Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, Including Americana

Folio. With an original leaf from Joannes Balbus's Catholicon inserted as issued in inner back board. Original blindstamped crimson buckram with gilt-lettering on upper cover, stamp-signed by Krumin; chemise and slipcase (some splits along edge of slipcase, chemise torn at foot). Provenance: Brooklyn Public Library (perforated stamps, bookplate). [With:] original prospectus.

LIBRARY EDITION, CONTAINING: a single leaf, printed in Mainz by Johann Gutenberg in 1469, royal folio (368 x 311 mm), ff. 240, rubricated single-initials, on Gallizani paper with watermark. Provenance of the original incomplete copy of the Catholicon which this leaf was extracted from listed on the prospectus: Sir Hans Sloane (prior to 1753); acquired by the Trustees of the British Museum in 1804; deaccessioned to Henry W. Poor; sold, his sale, November 1908; purchased by Alvin W. Krech. ISTC ib00020000 (issue b [priority established]).

In Librarians Are Human: Memories in and out of the Book World 1907-1970 (Boston: The Colonial Society of Massachusetts, 1970), Stillwell describes the circumstances of the publication: "This work Mr. Hackett planned to offer to libraries throughout the country, well in advance of the anniversary. His idea was that armed with this book the librarians, in planning and setting up their exhibitions in honor [sic] Gutenberg, would be able to display a handsome book about him, together with one or two original leaves..."

Stillwell was a prominent figure in the field of incunabula and served as the librarian at the Annmary Brown Memorial in Providence, Rhode Island. Her accompanying "extensive essay...includes a current census of copies of the Catholicon, [that] is far more bibliographically detailed than most other essays included in leaf books..." (Joel Silver, "Catalog of the Exhibition," in: Disbound and Dispersed, item 15.) Chalmers Disbound and Dispersed Checklist 70.