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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: "Tome Raider" In Jail Again, Book Returned 90 Years Late, New Publications - By Michael Stillman The Royal Horticultural Society was allegedly the By Michael Stillman It was a most unmerry Christmas for book thief William Jacques. Jacques is England's notorious "Tome Raider" of the 1990s, who allegedly did not learn his lesson. As they say, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Mr. Jacques once again finds himself in jail. Jacques, 40, originally from Selby in North Yorkshire, was an economics major, 1990 graduate of Cambridge University, became an accountant, and on the side, a book collector of the worst sort. At some point in the early 1990s, he began removing books from libraries, including that of Cambridge and the British Library. He had no intention of returning them. He brought them to numerous auction houses in Britain and on the continent. Some of the best material, such as two copies of Newton's Principia, he never attempted to sell. He must have realized they would immediately raise red flags. However, many other books did make their way to the auction rooms. It was finally the volume of sales he made that caught up with him. A book purchased at auction for just £120, and brought by the buyer to a bookseller, who recognized that identifying stamps had been removed, led to Jacques' arrest. The book was traced back to the auction house, which identified the consigner as Jacques, and discovered he had consigned many other titles. That led to the discovery that Jacques had also sold books at several other auction houses in England and Europe. Jacques repeatedly denied he had stolen the books, but as the heat began to build, he placed £360,000 in secret accounts and fled to Cuba. Cuba is where alleged Shakespearean thief Raymond Scott spent some time, making one wonder why this Communist nation seems like such a safe haven for the worst type of capitalists (other than its lack of extradition treaties). However, Jacques decided to return to England, where he was arrested. Jacques continued to deny, and chose to go to trial rather than plead guilty. He was convicted of stealing books valued at around £1.1 million and sentenced to four years in prison. According to police, Jacques returned to his old trade in either late 2006 or early 2007. It is alleged he stole a 13-volume set of Nouvelle Iconographies des Camellias by Ambroise Verschaffelt from the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library in London. This is a set of color plate books valued at £40,000-£50,000. Again following old habits, Jacques disappeared after jumping bail in April of 2007. That led to the Christmas day arrest in his native Selby as a result of a tip. Jacques, now of no known address, was brought before a judge on January 21, and will be back again in February when a trial date should be set. Meanwhile, he is safely ensconced in the local jail, and it seems unlikely he will be released before trial again. The whereabouts of the books, unfortunately, remains unknown.
In The News: "Tome Raider" In Jail Again, Book Returned 90 Years Late, New Publications - By Michael Stillman Limited edition (500 copies) book on Charles Gesmer. The Champaign (Illinois) Public Library found a pair of overdue books recently in their return bin. "Overdue" is something of an understatement. They were about 90 years late. They were returned anonymously with a note of explanation. There is good reason the returner, who said they were in a trunk at that person's mother's house for 60 years, kept anonymous. Based on the two cents per day fine in place at the time, the fine would now be $1,300. The books were United States History and Constitution and Benefits Forgot: A Story of Lincoln and Mother Love. Both books are in deplorable condition and probably not worth one day's worth of fines, let alone 90 years. Library Director Martha Grove was quoted as saying that she thinks the library must be close to the record for receiving the longest overdue return. She should just be thankful she got her books back so fast. Washington and Lee University recently had a book returned 145 years late, taken during the Civil War. We have received notice of two recently published books, and while we have not read, nor likely could fully appreciate them as they are in very finely targeted niches, here they are for anyone interested in Charles Gesmar or mushrooms. Gesmar was a French artist noted for his posters. He was greatly admired by the writer Jean Cocteau. The book is Charles Gesmar 1900-1928, and author Angelo Luerti has conducted painstaking research into the short life of the artist such as is unlikely to have ever been done before. If you are interested in Gesmar, here is a link to a PDF (downloadable) file describing the book: http://www.delabelleepoqueauxanneesfolles.com/Photos/Quartino%20CHARLES%20GESMAR%2010-03.pdf. The second item is actually a catalogue, and it comes from Christian Volbracht of German bookseller Antiquariat MykoLibri. Volbracht is the author of a bibliography on books about mushrooms, and the most extensive one of which we are aware (though we admit to not having done much research). MykoLibri is likely the only bookseller dealing exclusively in books about fungi, selling only through catalogues and their own website. Though a German seller, their website is available in the German, English, and French languages. Here is a link to the English version, but you can click at the bottom to switch to either of the other languages: http://www.mykolibri.de/?lang=en.

In The News: "Tome Raider" In Jail Again, Book Returned 90 Years Late, New Publications

- By Michael Stillman

The Royal Horticultural Society was allegedly the

By Michael Stillman

It was a most unmerry Christmas for book thief William Jacques. Jacques is England's notorious "Tome Raider" of the 1990s, who allegedly did not learn his lesson. As they say, those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Mr. Jacques once again finds himself in jail.

Jacques, 40, originally from Selby in North Yorkshire, was an economics major, 1990 graduate of Cambridge University, became an accountant, and on the side, a book collector of the worst sort. At some point in the early 1990s, he began removing books from libraries, including that of Cambridge and the British Library. He had no intention of returning them. He brought them to numerous auction houses in Britain and on the continent. Some of the best material, such as two copies of Newton's Principia, he never attempted to sell. He must have realized they would immediately raise red flags. However, many other books did make their way to the auction rooms. It was finally the volume of sales he made that caught up with him. A book purchased at auction for just £120, and brought by the buyer to a bookseller, who recognized that identifying stamps had been removed, led to Jacques' arrest. The book was traced back to the auction house, which identified the consigner as Jacques, and discovered he had consigned many other titles. That led to the discovery that Jacques had also sold books at several other auction houses in England and Europe.

Jacques repeatedly denied he had stolen the books, but as the heat began to build, he placed £360,000 in secret accounts and fled to Cuba. Cuba is where alleged Shakespearean thief Raymond Scott spent some time, making one wonder why this Communist nation seems like such a safe haven for the worst type of capitalists (other than its lack of extradition treaties). However, Jacques decided to return to England, where he was arrested. Jacques continued to deny, and chose to go to trial rather than plead guilty. He was convicted of stealing books valued at around £1.1 million and sentenced to four years in prison.

According to police, Jacques returned to his old trade in either late 2006 or early 2007. It is alleged he stole a 13-volume set of Nouvelle Iconographies des Camellias by Ambroise Verschaffelt from the Royal Horticultural Society's Lindley Library in London. This is a set of color plate books valued at £40,000-£50,000. Again following old habits, Jacques disappeared after jumping bail in April of 2007. That led to the Christmas day arrest in his native Selby as a result of a tip. Jacques, now of no known address, was brought before a judge on January 21, and will be back again in February when a trial date should be set. Meanwhile, he is safely ensconced in the local jail, and it seems unlikely he will be released before trial again. The whereabouts of the books, unfortunately, remains unknown.

In The News: "Tome Raider" In Jail Again, Book Returned 90 Years Late, New Publications

- By Michael Stillman

Limited edition (500 copies) book on Charles Gesmer.

The Champaign (Illinois) Public Library found a pair of overdue books recently in their return bin. "Overdue" is something of an understatement. They were about 90 years late. They were returned anonymously with a note of explanation. There is good reason the returner, who said they were in a trunk at that person's mother's house for 60 years, kept anonymous. Based on the two cents per day fine in place at the time, the fine would now be $1,300. The books were United States History and Constitution and Benefits Forgot: A Story of Lincoln and Mother Love. Both books are in deplorable condition and probably not worth one day's worth of fines, let alone 90 years. Library Director Martha Grove was quoted as saying that she thinks the library must be close to the record for receiving the longest overdue return. She should just be thankful she got her books back so fast. Washington and Lee University recently had a book returned 145 years late, taken during the Civil War.

We have received notice of two recently published books, and while we have not read, nor likely could fully appreciate them as they are in very finely targeted niches, here they are for anyone interested in Charles Gesmar or mushrooms. Gesmar was a French artist noted for his posters. He was greatly admired by the writer Jean Cocteau. The book is Charles Gesmar 1900-1928, and author Angelo Luerti has conducted painstaking research into the short life of the artist such as is unlikely to have ever been done before. If you are interested in Gesmar, here is a link to a PDF (downloadable) file describing the book: http://www.delabelleepoqueauxanneesfolles.com/Photos/Quartino%20CHARLES%20GESMAR%2010-03.pdf.

The second item is actually a catalogue, and it comes from Christian Volbracht of German bookseller Antiquariat MykoLibri. Volbracht is the author of a bibliography on books about mushrooms, and the most extensive one of which we are aware (though we admit to not having done much research). MykoLibri is likely the only bookseller dealing exclusively in books about fungi, selling only through catalogues and their own website. Though a German seller, their website is available in the German, English, and French languages. Here is a link to the English version, but you can click at the bottom to switch to either of the other languages: http://www.mykolibri.de/?lang=en.