Travels and Other Books from Librairie Thomas-Scheler
Books exhibited in San Francisco by Librairie Thomas-Scheler.
By Michael Stillman
Librairie Thomas-Scheler recently published a List of the Books Exhibited at the recent California Antiquarian Book Fair. These are certainly works of importance, as one does not bring books all the way from Paris to San Francisco if they are not significant. Thomas-Scheler offers mostly books that more than qualify for the label "antiquarian," including some items of incunabula. As expected of very early items, most are European in origin. However, Americana collectors are not ignored as they offer books of early European Americana. Following are a few of the books that recently made the journey to the New World.
Captain Cook made the trip to America's west coast a couple of centuries before the Clavreuils of Librairie Thomas-Scheler. It was considerably more difficult and time-consuming in those days, though at least dinner in San Francisco was not yet so pricey. Unfortunately, Cook was killed by locals in Hawaii on his way back, unlikely to be the fate of current visitors to the fair who stop at those islands on their return. Item 45 is the very rare first French edition of Heinrich Zimmerman's account of Cook's third and final voyage. This book gave the world an advance look at this trip as it was published in 1782, prior to the official account. Zimmerman served on the lower deck of the Discovery, but was sufficiently literate to keep a shorthand account of what he saw. His account, which first appeared a year earlier in his native German, preceded the official account by three years. It includes descriptions of Pacific Indian tribes and an eyewitness account of the death of Cook. The title, in French, is Dernier voyage du Capitaine Cook autour du Monde... Priced at $20,000.
There was a French trip to California even earlier, though it did not make it as far north as San Francisco. Jean-Baptiste Chappe D'Auteroche led a French expedition to the Pacific to view the transit of Venus across the sun in 1769. This was the same transit that Cook set out for the Pacific to view on his first voyage. This voyage made it to Baja California just in time to achieve its goal, only to have illness hit the crew a few days later, taking many lives, including that of its leader. The book is Voyage en Californie pour l'observation du passage de Venus...published in 1772. Item 9. $12,000.
Of course, the French were active in North America long before this. They were the first to explore much of Canada and the Louisiana Territory in the 17th century. Less well known is their even earlier attempt to settle Florida. In 1564, with the support of the French King, Rene Laudonniere led three ships of French Protestants, not particularly welcome in France, on a voyage to settle Florida. It was a classic example of everything that can go wrong going wrong. It started out auspiciously. The settlers were welcomed by natives, and set up a fort and settlement.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: APRES DE MANNEVILLETTE Le Neptune Oriental
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSAS Eaux fortes de la Sicile et quelques vues d’Espagne
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSINI DE THURY Carte générale et particulière de la France.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: JOUY; GARNERAY Vues des côtes de France dans l'Océan et dans la Méditerranée
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LA PÉROUSE Voyage autour du monde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISIERE Voyage dans les Mers de l’Inde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LICENT Hoang Ho, Pai Ho, Loan Ho, Leao Ho. Itinéraires suivis dans le bassin du golfe du Pei Tcheuly
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: FRENCH SCHOOL FROM THE 19th CENTURY Panorama d’Athènes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PEETERS Description des principales villes, havres et isles du golfe de Venise
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PÉRON; FREYCINET Voyage de découverte aux terres australes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: STACKELBERG La Grèce : vues pittoresques et topographiques.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: VALENTINER Atlas des Sonnensystems.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). The Thirteen Problems, first edition, The Crime Club, 1932. £15,000 to £20,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Dumb Witness, first edition, 1937. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Cards on the Table, first edition, The Crime Club, 1936. £2,000 to £3,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Carr (John Dickson)], "Carter Dickson" and John Rhode. Drop to his Death, first edition, Heinemann, [1939]. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Berkeley (Anthony). Jumping Jenny, first edition, Hodder and Stoughton, 1933. £800 to £1,200.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Marsh (Ngaio). Overture to Death, first edition, The Crime Club, 1939. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Day-Lewis (Cecil)] "Nicholas Blake". The Beast Must Die, first edition, 1938. £750 to £1,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Brand (Christianna). Green for Danger, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, John Lane the Bodley Head, 1945. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Murder is Easy, first edition, signed by the author, 1939. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Sayers (Dorothy L.) Lord Peter Views the Body, first edition, Gollancz, 1928. £6,000 to £8,000.
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Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 11,135 USD
Sotheby’s: Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. 33,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. War and Peace, 1886. 22,500 USD
Sotheby’s: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1902. 7,500 USD
Sotheby’s: F. Scott Fitzgerald. This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and Others, 1920-1941. 24,180 USD
Freeman’s | Hindman Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana November 14
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: LEROUX, Gaston. The Phantom of the Opera. FIRST AM. ED, FIRST ISSUE IN THE VERY RARE DUST JACKET. 1911. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD, John. A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds. L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: A COMPLETE RUN of Limited Editions Club publications, v.p. [mostly New York], 1929-2010. $50,000 – 60,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: ORWELL, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Lon., 1949. FIRST EDITION IN A VERY FINE DUST JACKET. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD. A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans. L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:The Federalist. NY, 1788. FIRST EDITION, THICK PAPER COPY. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: SELBY. Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology. Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.