(Johnson, Samuel) Eddy, Donald D. (editor) SALE CATALOGUES OF THE LIBRARIES OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, HESTER LYNCH THRALE (MRS. PIOZZI) AND JAMES BOSWELL.
With Introductions by Donald D. Eddy. New Castle, Delaware Oak Knoll Books 1993 8vo. quarter leather, paper over boards. (vii), 320 pages. First edition, limited to 210 numbered copies. In studying great authors, one of the persisting lines of inquiry has involved questions of influence and association. What specific authors influenced our writer? What books has he read, quoted from, or owned? The obvious first way to answer these questions is to examine the author's own published writings. Other ways include examining the author's correspondence; letters of the author's friends and acquaintances; contemporary biographical accounts; locating the actual physical volumes owned by the author or presented to others, etc. An important part of this process is examining any available list of the books in the author's library. All too frequently - and this is true in the case of Samuel Johnson - the only list is the sale catalogue of his library prepared for the auction following his death. However hastily such a catalogue may have been prepared, and whatever its faults and omissions, it is still invaluable, since it presents the names of more authors and titles our author knew than any other source. It is for this reason that the three sale catalogues reproduced here, for the first time in one volume, are so important. Donald Eddy has provided a lively and informative introduction explaining the significance of each catalogue, some of the highlights of the sales and the dangers inherent in studying these catalogues. He also provides a list of known locations of each of these catalogues. The introduction has been printed by letterpress and the catalogues by offset lithography at The Ascensius Press. The book has been bound by Campbell-Logan Bindery. Price: $ 215.00
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