Rare Book Monthly

Articles - June - 2018 Issue

A Clever Idea Turns a Library Theft into a Fundraising Event

Scene from American Animals.

Scene from American Animals.

Here is the ultimate example of turning lemons to lemonade. A book theft from a university library was turned into a movie, which is now being used to raise funds for that library. The thieves certainly did not plan it this way.

 

This story goes back to 2004. Four college students, aged 19-20, hatched a less than well-considered plan to steal some books from the Special Collections Library of Transylvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky. They would arrange a visit to the special collections library to view some valuable books, but then make off with them. In anticipation of their success, the set up a meeting with Christie's in New York to show them the books, some of which they had already identified.

 

They arranged a meeting with Mrs. Betty Jean Gooch, Special Collections Librarian, for December 16, 2004.They dressed up in costumes as older men, wigs and all, and approached the library. Apparently, they looked ridiculous, like something out of a theater performance, not like actual old men. They may even have been recognized. They left instead. They contacted Mrs. Gooch again, apologized for being out of town, and arranged for another meeting the next day. This one they kept.

 

On December 17, the four returned to the library. One stayed with the getaway van, one served as a lookout, and two entered the library. After some talk with Mrs. Gooch, they fired a small stun gun against her arm, tied her up, and blindfolded her. They then began gathering up the books they requested to see. The most valuable were four volumes of Audubon's double elephant folio of the first edition of Birds of America, valued at $4.8 million. Other items included a 1425 illuminated manuscript, valued at $200,000, a $450,000 circa 1500 book filled with woodcuts, some Audubon pencil drawings and his book on quadrupeds, and a first edition of On the Origin of Species.

 

The thieves anticipated the books would be bulky, so they took along a pink bed sheet to carry them. However, they were even heavier than they expected. They were forced to leave two of the Birds of America volumes behind, along with some other items, including one volume of Quadrupeds that got jammed in a drawer. With all that they could handle, the two got into a service elevator and headed for the employee-only exit.

 

Unfortunately for them, they were spotted by a second librarian as they attempted to escape. They had to hurry, dropping the other two volumes of the most valuable item, Audubon's Birds, before getting out of the library and into the waiting van.

 

Two days later, telling their parents they were off on a ski trip, the four drove to New York City, where they met with a representative of Christie's. They came with a story of representing some secretive collector. A suspicious Christie's said yes, these books could be sold. One of the young men left them his cell phone number. They returned to Kentucky, books in hand. Meanwhile, back home, police tracked down the email address the thieves had used to originally contact the librarian. It was a Yahoo account, and from that, they learned that same account had been used to contact Christie's. Christie's provided the phone number they had been given, which belonged to the account of one of the thieves' father, and to a phone used by his son. It was all over except for the official arrest, trial, and conviction, which all came in due order. The four were sentenced to six years each.

 

This whole event was sufficiently absurd and amateurish to warrant the making of a film of the account. The title is American Animals. It has been seen at film festivals, but the official release is set for June 1. It is a semi-documentary - part documentary, part entertainment. The thieves themselves appear, viewing the actors who play their parts. They have made the most of their misadventure (one of them also wrote a book). Even librarian and victim, Betty Jean Gooch, makes an appearance.

 

This brings us to the very clever fundraising idea. The producers of the movie have offered a prize to those who make a donation to the Special Collections Department of the Transylvania University Library. You get some number of entries, based on how many tickets you buy. The winner gets flown to New York, put up in a 4-star hotel, gets to meet actors Evan Peters, Blake Jenner, and Jared Abrahamson, view the film's premier, and attend the official after-party with cast and crew of American Animals. Unfortunately, we can only tell you about this clever fundraiser. It's too late to enter. The winner has already been drawn as the premier takes place the date this issue of Rare Book Monthly is released. But, all is not lost. You may be too late to enter the contest, but you are just in time to see the movie.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: The New-England Primer Improved. For the more easy attaining the true reading of English. Boston: Printed and Sold by John Boyles, 1770. EXTREMELY RARE AMERICAN PRIMER.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: Lansford W. Hastings. The Emigrants’ Guide to Oregon and California. Cincinnati. George Conclin, 1845. THE VERY RARE FIRST EDITION IN THE SCARCE ORIGINAL PRINTED WRAPPERS.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: J. D. Salinger. The Catcher in the Rye. Boston, 1951. first edition, a fine copy, in an unrestored first issue dust jacket.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas. London: Chapman & Hall, 1843. THE VERY FINE A.E NEWTON COPY.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: J. K. Rowling. Only known complete set of full unbound imposed sheets for the First Edition of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London: Bloomsbury, 1997.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: Jane Austen. Sense and Sensibility: A Novel in Three Volumes. By a Lady. London: for the author by C. Roworth and published by T. Egerton, 1811. FIRST EDITION IN A CONTEMPORARY BINDING.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: J. R. R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. First Editions, First Impressions. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1954-1955. A VERY FINE SET.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: Declaration of Independence. In: The Pennsylvania Ledger: Or the Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New-Jersey Weekly Advertiser. Philadelphia: James Humphreys, No. LXXVII, 13 July 1776.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: William Shakespeare. Mr. William Shakespear's Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies. London, 1685. THE FOURTH FOLIO.
    Heritage Auctions, May 8-9: Frank Herbert. Dune. Philadelphia and New York: Chilton Books, 1965. FIRST EDITION, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR
  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Books & Collectors’ Sale
    April 30th & May 1st
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Taylor (Geo.) & Skinner (A.) Maps of the Roads of Ireland, Surveyed 1777. Lond. & Dublin 1778. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Messingham (Thos.) Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum seu Vitae et Acta Sanctorum Hibernia, Paris 1624. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus). The Haw Lantern, L. (Faber & Faber) 1987, First Edn., Signed and dated. €225 to €350.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Valencey (Lt. Col. Chas.) Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Vols. I-IV, 4 vols. Dublin 1786. €400 to €600.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Powerscourt (Viscount). A Description and History of Powerscourt, Lond. 1903. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Moryson (Fynes). An Itinerary ... Containing His Ten Yeeres Travel Through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohermerland, Sweitzerland…, Lond. (John Beale) 1617. €700 to €1,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: After Buffon, Birds of Europe, c. 1820. Approx. 120 fine hd. cold. plts., mor. backed boards. €125 to €250.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Dunlevy (Andrew). An Teagasg Criosduidhe De Reir Ceasda agus Freagartha... The Catechism or Christian Doctrine by Way of Question and Answer, Paris (James Guerin) 1742. €400 to €700.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: The Georgian Society Records of Eighteen-Century Domestic Architecture in Dublin, 5 vols. Complete, Dublin 1909-1913. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Scale (Bernard). An Hibernian Atlas or General Description of the Kingdom of Ireland, L. (Robert Sayer & John Bennet) 1776. €625 to €850.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: [Johnson (Rev. Samuel)]. Julian the Apostate Being a Short Account of his Life, together with a Comparison of Popery and Paganism,L. (Langley Curtis) 1682. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Nichlson (Wm.) Illustrator. An Almanac of Twelve Sports, Lond. 1898. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) trans. The Light of the Leaves, 2 vols., Mexico (Imprenta de los Tropicos/Bunholt) 1999. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Fleming (Ian). Moonraker, L. (Jonathan Cape) 1955. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) & Egan (Felim) artist. Squarings, Twelve Poems, D. (Hieroglyph Editions Ltd.) 1991. €1,750 to €2,250.
  • Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN'S EXTREMELY RARE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINT. "Scene af: Røverne i Vissenberg i Fyen." in Harpen, 1822.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST THREE FAIRY TALE PAMPHLETS, WITH ALL INDICES AND TITLE PAGES. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: THE FIRST FAIRY TALES WITH A SIGNED CARTE DE VISITE OF ANDERSEN AS FRONTIS. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: KARL LAGERFELD. Original pastel and ink drawing in gold, red and black for Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes (1992), "La cassette de l'Empereur."
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY OF THE SIXTH PAMPHLET FOR PETER KOCH. Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn, Second Series, Third Pamphlet. 1841. Publisher's wrappers, complete with all pre- and post-matter.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN RARE AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED IN ENGLISH from "The Ugly Duckling," c.1860s.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HEINRICH LEFLER, ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOR ANDERSEN'S SNOW QUEEN, "Die Schneekönigin," 1910.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES IN ENGLISH. Wonderful Stories for Children. London, 1846.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN ON MEETING CHARLES DICKENS. Autograph Letter Signed ("H.C. Andersen") in English to William Jerdan, July 20, 1847.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR EDGAR COLLIN. Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Raekke. 1861.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: DOLL HOUSE FURNITURE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, DECORATED WITH FANTASTICAL CUT-OUTS, for the children of Jonna Stampe (née Drewsen), his godchildren.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR GEORG BRANDES. Dryaden. Et Eventyr fra Udstillingstiden i Paris 1867. 1868.

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