THE SECOND INDEX TO Book - Prices Current Volumes XI. to XX. For the Years 1897-1906. By WILLIAM JAGGARD, F.R.S.A., M.B.S., etc. FORMING A KEY TO THE TEN VOLUMES AND, INCIDENTALLY, ΤΟ ANONYMOUS, PSEUDONYMOUS, AND SUPPRESSED LITERATURE, WITH A SUPPLEMENT OF BIBLIOPHILES AND BIBLIOPOLES. Uniform with "Book-Prices Current." Demy 8vo, pp. xx.-1058. Buckram gilt, £2 2s. net. The Clique says :—' "In the course of testing a great number of references, to see whether we could discover any errors, we are glad to say that we can find none. This is high praise when the author says in his preface, 'This Index contains about one hundred thousand entries, while the numerals employed, which closely approach a million, almost defy counting.' Among the great advantages of the Index may be mentioned the promptitude with which the reader may now find and compare the relative value of any book during the decade covered (bringing to a point the various copies sold), enabling him to ascertain whether its value has increased or dimished during the period. . . . The Second Index is so superior to the former one that the permanent value of 'B.P.C.' as a bibliographer's guide is increased fourfold. This index is one of the largest ever compiled, and it represents three years' work." This volume is The Library Association Record says:indispensable to every reference library, and adds considerably to the reputation of English Bibliography." LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 7, Paternoster Row, E.C. INTRODUCTION. THE preceding volume of BOOK-PRICES CURRENT covered the ground between October, 1913 and July, 1914, and was therefore quite unaffected by the European turmoil which at the time of writing gives no sign of abatement. The present volume is, to all intents and purposes, a record of sales by auction of books held during the first portion of the conflict, and, as might have been expected, the effect of the general unrest has been to cast a shadow over almost every form of literature, and over practically every enterprise in connection with it. It is, therefore, not surprising that the sale of books should have been limited, and that such volumes as have been sold in the open market were for the most part of comparatively small account. This is at once seen from an analysis of the past season's activities, for only 53 sales of some degree of importance were held, and the 32,928 lots in the catalogues of the auctioneers realised but £37,966, the average per lot thus working out at about £1 3s. This, of course, is very much below the usual record, but at the same time the result is more favourable than might have been expected under the circumstances, and certainly more so than was anticipated in the early days of the war. This falling away has, in one respect at least, been productive of a distinct advantage so far as the utility of this particular volume of BOOK-PRICES CURRENT is concerned, for it has been possible to notice a large number of books which might under usual conditions. have been passed as being of little or no account when compared with those very important volumes which are the mainstay of all compilations of the kind. It is not 289101 that BOOK-PRICES CURRENT has omitted to notice such books in the past, but that it has been impossible to chronicle so many of them in a single volume as are noticeable in the present issue, which thus becomes, as it were, a clearance record rendered doubly useful by reason of the large number of comparative prices which have been added editorially. These show that present conditions have not materially affected the value of such books as have been sold by auction during the last twelve months. In some instances such values show a distinct rise; in others they have fallen slightly, but only in a very few instances has the fall been so marked as to attract instant attention. In the face of this there would not seem to be any reason why books of an ordinary character should not continue to be sold as heretofore, though what the effect on some large and very important library would be it is as impossible to say as it would be useless to speculate on the outcome of such an exceptional state of things as now exists. J. H. SLATER. Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, CONTENTS, Jan. 13-14. Hodgson. Library of the late Mr. Walter T. Browne, of Chetham's Library, Manchester, and other Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £650. Hodgson. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £500. Feb. 18-19. Hodgson. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £800. Dowell. Miscellaneous. March 10-11. Puttick. Miscellaneous. March 18-19. Hodgson. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £500. April 14-15. Puttick. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £400. Amount realised, £422 19s. 6d. Sale for the Benefit of the British Red Cross Society and the Order of the Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem in England ("The Red Cross Sale"). Amount realised, £3,310 14s. 6d. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £450. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, £1,089 16s. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, £607 13s. The first portion (Modern) of the Library of the late Mr. Ingram Bywater, of Onslow Square, S.W. Amount realised, £976 17s. 6d. Library of the late Sir John Swinburne, Bart., and other properties. Amount realised, about Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £450. The Library of Frognal (the Sydney Library). Amount realised, about £2,000. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, £522 19s. The Library of Sporting Literature of the late Sir Walter Gilbey. Amount realised, about Amount realised, £583 15s. 6d. Hodgson. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £500. Sotheby. The Library of the late Mr. George A. Gutch The Library of Mr. Granville C. Cunningham, and other properties. Amount realised, £1,210 Hodgson. Miscellaneous. Amount realised, about £300. |