Catalogue 242: Was It Wise? 1 7
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Thomas J. Wise (1858-1937): English book-collector, bibliographer, editor, forger and thief Was it Wise? The Cyril M. Wyatt collection of books, pamphlets and autograph letters pertaining to forgeries, piracies and counterfeit editions —those who made them, those who supported them and those who exposed them— with emphasis on Thomas J. Wise Catalogue 242 April 2021 TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE Unless otherwise described, all books are in the original cloth or board binding, and are in very good, or better, condition with defects, if any, fully described. Our prices are nett, and quoted in Australian dollars. Traditional trade terms apply. Items are offered subject to prior sale. All orders will be confirmed by email. PAYMENT OPTIONS We accept the major credit cards, PayPal, and direct deposit to the following account: Account name: Kay Craddock Antiquarian Bookseller Pty Ltd BSB: 083 004 Account number: 87497 8296 Should you wish to pay by cheque we may require the funds to be cleared before the items are sent. GUARANTEE As a member or affiliate of the associations listed below, we embrace the time-honoured traditions and courtesies of the book trade. We also uphold the highest standards of business principles and ethics, including your right to privacy. Under no circumstances will we disclose any of your personal information to a third party, unless your specific permission is given. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers [ANZAAB] Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association [ABA(Int)] International League of Antiquarian Booksellers [ILAB] Australian Booksellers Association NOTE This catalogue has been compiled by Alison Sayers and Kay Craddock, with images by David Cosgrove The title of this catalogue is taken from a poem by A. J. A. Symons, written to make fun of Thomas J. Wise shortly after the publication of Carter and Pollard's expose of the Wise forgeries, An enquiry into the nature of certain nineteenth century pamphlets. IS IT WISE? It's nice to give your friends a slight surprise, A Swinburne-Ruskin rarity or so: And if you fake them, who will ever know? It's very easy—yes, but is it—wise? Still if suspected don't be "took aback"; No end need ever come to telling lies: Though, if embarrassed, it would quite be wise To blame the foreman, or some other hack. And if, despite your pains, some fool descries The truth, why—you can say you're very ill, And get your wife to say so too, until No one will even question, was it Wise? A.J.A.S. Written at Wepoons. September, 1934 Printed by Wests at Steyning IMAGES Additional images of items are available on our website, or by request. Catalogue images are not to scale. Kay Craddock — Antiquarian Bookseller Pty Ltd 156 Collins Street Melbourne Victoria 3000 Australia PHONE: +61 3 9654 8506 EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: www.kaycraddock.com Introduction Kay Craddock AM The items in this catalogue are from the library of Cyril M. Wyatt. Apart from his fascination with the world of Thomas J. Wise and other forgers, such as Frederick Prokosch, Cyril has spent a lifetime collecting a myriad of subjects, including over 1,000 items by and about the English novelist George Gissing (1857-1903). Although many of the items in his library were purchased during his time living and working in Australia and overseas, Cyril has managed to fine-tune and to add to his collections whilst living in a relatively remote part of Australia — being the west coast of Tasmania. Many books, articles, and catalogues have been devoted to the subject of forgeries, piracies and counterfeit editions, and while researching this catalogue I, like Cyril, became fascinated by the unfolding nature of their exposures over several decades. I will let Cyril’s own words, written in 1993 to a Melbourne book collector with whom he corresponded for nearly a decade, explain his collection. Obviously, his collection grew somewhat in ensuing years. A feature of Cyril's Thomas J. Wise collection is the number of signed, inscribed and association copies it contains. The urge to collect T. J. Wise came about through John Carter’s writings. Who could not be fascinated by someone described by Carter as not only England’s foremost book collector and supreme bibliographical pontiff, but also as a wholesale forger, a vandal, a liar, a bully and a thief? Wise was a bookseller all his life but affected an arrogant contempt for professional booksellers and always fiercely denied he was one. My Wise collection is quite small (about 100 items), principally due to cost and scarcity, notably of his forgeries, a number of which were limited to “a few copies”, which, as intended, was open to interpretation. My earliest purchase dates from 1977, but it is only in the past decade that I have endeavoured to acquire examples of his own productions. Your comment about Wise hoodwinking those who condescended to him, is The young book collector, quite correct. I don’t believe, however, that he behaved differently towards Cyril M. Wyatt any of the collectors or scholars he had dealings with. My impression, after reading practically everything ever written about him, is that he was a thoroughly nasty little man who treated everybody with equal contempt behind their back. Contents Part I Wise as book-collector, bibliographer, editor contributor and publisher—Items 1–69 Part II Forgeries, counterfeit editions, suspects and piracies—Items 70–89 Part III Wiseiana—Items 90–282 Part IV Miscellanea—Items 283–300 References cited—pages 45–46 Todd key—page 46 Part I—Wise as book collector, 3. Borrow (George) bibliographer, editor, contributor and GRIMHILD'S VENGEANCE. Three ballads. Edited with an introduction publisher by Edmund Gosse. Pp. 40; f'cap. 4to; printed stiff green paper wrappers, Thomas J. Wise, collector and bibliographer, owner of so many stabbed and tied, edges and lower wrapper unique treasures of English letters—Wise, Master of Hounds in slightly faded, the edges and backstrip the great nineteenth-twentieth century Book Hunt and arch- also browned, backstrip slightly bruised fomenter of the mania for first editions and “association” at head and foot; uncut and unopened; a few leaves lightly creased; top edges of values—Thomas J. Wise, Hon. M.A. (Oxon.) and Honourary leaves faintly foxed; printed for private Fellow of Worcester College, whose magnificent hoard was circulation, London, 1913. Edition limited accepted at his death by the British Museum as well worth sixty to Thirty Copies printed for Thomas J. Wise. Wise thousand pounds to the nation, would, in the natural course of (Borrow) 56; Collie & Fraser E.15; Todd 21e. $700 things, have sunk into oblivion by now. 4. Borrow (George) LETTERS TO HIS MOTHER ANN [Helen Rossetti Angeli, ‘Cor Cordium and Thomas J. Wise’ ‘The New BORROW AND OTHER Colophon’, Vol. II, Part 7, (1949)] CORRESPONDENTS. Pp. 40(last blank, colophon); cr. 8vo; printed 1. Arnold (Matthew) stiff green paper wrappers, stabbed and ALARIC AT ROME. tied (lacking the tie, contents loose), the A prize poem. A type-facsimile reprint of edges slightly faded, small piece chipped the original edition, Published at Rugby from bottom fore-corner of upper wrapper; in 1840. Edited by Thomas J. Wise. Pp. uncut and unopened; a little faint creasing; x+12(including the facsimile title page, printed for private circulation, London, last blank)+[2](colophon, verso blank), 1913. Edition limited to Thirty Copies coloured frontispiece with tissue guard; printed for Thomas J. Wise. Wise (Borrow) 57; Collie & Fraser tall demy 8vo; cream papered boards, D.3a; Todd 27d. *Inscribed in ink on the half-title page 'To spine lettered in gilt, edges of boards F. G. Farrell, With kindest Regards from Thos. J. Wise.' Ex a trifle rubbed; uncut; free endpapers library copy, with the bookplate of the Hunt Library, Carnegie- faintly offset, upper hinge starting, edges of leaves slightly foxed; Mellon University, presented by Hunt Botanical Library tipped printed for private circulation only, London, 1893. One of 30 onto the verso of upper wrapper, and with pencilled acquisition copies thus? Todd 2d. *The limitation certificate on page [v] states numbers (partly crossed out) on the copyright page. $500 'the impression of this book is limited to a few copies for private 5. Borrow (George) circulation only', but Wise recorded in the Ashley Library list of THE STORY OF YVASHKA WITH 1895 that there were five copies on vellum and thirty on Whatman THE BEAR'S EAR. paper. From the type set up for this legitimate facsimile edition, Wise Translated from the Russian by George also made some counterfeits of the original, omitting the prefatory Borrow. Pp. 24(last colophon), frontispiece material and the printer's imprint at the end. The counterfeit later facsimile; f'cap. 4to; printed stiff green became a cornerstone of Carter and Pollard's typographical evidence paper wrappers, stabbed and tied, edges in their Enquiry and pointed to Wise as the culprit. 'The type used faintly creased and browned; uncut; was a hybrid-fount; the unique mixture had three distinguishing housed within a later custom made green elements: Unusual "kernless" lower case "f" and "j" and a "?" that cloth four-fold portfolio which has the was taken from another fount. Most importantly, the facsimile was bookplate of A. T. Copsey on reverse of edited by Wise and the printer was identified to be Richard Clay the upper fold; a couple of pages faintly creased; printed for private and Sons. Carter and Pollard showed that 16 of the suspected circulation, London, 1913. Edition limited to Thirty Copies forgeries were printed using this peculiar hybrid type owned only printed for Thomas J.