THE BIBLIOMANIA, OR, BOOK-MADNESS : CONTAINING SOME ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY, SYMPTOMS, AND CURE OF THIS FATAL DISEASE. IN AN EPISTLE ADDRESSED TO RICHARD HEBER, ESQ.
Dibdin, Thomas Frognall, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row, by W. Savage, Bedford Bury, Covent-Garden, 1809. Item #41971
8vo; 1st edition. Period marbled boards, 8vo, iv + 87+ [1]; 22 cm. Title printed in red and black, title with the famous woodcut vignette of the “Foolish Bibliophile” from Sebastian Brandt’s Ship of Fools (1494). With Erratum on page 87, as well as bibliographical references and index. First Edition of Dibdin’s “first full flowering love affair with books.” An important work written in dialogue and conversations of well-known book collectors of the author’s acquaintance with many footnotes describing book collectors’ rare items and the prices for which they were sold, taken from the original sale catalog. It went through many editions; Dibdin was the founder and vice-president of the Roxburghe Club, a book collector’s organization, founded in 1812, a few years after publication of this popular and often re-printed work. Jackson 16; Lowndes II, 639–40; Windle & Pippin A11a.Contents include: I. History of; or an account of eminent book collectors who have fallen victims to it. -- II. Symptoms of; being a passion for 1. Large paper copies. 2. Uncut copies. 3. Illustrated copies. 4. Unique copies. 5. Vellum copies. 6. First edition. 7. True editions. 8. Black letter editions. -- III. Cure of: 1. Reading useful works. 2. Reprints of scarce and valuable works. 3. Editing our best ancient writers. 4. Erection of public institutions. 5. Encouragement of bibliography. The Library of Congress keeps their copy in their Lessing J. Rosenwald Reference Collection. A copy sold for over $1200 at auction in 2021. SUBJECT(S): Bibliomania. Bibliography. Books -- Prices. Book collecting. Bibliomanie. Bibliographie. Livres -- Prix. Bibliophilie. Bibliographies. Color printing (Printing). OCLC: 959510667 Without the 16 pages of publisher’s advertisements found in some copies. Ex-library with small period stamp to title and blank reverse, occasional very light spotting. Lacks lower outer corner of front board, otherwise Very Good attractive binding, Very Good Condition. (BIBLIOG-37-2).
Price: $950.00