Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - October - 2006 Issue
Material Culture and English Country Estates from Charles Wood
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For example, items 55 and 56 are copies of The History of Belvoir Castle, from the Norman Conquest to the Nineteenth Century, by Rev. Irwin Eller. For those who have forgotten, the Norman Conquest goes back to 1066, so this history covers a long, long time. The castle was severely damaged by local forces and rebuilt about halfway through this period, in 1449. Along with its history, the book gives a detailed accounting of the many rooms in the castle and their contents as of the time of its printing in 1841. Item 55 is a large paper copy of this book ($550) while item 56 is the regular size ($350).
Item 104 is an auction catalogue, A Catalogue of the Classic Contents of Strawberry Hill collected by Horace Walpole. Strawberry Hill was something of a miniature Gothic castle, put together in stages, and perhaps without a master plan. Horace Walpole, the owner and builder, was the son of 18th century British Prime Minister Robert Walpole, and a Member of Parliament himself. However, he died in 1797 without heirs, and 45 years later, the contents of his home were put on the block. The auction was enormous, carrying on for 24 days. The first six were spent auctioning his books alone. The auctioneer, George Robins, is said to have been given to hyperbole, but it didn't help. The auction was not well-attended and the results were disappointing. It didn't matter to Walpole. $400.
Charles Wood may be found online at www.cbwoodbooks.com, telephone 617-868-1711.
