AE Monthly

Article Archives Search

AE Reviews


European Books About Books from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books Old and Rare Books from Frits Knuf. By Michael Stillman Recently arrived is Old and Rare Books 2008 from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books of Paris. Knuf is a specialist in the "books about books" field, with a focus on European and English works. This latest presentation includes catalogues of many book collections, in libraries, private collections, or offered for sale at auction or by booksellers. There are books on the history of books, type, libraries, banned books, and more, including a few that don't fit the mold quite so neatly, such as a classic instruction manual on swimming. This is a great catalogue for those who collect in the book arts, especially with a European orientation. Here are a few examples of what is offered. Where better to start than with the giant of all book catalogues, A Catalogue of Books, issued by London bookseller Henry G. Bohn in 1841. Commonly known as the "Guinea Catalogue," Knuf describes it as "the biggest catalogue ever issued by a bookseller." While we cannot attest to this, I have certainly never seen anything else that comes close to the monumental 23,208 books listed for sale in this catalogue. They are listed alphabetically under 27 headings, each book fully described. Priced at €750 (Euros, or approximate US equivalent of $1,077). Item 21 represents a major breakthrough in understanding the language, and with that the history, of ancient Egypt. The work is Precis du Systeme Hieroglyphique des Anciens Egyptiens by Jean Francois Champollion. Champollion was a master of languages, including Coptic, an old Egyptian tongue still understood, unlike ancient Egyptian. Using his knowledge, he was able to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs from the Rosetta Stone, which was written in Egyptian, Coptic and Greek. Once he mastered the complex language, where glyphs could either represent concepts or sounds, he could translate the meaning of other ancient writings, indecipherable at the time. This first edition of his book was published in 1824. €6,000 (US $8,622). Sometimes national pride can get in the way of accuracy. Item 34 is one such example, a children's book by Petrus Dusseau, published in Amsterdam in 1839. The title is De Boekdrukkunst en Derzelver Uitvinder Laurens Jansz. Koster. It informs children that it was Koster, of Haarlem, who invented printing, not Gutenberg. Not many believe that any more, but it was a hard claim for the Dutch to surrender. Supposedly, Gutenberg's partner had earlier worked with Koster and stole his typesetting equipment, but no evidence has ever been found to establish this claim. In fact, it was not made until over a century after Gutenberg began rolling his Bibles off the press. €850 (US $1,222).
European Books About Books from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books This index of prohibited books graphically displays what should be done with them. Item 27 is a catalogue from one of the most notorious of booksellers and publishers, A Catalogue of Books printed for H. Curll... circa 1726. That would be Henry Curl, but he was really a front for his infamous father, Edmund Curll. Edmund published and sold all sorts of books, a combination of the worthy with scandalous and pornographic items. He also dabbled in patent medicines and published medical books based on made-up claims. He was noted for pirating others' works, and when they complained, he would just publish more. He would instigate disputes and then publish writings on both sides of the argument to sell more books. He would obtain writers' private letters, and if this were not sufficient, make some up. On occasion, he would go too far and be sued for libel or obscenity, several times being imprisoned. For a while, he officially dropped out of the business when the heat was too great, and allowed his son Henry, who apparently had no more scruples than his father, to front it. Such was the case in the period 1725-1728 when he was repeatedly prosecuted, which is why this catalogue is attributed to his son. €900 (US $1,290). Nothing can make a book more popular than a prohibition against reading it. Nevertheless, it took the Church many centuries to figure this out. The result was a flow of prohibition lists which likely encouraged as many readers as they discouraged. Item 49 is one such list, Index Librorum Prohibitorum, issued in 1761. This list had been drawn up during the papacy of Benedict XIV, though he died before this printing. €950 (US $1,363). Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books has a website at www.fritsknuf.com, and may be reached by telephone at +33 (0) 254 72 26 56.

European Books About Books from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books

Old and Rare Books from Frits Knuf.

By Michael Stillman

Recently arrived is Old and Rare Books 2008 from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books of Paris. Knuf is a specialist in the "books about books" field, with a focus on European and English works. This latest presentation includes catalogues of many book collections, in libraries, private collections, or offered for sale at auction or by booksellers. There are books on the history of books, type, libraries, banned books, and more, including a few that don't fit the mold quite so neatly, such as a classic instruction manual on swimming. This is a great catalogue for those who collect in the book arts, especially with a European orientation. Here are a few examples of what is offered.

Where better to start than with the giant of all book catalogues, A Catalogue of Books, issued by London bookseller Henry G. Bohn in 1841. Commonly known as the "Guinea Catalogue," Knuf describes it as "the biggest catalogue ever issued by a bookseller." While we cannot attest to this, I have certainly never seen anything else that comes close to the monumental 23,208 books listed for sale in this catalogue. They are listed alphabetically under 27 headings, each book fully described. Priced at €750 (Euros, or approximate US equivalent of $1,077).

Item 21 represents a major breakthrough in understanding the language, and with that the history, of ancient Egypt. The work is Precis du Systeme Hieroglyphique des Anciens Egyptiens by Jean Francois Champollion. Champollion was a master of languages, including Coptic, an old Egyptian tongue still understood, unlike ancient Egyptian. Using his knowledge, he was able to decipher the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs from the Rosetta Stone, which was written in Egyptian, Coptic and Greek. Once he mastered the complex language, where glyphs could either represent concepts or sounds, he could translate the meaning of other ancient writings, indecipherable at the time. This first edition of his book was published in 1824. €6,000 (US $8,622).

Sometimes national pride can get in the way of accuracy. Item 34 is one such example, a children's book by Petrus Dusseau, published in Amsterdam in 1839. The title is De Boekdrukkunst en Derzelver Uitvinder Laurens Jansz. Koster. It informs children that it was Koster, of Haarlem, who invented printing, not Gutenberg. Not many believe that any more, but it was a hard claim for the Dutch to surrender. Supposedly, Gutenberg's partner had earlier worked with Koster and stole his typesetting equipment, but no evidence has ever been found to establish this claim. In fact, it was not made until over a century after Gutenberg began rolling his Bibles off the press. €850 (US $1,222).

European Books About Books from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books

This index of prohibited books graphically displays what should be done with them.

Item 27 is a catalogue from one of the most notorious of booksellers and publishers, A Catalogue of Books printed for H. Curll... circa 1726. That would be Henry Curl, but he was really a front for his infamous father, Edmund Curll. Edmund published and sold all sorts of books, a combination of the worthy with scandalous and pornographic items. He also dabbled in patent medicines and published medical books based on made-up claims. He was noted for pirating others' works, and when they complained, he would just publish more. He would instigate disputes and then publish writings on both sides of the argument to sell more books. He would obtain writers' private letters, and if this were not sufficient, make some up. On occasion, he would go too far and be sued for libel or obscenity, several times being imprisoned. For a while, he officially dropped out of the business when the heat was too great, and allowed his son Henry, who apparently had no more scruples than his father, to front it. Such was the case in the period 1725-1728 when he was repeatedly prosecuted, which is why this catalogue is attributed to his son. €900 (US $1,290).

Nothing can make a book more popular than a prohibition against reading it. Nevertheless, it took the Church many centuries to figure this out. The result was a flow of prohibition lists which likely encouraged as many readers as they discouraged. Item 49 is one such list, Index Librorum Prohibitorum, issued in 1761. This list had been drawn up during the papacy of Benedict XIV, though he died before this printing. €950 (US $1,363).

Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books has a website at www.fritsknuf.com, and may be reached by telephone at +33 (0) 254 72 26 56.