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2 vols (the codeword for the first, 1978 sale "SWAN", that for the second, 1979, "SONG"). Binder's green cloth, gilt, vol. [i] retaining original wrappers. Upper cover of vol. [i] slightly marked. The cataloguer John Collins's copies, with his manuscript correction on p. 77 of [i], the Signet Library armorial bookplate on the front pastedown and, mounted on the facing endpaper, a news-cutting of Alan Bell's TLS review of G.H. Ballantyne's book The Signet Library and its Librarians (1979); loosely inserted a 2pp. copy typescript of the Signet Library's terms for Sotheby's (allowing the National Library of Scotland first, private choice of books), a copy typed letter from Collins to Ballantyne about his introduction to the catalogue, 2pp. 4to, 20 December 1977, three copy typed letters from Collins to the same, 3pp. 4to, 7 February 1978-22 March 1979, and five typed letters signed from Ballantyne to Collins, 28 December 1977-16 February 1979, 5pp. 4to, about detailed arrangements, a duplicated 3pp. typescript minuting a Sotheby's meeting discussing the sale, 24 November 1977 (Lord John Kerr, John Collins, Derek Chapman, Jock Campbell attending), a 2pp. typescript minuting a meeting at the Signet Library, 5 June 1978, a news-cutting of Geraldine Norman's Times sales report, 15 April 1978, Sotheby's printed list of results for the sale, a typed memo from David Miller to Collins, 20 February 1979, with 5pp. typescript schedule for the second sale, an autograph letter signed to Collins from the bookseller James Thin, 2pp. 4to, 15 March 1979, giving his verdict on the sale ("prices were rather madder than usual, as you will agree") and questioning why the library should have thought it necessary to sell in the first place ("particularly as the money is only being used for building a kitchen"), miscellaneous correspondence relating to an insurance claim, an article by Collins, "The Signet Library Sales", extracted from The Scottish Book Collector, 1988, photographs for the same returned by Jennie Renton, and a typed letter signed to Collins from George Ballantyne, 1p. 4to, 13 July 1988, thanking him for sending the piece. Vol. [ii] is interleaved, with Collins's manuscript notes and corrections (the introduction signed in his hand), and, mounted within, news-cuttings from The Scotsman, 23 January 1978 ("More Signet treasures go on sale"), 16 November ("Librarian defends burning of books"), March 1979 (letters to the Editor, 12 and 13 March, from Collins and Bernard Edwards), &c, and, loosely inserted, two photographs of the interior of the Signet Library, seven photographs of library stamps and 20 rubbings of bindings. With, too, a second copy of the 1979 sale catalogue, in original wrappers, marked up by Collins with prices achieved; and the relevant extracts from a third Sotheby's sale, "Printed Books and Maps including Books from the Signet Library", London, 1-2 June 1995, with Collins's few manuscript notes. After Sotheby's Signet sales of 1959-60, writes Collins in The Scottish Book Collector, "Sotheby's was contacted with some diffidence, since the Writers had gained the impression that only rubbish was left, which is what I was warned by my immediate boss when I set off for an inspection. However, some hours of dusty searching later made it clear that, as in a field left fallow, a new crop of valuable books had sprouted up. It took some time to work out a system for selling 55,000 volumes spread all over two floors and a gallery. I decided to leave everything where it was and catalogue the books like a house sale, printing the shelf numbers in the catalogue. We sold 25,000 in the first sale and it took me about 3 weeks to trog my table, chair and typewriter round and round the galleries, turning books into copy sheets as I went. My general idea - an irresistible trade beanfeast with masses of semi-sleepers (and of course some real ones) - went very well though I made some frightful blunders with the estimates . . .". Seller Inventory # 3S100356
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