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BEYOND THE BASICS

Owen Gingerich’s detailed census of the fi rst and second editions of Copernicus’s De revolutionibus, the that suggested that the earth revolved around the sun, includes descriptions of the notations found in the margins of each copy of the book. B  C

Making every copy count ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE LILLY .

racking down the surviving copies of of , but compiling a complete list of with many of the bindings dating from the Ta rare book is seldom an easy task, unless all known copies of a book is much more late-nineteenth and early-twentieth cen- there is just one known copy, like the  di cult and far less usual. Joseph van Praet turies. Famous books also tend to receive of Shakespeare’s or included the locations of the copies of the much more repair work than lower-priced the  Spanish of Columbus’s books he listed in the Catalogue des livres volumes, and most First have indeed letter describing his discovery of America. imprimés sur vélin (Catalog of Books Printed been heavily repaired, with title-pages For most books, the task is di cult. There are on Vellum), which was published between and other signi cant leaves remargined for example, several dozen copies, in vary-  and , but few other bibliographers or restored. First Folios have often been ing states of preservation and completeness, followed suit. One of the first attempts sophisticated, or made up from leaves taken of the and well over two at a complete census of a book from more than one copy. Some hundred copies of the , the  rst was Sidney Lee’s tabulation of the copies have had missing leaves collected edition of ’s First Folio, which was appended replaced by facsimiles, too. First plays, published in . The more impor- to ’s  Folios sometimes have tant (and expensive) a book is, the more likely facsimile. In this pioneering cen- notes or other distinctive mark-

it is that collectors and booksellers have tried sus, Lee identi ed and provided Joel Silver ings, and a bibliographer doing to track down the locations of the surviving details about  copies. Four years is Curator of a census can potentially record all Rare Books at copies to establish its rarity and to assess the later, in his Notes and Additions to the the Lilly Library. of this information. likelihood of future appearances on the mar- Census, he was able to add fourteen Contact him at The importance of details joel@fi nebooks ket. Depending on the thoroughness of the more to his total. magazine.com. such as these, and the potential use survey and the amount of detail recorded, Lee, who is thought to be the of a book census as a tool against this kind of detective work can take days  rst bibliographer to apply the term cen- crime, is illustrated by the current case of the or decades. When the results of these sur- sus to a listing of all of the known copies of University of Durham’s missing First Folio. veys are published, they become reference a book, organized his work based on the This Shakespeare Folio was stolen from the works for anyone interested in the books condition of the books, rather than arrang- university library in December . In the themselves, and they provide troves of infor- ing the listings in groups according the most recent census of Shakespeare First Folios, mation for those fascinated by the history countries and towns in which they were which was compiled by Anthony James West of . located. Collectors of modern literature and published in , the Durham copy “is Bibliographers, book historians, and need to adjust their usual standards of con- given its rightful position in the census in collectors have published a considerable vol- dition considerably when looking at First the hope that it will be returned.” West also ume of information about particular copies Folios. Nearly all copies have been rebound, provided whatever information he could

56 F INE B OOKS & C OLLECTIONS @2012 Fine Books & Collections

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ALL PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF THE LILLY LIBRARY. West’s extremely detailed census of the - census detailed West’s extremely The Harvard astrophysicist Owen Gingerich Gingerich Owen astrophysicist Harvard The Nicolaus Copernicus. Gingerich’s travels Folio has already played an important role. important an played already has Folio Shakespeare Folger the to brought was Folio Library in Washington, D.C., for evalua- D.C., for Washington, in Library Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) by by Spheres) Heavenly the of Revolutions characteristics and peculiarities. Gingerich Gingerich peculiarities. and characteristics of of First Shakespeare’s of copies surviving odd features, on distinctive the obtain condition, description of the Durham copy. Although copy. Although of Durham the description has been consulted whenever a copy of copy a whenever consulted been has cop- of hundreds examined personally has have around the taken him world, and he identi the in useful of a book. stolen cation a consultant matched the book to West’s to book the matched consultant a new on took super and information uous Folio. of Durham the provenance and be settled, it’s clear that whatever the result, isn’t the only time that a census has been been has census a that time only isn’tthe  will nally things how tell to early it’s too First a when June, past this importance ies of these books and made notes on their their on notes made and books these of ies the  the () rst () second and editions tion. Upon the and examination, librarians arcane of mass a as non-bibliophiles to spent several decades pursuing every copy of of copy every pursuing decades several spent T TransactionsoftheBibliographical Society This forms a part of a planned four- set on the First Folio which, when when which, Folio First the on set four-volume planned a of part a forms This of the Gutenberg Bible Bible Gutenberg the of completed, completed, will be a major resource for scholars and bibliographers. The Bible, The ofcopies the Gutenberg collectors have some treated ofcollectors treasured rarities English literature, such as the Shakespeare He how also a explains Folios and focus on . of the that ways Gingerich’s alsoand discusses Harris weaknesses work, Cleveland Don books, of copies of search in travels about additional (Oxford: Oxford University Press, Press, University Oxford (Oxford: Folios First of Census Worldwide September Revolutionibus Harris’s review of Owen Gingerich’s census efforts ( Norman’s lavishly produced tale of his travel adventures in search of of search in adventures travel his of tale produced lavishly Norman’s FURTHER READING the handpress period. trated, though far from scholarly, account. Anthony James West’s census though far James West’s scholarly,trated, from Anthony account. is is books such as these has affected our perceptions of European books from from books of European our perceptions such as has books these affected De revolutionibus orbium coelestium coelestium orbium De revolutionibus The Shakespeare First Folio: The History of the Book. Volume II: A New New A II: Volume Book. the of History The Folio: First Shakespeare The The future possibilities of book censuses are laid out in “ in out laid are censuses book of possibilities future The and knowledge required to make required and knowledge a want Forwho census. book those he Book Nobody Read What wouldWhat previously have appeared The current case of the Durham Folio Folio Durham the of case current The 2006 in : Analysing the Copernican Census,” the Copernican Neil in Analysing Bibliography: , pages , pages 320 (Chicago: Coverdale Press, Press, Coverdale (Chicago: is a good place to start to learn about the effort the effort about to learn is a to place good start to 329 to ). In addition to covering the strengths strengths the covering to addition In ). 500th Anniversary Pictorial Census Pictorial Anniversary (On the , Seventh Series, Volume Volume Series, Seventh , 1961 The Library: The Library: The ), is a), well-illus- Annotated Census of Copernicus’ “De revolution- “De of Census Copernicus’ Annotated York: Walker, ), which described the the described York:which ), Walker, De De revolutionibus revolutionibus De the Revolutions of Nicolaus Copernicus ibus,” examinations and examinations the extent to which each censuses, including listings of medieval medieval of listings including censuses, of the copies had been annotated by its var- its by annotated been had copies the of original production and dissemination of of dissemination and production original Seymour de Ricci compiled several detailed detailed several de compiled Ricci Seymour devoted devoted to Bible, the Gutenberg as well as a his pursuit of Copernicus for a of more general Copernicus pursuit his are called). The remarkable bibliographer bibliographer remarkable The called). are ket. There have been a number of censuses also highly valued in the rare-book mar- in audience in American , the pro- libraries, American in manuscripts plays published in the smaller quarto format format quarto in the smaller published plays ing unimportant books, and as a result, the the result, a as and books, unimportant ing travels. Gingerich’s of account ing is the intended census Though ious owners. of In book. the thefts involving cases in for specialists, Gingerich went on Gingerich to describe for specialists, the Shakespeare Quartos (asthe the Shakespeare Quartos individual that are considered landmarks and that are are that and landmarks considered are that series of censuses of the surviving copies of of copies surviving the of censuses of series have of to tended subjects be censuses books and a consultant witness as an expert served Few people devote their lives to study- to lives their devote people Few Gingerich revealed the of results his @2012 2003 De De 3 ). ). , The The Book Nobody Read: Chasing Fine , and also provided , an engag- provided and also is in question, and he has has he and question, in is Books “quite complete.” copy of the First Folio as as Folio First the of copy describes describes the Lilly Library Anthony James West’s West’s James Anthony hkser census Shakespeare & Collections (New (New An asWonderland in well Adventures Alice’s and theSpecies of Origin the edi-On Manuscripts Ulysses worked. There also have been several pub- several been have also There worked. Mainz, Germany, where Johann Gutenberg Gutenberg where Johann Germany, Mainz, circuitous journeys taken by medieval medieval by taken journeys circuitous on the succession of owners of the books books the of owners of succession the on described—can be read like bibliophilic bibliophilic like read be described—can (the Caxton of William ductions rst printer history of collecting. of collecting. history a book census (and the best of them can can them of best the (and census book a Press. Kelmscott the at as of the  rst edition () of James Joyce’s manuscripts. Censuses of books— printed manuscripts. the of censuses are there books, modern particularly those that provide information information provide that those particularly more in interested those for and libraries, American in incunabula of censuses lished ians taking the supporting roles. Reading Reading roles. supporting the taking ians in printed books earliest the and England), in indeed be read straight through) will will through) straight read be indeed teach teach you a about deal great books and the with and characters main the as themselves Morris by tion of William printed Chaucer  the Darwin’s  Charles of edition rst readers, booksellers, collectors, and librar- and collectors, booksellers, readers, novels and travelogues, with the books books the with travelogues, and novels suppressed  edition of Lewis Carroll’s Carroll’s Lewis of  edition suppressed In In . Censuses are currently underway for underway are currently . Censuses h Wneig ad oe of Homes and Wanderings The , M. R. James wrote about the the about wrote James R. M. , S R E B M E T P E & /O R E B O T C 8/11/08 3:15:57 PM 2008 57