the book collector
Rosenbach, Peggy returned to 15 East 51st Street to receive a Draft of the Philadelphia National Bank on the Belfast Banking Company Ltd. for the amount £ 150-0-0 ($636 at that time). James Weatherup replied to Rosenbach for the last time with a brief note dated 1st August 1933 confirming his receipt of the draft and thanking Rosenbach for the attention shown to his daughter. A week later (8 August 1933) James wrote to his son, Captain Arthur Weatherup, to inform him of the events that had occurred over the previous month. Torn and missing pieces of this letter (of perhaps two or three words duration) are indicated as […] in the following extract: We had a weekend visit from Peggy when she was over in June, and as I had picked up a very rare book of American interest just then I thought it would be well to take advantage of her going back to New York to send it out with her. I then wrote to Dr. Rosenbach of N.Y. giving him particulars of & telling him what the book was, and mentioned that my daughter, who would be returning to N.Y. shortly, would take it to him for inspection. The book unfortunately was in very bad condition – title page and about 20 pages missing, binding dilapidated, and some of the pages scribbled on in ink—so there was no clue to the author, place of printing, name of printer or date … and, as I told mother, there are not three—probably not one persons in the British Isles who would have giv- en it a second look, or would have known anything about it if they had. Well, a couple of hours after arriving at Lancefield Road I had got pret- ty well on the way to identifying it, and that bad condition & all that it was it was (sic) of value. I expressed the opinion that had the missing title page and other leaves been in it it’s value would be not less than £ 2,000 and on further consideration I have little doubt but that a complete and perfect copy in the original binding would realise at least £ 5,000, in an American Auction Room. Peggy took the book with her & called with the Rosenbach […] and had a long chat with him […] establishment, & down to the specially built vaults that contain almost priceless treasures of books & manuscripts. He asked her if I had been long in possession of the book that she brought out and told her that it would have been worth a fortune had it been perfect: he also paid me a compliment by telling her that he should like to meet her father, and said that the man who could identify a “Bay Psalm Book” minus the title page was a wonder… I told Peggy not to take a small price for the book & just to bring it home again if she wasn’t o V ered a pretty large sum. However, Dr. Rosenbach did not make an o V er to her, but cabled to me saying “Regret condition of book, we do not make o V ers, Cable your price in English Pounds”. I was
750
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter