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Four Volumes of Rare ‘Bibliomaniac Edition’ of The Works of Charles Paul De Kock offered at Moran’s July 19th Antiques Auction |
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Four Volumes of Rare ‘Bibliomaniac Edition’ of The Works of Charles Paul De Kock offered at Moran’s July 19th Antiques Auction
Pasadena, CA-- Moran’s is delighted to announce that their July 19 Antiques Auction will feature four volumes of a landmark in the history of American book publishing. Published by Frederick J. Quinby & Co of Boston, and available by subscription only, the 1902 ‘Bibliomaniac Edition’ of the Works of Charles Paul De Kock was one of the most sumptuous editions of any work ever published in this country.
Each complete Bibliomaniac set comprised 48 volumes and only ten of the complete sets were published. Made of the most costly and rare materials, each set was originally priced at $50,000. The edition is printed on vellum using hand presses, requiring development of a special process to overcome the technical difficulty of printing on the oil-rich parchment. ‘American Printer’ magazine noted in an article about the Bibliomaniac edition that ‘‘this is the first time anybody here or abroad has attempted to print an entire edition on genuine parchment within three hundred years.’’ The magazine reported the cost of the 40,000 sheets of vellum that the edition used, imported from Europe, as $24,000.
Quinby & Co. enlisted top artists to illustrate the volumes with original works of art, including George Luks and John Sloan, whose etchings perfectly suit de Kock’s satirical style. Watercolors and drawings were hand-painted directly onto the parchment by William Glackens, Louis Meynell, E. Boyd Smith, W.F. Scott and many others. Of the 3600 illuminations throughout the ten sets, designed and hand painted by Helen Sinclair Patterson and Ella Grace Brown, who were assisted by a large staff, no two are alike. The illuminations alone were estimated by ‘American Printer’ to have cost $100,000.
The volumes were hand-bound in scarce red Levant Morocco leather (which reportedly cost Quinby $54,000) and decorated with hand-tooled tulips and lilies representing France and de Kock’s native Holland, and enclosed in a matching red leather slipcase adorned with 14K gold clasps. The clasps and flyleaves were personalized with the monogram or coats of arms of the owner.
Prior to publication Quinby also announced several other editions of De Kock’s Works, including the King Rene Edition, consisting of a single set, priced at$150,000; the Romainville Edition, consisting of 25 sets at $11,250 a set; the Passy Edition, consisting of 50 sets, at $3,125 a set; the St. Martin edition, consisting of 100 sets at $1,500 a set; the Memorial Edition, consisting of 250 sets at $750 a set; and the St. Gervais Edition, consisting of 500 sets at $375 a set. The King Rene Edition never sold.
The four ‘Bibliomaniac’ volumes in Moran’s sale are de Kock’s ‘Frere Jacques’ and include the original red leather boxes with the 14K yellow gold clasps, and they are monogrammed on the flyleaves with an ornate gilt ‘M’. They will be offered by Moran’s as one lot, and are estimated to realize $6000 – 9000.
Visit us at http://www.johnmoran.com for more information. Or call us at: (626) 793-1833 or email us at
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