![WALTON, Izaak (1593-1683). The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a discourse of fish and fishing, not unworthy the perusal of most anglers. London: T[homas] Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, 1653.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2001/NYR/2001_NYR_09878_0117_000(033321).jpg?w=1)
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WALTON, Izaak (1593-1683). The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative Man's Recreation. Being a discourse of fish and fishing, not unworthy the perusal of most anglers. London: T[homas] Maxey for Rich[ard] Marriot, 1653.
8o (142 x 91 mm). WITH FINAL BLANK R4. Laid French paper with pot watermark. Title engraved within a cartouche of dolphins and fish, 6 engravings of fish in text, that of the trout on F4r with caption, 2 pages of music for "The Angler's Song" by Henry Lawes (P4v-P5r), the page for the bass voice intentionally printed upside down to permit the two singers to face each other, two woodcut initials. CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH BLIND-RULED SHEEP IN REMARKABLE ORIGINAL CONDITION, speckled edges (small old repair to one corner); morocco pull-off case.
Provenance: Robert Stayner Holford (by decent to) -- Sir George Holford -- A.S.W. Rosenbach (purchase information in the Rosenbach archives; sold to) -- Mary Louise Curtis Bok -- purchased from Harry Levinson, Beverly Hills (included in catalogue 60, "History, Literature, Science, Scholarship Before 1700," Part IV, item 1432, with the second through fifth editions [see note below]). Exhibited: Grolier Club, 'This powerfull rime,' 1975, no. 22.
THE EXTRAORDINARY HOLFORD-ROSENBACH COPY OF THE COMPLEAT ANGLER, ONE OF THE LEGENDARY "HOLFORD HUNDRED," AND MOST LIKELY THE FINEST COPY IN EXISTENCE
FIRST EDITION, "Contentment" issue, containing twenty-three of the type-setting errors listed by Oliver. While The Compleat Angler is far from being the earliest fishing manual, its adoption of dialogue form, and emphasis on the angler's opportunities for meditation far from the stresses of city life, have made it a cornerstrone of English literature. It is aimed at "the Contemplative man," containing, in Oliver's estimation, "the brightest and best of what we are occasionally justified in calling 'our civilization.'" Numerous traditions have surrounded the book, the most famous being the belief that the fine illustrations were cut on silver. Thomas Westwood discredited this notion on the basis that they were repeated in five editions of the Compleat Angler, as well as five editions of Robert Venable's Experienc'd Angler. Although the illustrations are usually attributed to Peter Lombard, a French-born resident of London employed by several publishers, they may alternatively be the work of Robert Vaughan or William Faithorne. The original selling price for this classic was a modest 18 pence.
The Holford Compleat Angler is one of the famous "Holford hundred": 100 books purchased privately by A.S.W. Rosenbach from Sir George Holford in April 1925. Holford had inherited his father's celebrated library, but not his passion for books. His own tastes ran to orchids, and the expense of maintaining this pursuit eventually induced Holford to sell to Rosenbach his pick of the choicest books in the library. "Since neither Holford or the Doctor wanted anyone to know what was occuring, the books were smuggled out of the house, covered with brown paper, in a butcher's cart. Although Dr. Rosenbach over and over again bought 'the greatest books in the world,' neither he nor anyone else bought greater books than the Holford hundred, which were trundled along the streets of London disguised as legs of mutton" (Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, p.222). As traced by Leslie Morris in Rosenbach Abroad (1988), the complete list of Rosenbach's Holford purchases ran to 163 titles in 140 volumes. It included the first five editions of Walton's Compleat Angler (see lots 358-361).
Percy Lawler, Rosenbach's assistant, described the first edition as follows: "... it is in the original binding and I have never seen a finer copy. The binding is perfect, having been kept in a case; the pages are virtually as clean as on the day of issue and the plates are the most brilliant impressions it is possible to imagine. It is quite safe to say that this is the finest copy in the world of the 'Contentment' issue of the first edition" (quoted in Levinson catalogue no. 60). This is in contrast to the often well-thumbed and repaired condition of many copies, a result of its application as a practical manual. Of those which have recently sold at auction, the William John Upjohn copies were in a repaired contemporary calf binding and had small chips and stains to the title (sold Christie's New York, 22 May 2001, lot 303) and a second copy rebound (sold Christie's Los Angeles, 21 February 2001, with other early editions). The Cortland Bishop-Bradley Martin copy was a remboîtage in 17th-century black morocco (sold Sotheby's New York, 1 May 1990, lot 3299). The Paul Francis Webster copy, bound in near-contemporary sheep, had been extensively restored throughout (sold Sotheby's New York, 24 April, 1985, lot 95). Prior to this, the last copies in contemporary bindings to come up at auction were the John Gribbel and Frank Hogan copies, sold in their sales at Parke-Bernet from 1945-46. The Hogan copy bound in original calf had stains and marginal defects to the title and some internal leaves; the Gribbel copy had been washed and recased in its original sheep binding. NO FINER EXAMPLE THAN THE HOLFORD-BERLAND COPY IS LIKELY TO EXIST.
Coigney 1; Grolier English 31; Grolier Wither to Prior 947; Horne 1; Oliver 1; Pforzheimer 1048; Westwood & Satchell 217; Wing W-661.
8o (142 x 91 mm). WITH FINAL BLANK R4. Laid French paper with pot watermark. Title engraved within a cartouche of dolphins and fish, 6 engravings of fish in text, that of the trout on F4r with caption, 2 pages of music for "The Angler's Song" by Henry Lawes (P4v-P5r), the page for the bass voice intentionally printed upside down to permit the two singers to face each other, two woodcut initials. CONTEMPORARY ENGLISH BLIND-RULED SHEEP IN REMARKABLE ORIGINAL CONDITION, speckled edges (small old repair to one corner); morocco pull-off case.
Provenance: Robert Stayner Holford (by decent to) -- Sir George Holford -- A.S.W. Rosenbach (purchase information in the Rosenbach archives; sold to) -- Mary Louise Curtis Bok -- purchased from Harry Levinson, Beverly Hills (included in catalogue 60, "History, Literature, Science, Scholarship Before 1700," Part IV, item 1432, with the second through fifth editions [see note below]). Exhibited: Grolier Club, 'This powerfull rime,' 1975, no. 22.
THE EXTRAORDINARY HOLFORD-ROSENBACH COPY OF THE COMPLEAT ANGLER, ONE OF THE LEGENDARY "HOLFORD HUNDRED," AND MOST LIKELY THE FINEST COPY IN EXISTENCE
FIRST EDITION, "Contentment" issue, containing twenty-three of the type-setting errors listed by Oliver. While The Compleat Angler is far from being the earliest fishing manual, its adoption of dialogue form, and emphasis on the angler's opportunities for meditation far from the stresses of city life, have made it a cornerstrone of English literature. It is aimed at "the Contemplative man," containing, in Oliver's estimation, "the brightest and best of what we are occasionally justified in calling 'our civilization.'" Numerous traditions have surrounded the book, the most famous being the belief that the fine illustrations were cut on silver. Thomas Westwood discredited this notion on the basis that they were repeated in five editions of the Compleat Angler, as well as five editions of Robert Venable's Experienc'd Angler. Although the illustrations are usually attributed to Peter Lombard, a French-born resident of London employed by several publishers, they may alternatively be the work of Robert Vaughan or William Faithorne. The original selling price for this classic was a modest 18 pence.
The Holford Compleat Angler is one of the famous "Holford hundred": 100 books purchased privately by A.S.W. Rosenbach from Sir George Holford in April 1925. Holford had inherited his father's celebrated library, but not his passion for books. His own tastes ran to orchids, and the expense of maintaining this pursuit eventually induced Holford to sell to Rosenbach his pick of the choicest books in the library. "Since neither Holford or the Doctor wanted anyone to know what was occuring, the books were smuggled out of the house, covered with brown paper, in a butcher's cart. Although Dr. Rosenbach over and over again bought 'the greatest books in the world,' neither he nor anyone else bought greater books than the Holford hundred, which were trundled along the streets of London disguised as legs of mutton" (Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, p.222). As traced by Leslie Morris in Rosenbach Abroad (1988), the complete list of Rosenbach's Holford purchases ran to 163 titles in 140 volumes. It included the first five editions of Walton's Compleat Angler (see lots 358-361).
Percy Lawler, Rosenbach's assistant, described the first edition as follows: "... it is in the original binding and I have never seen a finer copy. The binding is perfect, having been kept in a case; the pages are virtually as clean as on the day of issue and the plates are the most brilliant impressions it is possible to imagine. It is quite safe to say that this is the finest copy in the world of the 'Contentment' issue of the first edition" (quoted in Levinson catalogue no. 60). This is in contrast to the often well-thumbed and repaired condition of many copies, a result of its application as a practical manual. Of those which have recently sold at auction, the William John Upjohn copies were in a repaired contemporary calf binding and had small chips and stains to the title (sold Christie's New York, 22 May 2001, lot 303) and a second copy rebound (sold Christie's Los Angeles, 21 February 2001, with other early editions). The Cortland Bishop-Bradley Martin copy was a remboîtage in 17th-century black morocco (sold Sotheby's New York, 1 May 1990, lot 3299). The Paul Francis Webster copy, bound in near-contemporary sheep, had been extensively restored throughout (sold Sotheby's New York, 24 April, 1985, lot 95). Prior to this, the last copies in contemporary bindings to come up at auction were the John Gribbel and Frank Hogan copies, sold in their sales at Parke-Bernet from 1945-46. The Hogan copy bound in original calf had stains and marginal defects to the title and some internal leaves; the Gribbel copy had been washed and recased in its original sheep binding. NO FINER EXAMPLE THAN THE HOLFORD-BERLAND COPY IS LIKELY TO EXIST.
Coigney 1; Grolier English 31; Grolier Wither to Prior 947; Horne 1; Oliver 1; Pforzheimer 1048; Westwood & Satchell 217; Wing W-661.