 | August 7th 03 01:10 PM |
Collecting word books | William M. Klimon | Books | 0 | July 26th 03 05:50 PM |