Catalogue of the Well-Known and very Valuable Library formed at the Durdans, Epsom, by the late Rt. Honble. the Earl of Rosebery. The Third and Final Portion. The Napoleonic Collection. [Includes supplement]. (1933)
Catalog n°340 from November 1999 of the Jean Clavreuil Historical Library - From Bonaparte to Napoleon.
A sumptuous collection, containing political and literary manuscripts, classics, and a whole section of 'Books relating to horses, horsemanship and sport in general'.
“The essential feature of the library is its freedom from specialization” (saleroom report, in The Times, London, 24 May 1933, p.13). It contained the four Shakespeare folios (the First made a record price, selling for £14,500 to Rosenbach for Francis Joseph Hogan; the Second and Third also fell to Rosenbach, for £440 and £2000), a manuscript of Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan” (sold to the Chicago dealer Walter Hill, £2100; the Morgan Library purchased it in 1947 from James F. Drake), Keat’s “Endymion”, a presentation copy from the author to Leigh Hunt (also Hill, £2400; now NYPL, Berg Collection). The Napoleonic collection contained a great number of letters either written by Napoleon or addressed to him, including eight love letters written to Josephine between June 1796 and May 1800 (Maggs, £4400), and Napoleon’s farewell letter to Marie Louise on leaving for Elba dated 20 April 1814 (also Maggs, £1000). The plaster cast of Napoleon’s face taken at St Helena by Dr Antommachi, formerly in the collection of Prince Anatole Demidoff, made just £40 (its last known owner was Octave Aubry)
Catalogue of the well-known and very valuable library formed at Durdans, Epsom, by the late Rt. Hon.ble. the Earl of Rosebery, KG, KT, sold by order of his daughter Lady Sybil Grant, and (in the case of heirlooms) with the consent of the court: The third and final portion: the Napoleonic collection (catalogue for an auction conducted by Sotheby & Co., London, 25 July 1933)
From Ex-libraris Christ College Canterbury and inscribed.
- Hard Cover
- c.75 pages
- In Good Condition
