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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten - By Michael Stillman Women's Suffrage from the other "Bard," William McGonagall. By Michael Stillman Transylvania University, of Lexington, Kentucky, is back in the news this month for thefts at its library. Transylvania was the victim of a bizarre book theft four years ago when four college-age young men, including a student, tied up a librarian and made off with valuable works, including some Audubon items. However, they left a trail of emails to Christie's that led to their downfall when they attempted to have the items auctioned. Recently, their appeal to have their sentences reduced resulted in just the opposite - an increase in the time they must serve. At issue this time is a much older theft, though one only just realized. The FBI charged an Indiana man on May 19 with stealing several items related to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina, back in 1994. However, the theft went unknown for years as Transylvania had not conducted an inventory of its Jefferson Davis collection in decades. It only came to light when the items were put up for auction at Alexander Auctions in Stamford, Connecticut. A Davis expert in Texas recognized them as belonging to the collection at Transylvania and contacted the university. A review of the logs at the library along with who brought the items to the auction house revealed the timing of the theft and suspect. Charged was 70-year-old Eugene Zollman of LaPorte, Indiana. Zollman is said to be a Davis collector and impersonator, one who researched everything he could find about the Confederate leader so that he could present impersonations at schools and events. Unlike Davis, who was imprisoned for two years but never tried after the Civil War, Zollman will soon have his day in court. Meanwhile, Transylvania, which Davis attended in the 1820s, has beefed up its security as a result of the earlier theft. In a long overdue tribute to his genius, a collection of 35 broadsheet poems by William McGonagall, most signed by the poet himself, was sold at auction by Lyon and Turnbull this past May 16. The collection took in £5,500, or a little over $10,000. McGonagall would have been pleased by the positive recognition. The British lyricist from Dundee has long been saddled with the reputation of "the world's worst poet." McGonagall was noted for writing poetry about either banal topics, or recent tragedies in a sing-song type of rhyme that even his contemporaries recognized as horrid. Reportedly, when he gave readings, people would jeer and throw vegetables at him. McGonagall was unfazed. He continued to write and recite, never doubting his talent. Talented he was, though perhaps not in the way he imagined. He was the greatest at his art - the art of bad poetry.
In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten - By Michael Stillman McGonagall is best known for his epic poem The Tay Bridge Disaster. This poem celebrated the terrible collapse of a bridge in his hometown with much loss of life. It begins: Alas! I am very sorry to say, That ninety lives have been taken away, On the last Sabbath day of 1879, Which will be remember'd for a very long time. You, of course, remember that one. Well here are lines from a few others, not as well known, which were in the current collection. First, there is The Burning of the People's Variety Theatre, Aberdeen: Twas in the year of 1896, and on the 30th of September, Which many people in Aberdeen will long remember; The burning of the People's Variety Theatre, in Bridge Place, Because the fire spread like lightning at a rapid pace. That one is kind of reminiscent of the Tay Bridge Disaster. Then, there is this tribute to Glasgow: 'Tis beautiful to see the ships passing to and fro, Laden with goods for the high and the low, So let the beautiful city of Glasgow flourish, And may the inhabitants always find food their bodies to nourish. However, if you think we are making too much sport of McGonagall, he deserves credit for sentiments ahead of his time, as expressed in this 1884 poem, Women's Suffrage: Fellow men! why should the lords try to despise And prohibit women from having the benefit of the parliamentary Franchise? When they pay the same taxes as you and me I consider they ought to have the same liberty. And I consider if they are not allowed the same liberty, From taxation every one of them should be set free; And if they are not, it is really very unfair, And an act of injustice I must solemnly declare. Space prevents our further publishing of his words, but there were many more equally artistic poems by the prolific poet in this lot, none of which seem to damage the reputation McGonagall established. One hundred forty-three years after Lee surrendered to Grant, the Civil War claimed yet another victim. If estimates of 618,000 dead are correct, that number can now be raised to 618,001. The latest victim was Sam White who for years searched the Virginia countryside for Civil War relics. Among the items he collected were unexploded shells and cannonballs. He was an expert in dealing with the unspent ammunition, but for some reason, this highly explosive Civil War cannonball detonated while White was restoring it, costing him his life.
In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten - By Michael Stillman AbeBooks announced its ten most expensive books for April, a mix of languages, with French, Italian, and lots of Latin to go with English. At the top, is an item in English, but Abe notes that it was sold to an Italian collector on their newly opened Italian site, AbeBooks.it. 10. Histoire de l'oeil by Lord Auch, written by Georges Bataille. It is described as being about "the sexual experimentation of two teenage lovers, and their increasing perversion." Sounds artistic. $4,566. 9. Memoire pour le Sieur de Boishebert by Charles Deschamps of Boishebert. The Quebec-born Deschamps recounts his role as a French soldier from 1746-1760. $4,719. 8. The Works of Samuel Beckett, number 195 of a 200 set limited edition from 1970, signed by Beckett. $5,182. 7. Comedias Verdaderas by Tirso de Molina, three volumes published from 1734-1736 by the Spanish poet. $5,300. 6. AMBIX, 53 volumes of the journal of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, published from 1937-2006. $5,688. 5. Viaggio Negle Stati Uniti Dell'America Settentrio by Luigi Castiglioni, the travels of this Italian Count to the American South. $7,500. 4. Corpus Nummorum Italicorum, a 20-volume reference on Italian coins published from 1910-1943. $7,500. 3. Historia Plantarum Universalis by Johann Bauhin, an important botanical work published in 1650-1651. 2. Biblia Latina, a newly translated Bible printed by Johannes Herbort de Seligenstadt in 1484. $10,807. 1. An autographed letter signed by Edward Lear dated September 9, 1867, containing a self-character sketch. Lear is best known as author of The Owl and the Pussycat. $11,491.

In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten

- By Michael Stillman

Women's Suffrage from the other "Bard," William McGonagall.

By Michael Stillman

Transylvania University, of Lexington, Kentucky, is back in the news this month for thefts at its library. Transylvania was the victim of a bizarre book theft four years ago when four college-age young men, including a student, tied up a librarian and made off with valuable works, including some Audubon items. However, they left a trail of emails to Christie's that led to their downfall when they attempted to have the items auctioned. Recently, their appeal to have their sentences reduced resulted in just the opposite - an increase in the time they must serve.

At issue this time is a much older theft, though one only just realized. The FBI charged an Indiana man on May 19 with stealing several items related to Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his wife, Varina, back in 1994. However, the theft went unknown for years as Transylvania had not conducted an inventory of its Jefferson Davis collection in decades. It only came to light when the items were put up for auction at Alexander Auctions in Stamford, Connecticut. A Davis expert in Texas recognized them as belonging to the collection at Transylvania and contacted the university. A review of the logs at the library along with who brought the items to the auction house revealed the timing of the theft and suspect.

Charged was 70-year-old Eugene Zollman of LaPorte, Indiana. Zollman is said to be a Davis collector and impersonator, one who researched everything he could find about the Confederate leader so that he could present impersonations at schools and events. Unlike Davis, who was imprisoned for two years but never tried after the Civil War, Zollman will soon have his day in court. Meanwhile, Transylvania, which Davis attended in the 1820s, has beefed up its security as a result of the earlier theft.

In a long overdue tribute to his genius, a collection of 35 broadsheet poems by William McGonagall, most signed by the poet himself, was sold at auction by Lyon and Turnbull this past May 16. The collection took in £5,500, or a little over $10,000. McGonagall would have been pleased by the positive recognition. The British lyricist from Dundee has long been saddled with the reputation of "the world's worst poet."

McGonagall was noted for writing poetry about either banal topics, or recent tragedies in a sing-song type of rhyme that even his contemporaries recognized as horrid. Reportedly, when he gave readings, people would jeer and throw vegetables at him. McGonagall was unfazed. He continued to write and recite, never doubting his talent. Talented he was, though perhaps not in the way he imagined. He was the greatest at his art - the art of bad poetry.

In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten

- By Michael Stillman

McGonagall is best known for his epic poem The Tay Bridge Disaster. This poem celebrated the terrible collapse of a bridge in his hometown with much loss of life. It begins:

Alas! I am very sorry to say,
That ninety lives have been taken away,
On the last Sabbath day of 1879,
Which will be remember'd for a very long time.

You, of course, remember that one. Well here are lines from a few others, not as well known, which were in the current collection. First, there is The Burning of the People's Variety Theatre, Aberdeen:

Twas in the year of 1896, and on the 30th of September,
Which many people in Aberdeen will long remember;
The burning of the People's Variety Theatre, in Bridge Place,
Because the fire spread like lightning at a rapid pace.

That one is kind of reminiscent of the Tay Bridge Disaster. Then, there is this tribute to Glasgow:

'Tis beautiful to see the ships passing to and fro,
Laden with goods for the high and the low,
So let the beautiful city of Glasgow flourish,
And may the inhabitants always find food their bodies to nourish.

However, if you think we are making too much sport of McGonagall, he deserves credit for sentiments ahead of his time, as expressed in this 1884 poem, Women's Suffrage:

Fellow men! why should the lords try to despise
And prohibit women from having the benefit of the parliamentary Franchise?
When they pay the same taxes as you and me
I consider they ought to have the same liberty.

And I consider if they are not allowed the same liberty,
From taxation every one of them should be set free;
And if they are not, it is really very unfair,
And an act of injustice I must solemnly declare.

Space prevents our further publishing of his words, but there were many more equally artistic poems by the prolific poet in this lot, none of which seem to damage the reputation McGonagall established.

One hundred forty-three years after Lee surrendered to Grant, the Civil War claimed yet another victim. If estimates of 618,000 dead are correct, that number can now be raised to 618,001. The latest victim was Sam White who for years searched the Virginia countryside for Civil War relics. Among the items he collected were unexploded shells and cannonballs. He was an expert in dealing with the unspent ammunition, but for some reason, this highly explosive Civil War cannonball detonated while White was restoring it, costing him his life.

In The News: Another Transylvania Book Theft, World's Worst Poet at Auction, Abe's Top Ten

- By Michael Stillman

AbeBooks announced its ten most expensive books for April, a mix of languages, with French, Italian, and lots of Latin to go with English. At the top, is an item in English, but Abe notes that it was sold to an Italian collector on their newly opened Italian site, AbeBooks.it.

10. Histoire de l'oeil by Lord Auch, written by Georges Bataille. It is described as being about "the sexual experimentation of two teenage lovers, and their increasing perversion." Sounds artistic. $4,566.

9. Memoire pour le Sieur de Boishebert by Charles Deschamps of Boishebert. The Quebec-born Deschamps recounts his role as a French soldier from 1746-1760. $4,719.

8. The Works of Samuel Beckett, number 195 of a 200 set limited edition from 1970, signed by Beckett. $5,182.

7. Comedias Verdaderas by Tirso de Molina, three volumes published from 1734-1736 by the Spanish poet. $5,300.

6. AMBIX, 53 volumes of the journal of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry, published from 1937-2006. $5,688.

5. Viaggio Negle Stati Uniti Dell'America Settentrio by Luigi Castiglioni, the travels of this Italian Count to the American South. $7,500.

4. Corpus Nummorum Italicorum, a 20-volume reference on Italian coins published from 1910-1943. $7,500.

3. Historia Plantarum Universalis by Johann Bauhin, an important botanical work published in 1650-1651.

2. Biblia Latina, a newly translated Bible printed by Johannes Herbort de Seligenstadt in 1484. $10,807.

1. An autographed letter signed by Edward Lear dated September 9, 1867, containing a self-character sketch. Lear is best known as author of The Owl and the Pussycat. $11,491.