50 Giants Of Western Civilization
From The 19th Century Shop
50 Giants of Western Civilization
By Michael Stillman
The 19th Century Shop celebrates its 100th catalogue with a short list of titles that truly lives up to its name: “50 Giants of Western Civilization.” The names you will find in this catalogue include Shakespeare, Washington, Galileo, Einstein, Darwin, Lincoln, Rousseau, Spinoza, Melville, Plutarch, Whitman, Joyce, and more. There’s an early King James Bible, first printing of a portion of the Book of Mormon, an 11th century Exodus scroll and Herzl’s first call for a Jewish state. For those of a nonreligious mind, there’s Marx’s Das Kapital. For map collectors, there’s Apianus’ map from 1520, the earliest obtainable map including the name “America.”
The 19th Century Shop treats these giants with the respect they deserve. This is a 116-page 9” x 12 1/2” profusely illustrated catalogue devoted to just 50 works. Here are a few samplings from this catalogue which is a work itself.
We’ll start with music. There is a first edition of what may be the most famous piece of music ever, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Everyone knows at least the first four notes of this masterpiece. This is a very rare copy in its original wrappers and the 19th Century Shop estimates that this “is likely the finest copy in private hands.” Priced at $35,000.
Timothy Pickering was a close advisor of George Washington during the Revolutionary War, whom America’s first president would later appoint to three cabinet posts: postmaster general, secretary of war, and secretary of state. Despite the praise and confidence in him shown by Washington, Pickering was not the hero-worshiper of his benefactor the way so many others were of the nation’s first leader. Offered here is a 42-page unpublished manuscript written by Pickering to a friend in 1824. In it, he speaks of Washington’s caution and slow decision-making as a general and attributes much of his success as a general to the advice of others. Some may look at this less worshipful view of Washington as diminishing the general’s image, but I don’t think so. What I see is a man willing to listen carefully to others, even if their opinions differed, and more interested in adopting the right choices for his country than proving his own opinions to be right. If anything, Pickering’s comments confirm the willingness of this man to place his own ego and assumptions behind the needs of his country. Can this be said of most of today’s politicians? It may not have been his intent, but Pickering seems to confirm the greatness of this truly unique man who gave his country the gift of freedom. $90,000.
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50 Giants Of Western Civilization
From The 19th Century Shop
The first printing of any of the Book of Mormon was in the Reflector from Palmyra, New York
Mark Twain is, of course, known as a writer, perhaps America’s finest, but here offered is Twain’s copy of another’s book, William Stills’ The Underground Railroad. Still’s book is a first-hand account of the underground railroad in Philadelphia. Still was a child of former slaves who escaped through the “railroad,” and he retells the harrowing escapes of many other slaves. What makes this copy remarkable is not only that it came from Twain’s library, but that it contains a hand-written 146-word story of an escape penned by Twain himself. It tells of a Mrs. Luckett and her three-year-old daughter, who, with the aid of her escaped-slave brother, and paper hearts used as coded messages, makes the journey north herself. She lands in Elmira, New York, and eventually, reaches secure freedom in Canada. The story evidently came from Twain’s mother-in-law, and a reading of the anecdote leaves little doubt of where their sympathies lie. $45,000.
Among the most popular movies today are those from The Lord of the Rings, but once upon a time, this was a book. Offered is a manuscript letter from J.R.R. Tolkien discussing the dust jacket for the first edition of Lord of the Rings. In it, he describes the symbolism of the rings on the jacket he designed, a modified version of which was eventually used. $22,000.
“In War – Resolution. In Defeat – Defiance. In Victory – Magnanimity. In Peace – Goodwill.” That is certainly a Churchillian motto, so it should be of no surprise to see these words written by Winston Churchill. Finding a copy of these words in his hand is something else. It is available in this catalogue. What may be a bit unexpected is the date of this writing: not the 1940s, but January 21, 1921. Even then he knew. $65,000.
One of the most important books for the formation of the United States was The Federalist, a collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and published in 1788. They promoted a strong central government at a time when America was thirteen colonies, not the United States. It was enormously influential in the formation of the American government. Offered is a rare copy of this important work in its original boards. Price on request.
John Adams also wrote an influential book at the time, A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States of America. In it, Adams rejects the idea of perfect democracy with a single legislative body and opts for a system of checks and balances, with three separate branches of government. Adams has never held the stature of many of his contemporaries, including his rival but later friend Thomas Jefferson. His crusty personality plus the unlamented Alien and Sedition Act have tended to blot out the enormous contributions and foresight of the nation’s first vice-president and second chief executive. That is unfortunate. $40,000.
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50 Giants Of Western Civilization
From The 19th Century Shop
A collection of material from baseball slugger Babe Ruth.
On a lighter side, we have a collection of correspondence from baseball legend Babe Ruth to his butcher. Charles Weber, proprietor of Weber’s Market in Bronxville, was obviously a friend as well. Ruth sent letters, postcards, and other memorabilia to “Charley” or “Charlie,” from places where he vacationed, such as Mexico City, Acapulco, and Miami. In a 1946 letter, Ruth exclaims “I hope that all concerned live to be one hundred or more years old and then some that we can celebrate many more birthdays.” Unfortunately, Ruth got to celebrate only two more, dying in 1948 still 47 years shy of 100. $40,000.
The first printing of the Book of Mormon from Palmyra, New York, in 1830 is one of the most collectible of religious texts. However, excerpts from the Book of Mormon appeared a year earlier, a bootleg copy, so to speak, printed in The Reflector, a newspaper from Palmyra. Seems The Reflector was published from the same press on which the Book itself would be printed. Newspaper publisher and Justice of the Peace Abner Cole, printing under the alias “O. Dogberry,” stole a few excerpts and put them on the press. Cole’s project came to an end after a less than happy Joseph Smith appeared and put a stop to it. Cole would go on to respond unkindly to Smith in later editions of The Reflector. $175,000.
The 19th Century Shop may be found online at www.19thcenturyshop.com or may be reached by phone at 410-539-2586.
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