Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - November - 2006 Issue
The Latest From Bauman Rare Books
Muhammad Ali walks away from floored Cleveland Williams in 1966 title bout.
One of the great mysteries of the ages, for Europeans anyway, was the source of the Nile River. One of the greatest explorations to find that source during the 18th century was headed up by James Bruce, who wrote about it in Travels to Discover the Source of the Nile, in the Years 1768...1773. Bruce undertook the long journey through the deserts of Egypt, but at the confluence of the Blue and White Niles, chose the lesser Blue branch, believing this was the Nile of the ancients. The result was that he was the first to discover the source of the Blue Nile, but few consider this to be the source of the Nile River. It would be almost another century before the source of the White Nile at Lake Victoria would finally be discovered. Item 49, published in 1790, is priced at $12,500.
Item 61 is a large lithograph (59.5" x 40") of the Andersonville Prison. As It Appeared August 1st 1864 When It Contained 35,000 Prisoners of War. One of those 35,000 was artist Private Thomas O'Dea, who drew this picture "from memory" in 1885. As he explained, if you were there, this panorama would remain seared in your memory "to your dying day." Horribly cramped quarters, terrible sanitation, inadequate food and shelter led to death rates of around 130 per day of northern prisoners. Along with the main panorama are vignettes of life in this terrible place. $6,000.
Item 27 is a most amazing poster-sized boxing photograph, taken the night of November 16, 1966. Taken from high above the ring, it shows Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams, sprawled upon the canvas, as a victorious Mohammad Ali returns to his corner. The high above location gives a unique birds-eye view of the ring and surrounding rows (click the small photograph to the left to enlarge). Many, including Ali himself, described this performance as among the best of his storied career. Williams was one of the toughest fighters of his era, though in fairness to the "Big Cat," who was knocked out in the third round, he was past his prime by the time he finally got his title shot. This photograph is signed by both photographer Neil Leifer and Ali. $7,200.
Bauman Rare Books may be visited online at www.baumanrarebooks.com, or reached by phone at 215-546-6473.
