Provenance

There are a number of things that I keep coming across in the Grimes collection: the different styles of binding, the marbling patterns on the covers and the gold detailing on the spines. But one thing that intrigues me when I first open a text is the provenance of the book. After learning how to determine provenance and the importance it holds, I decided that this unique feature of old books should be shared.

Provenance is an important aspect when it comes to studying books. The provenance of a book is the chronology of ownership or custody from its publication date. Sometimes books have no signs of their journey. But sometimes people leave a mark within the pages to show their ownership.

There are a number of indicators of provenance that can aid the reader in tracking the previous owners. An owner’s name and the date and place of purchase is always ideal but often not present. Signatures of owners may stand alone with no sign of the date of purchase or cost. Annotations within the pages of the book can often give a glimpse of the thoughts and personality behind a previous owner.

An example of an armorial from
La Sainte Bible, Vol.13 (1748)

While handwritten notes are one example of signs of provenance, there are other forms that can be investigated. Book plates and ink stamps, like those that Bishop Grimes used are equally as useful. They stand as a permanent mark of ownership, like signatures, and can often extend to armorials and bookbinders’ tickets. Armorials (coats of arms) represents the ownership of a person of gentility or nobility. Bookbinders tickets, although they may not give any signs of who owned the book, allow the texts to be tracked to particular binders and sometimes establish the date of contact.

For an example, I found a seller’s ticker in Benjamin Calamy’s Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions (1700).  On the board paper of the text the sticker reads ‘Thomas Baker, 1 Soho Square, London 1’. 

Bookseller ticket of Thomas Baker, 1 Soho Square, London 1,
& Book plate of Bishop J.J. Grimes

After some research, I managed to track down the antiquarian bookseller Thomas Baker at that address and discover the time period that his store was active (1884-1903). Although this date is not as specific as other examples of provenance, this tells us that the book managed to come into the hands of Thomas Baker during the time that he was operating (for this sticker to be placed on the board paper). From Baker’s shop, it is possible that Bishop Grimes acquired it.

Signs of provenance can sometimes be difficult to determine. Old books suffer from deterioration and age, and marks of provenance may have faded or suffered some foxing (aging spots). Some books may not show any sign of provenance at all, which could suggest great care or little use. The most common places to look for provenance are within the first few pages, or the last few pages of the text.

However, even when a book has visible provenance markings, there is never any way of being certain that the text never fell into anyone else’s hands. Some owners do not mark their ownership in books, and although there may be multiple owner marks in a book, we should never assume that the person who owned the book in 1643, for an example, was the only owner before the next signatory 50 years later. And so although provenance offers a great insight into the journey of texts, the full ownership of a book will always remain a mystery.

References

'Soho Square Area: Portland Estate, No. 1 Soho Square.' Survey of London: Volumes 33 and 34, St Anne Soho. Ed. F H W Sheppard. London: London County Council, 1966. 55. British History Online. Web. 4 September 2015. http://www.british-history.ac.uk/survey-london/vols33-4/p55.

La sainte Bible en latin et en françois..., 1748. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 493224 - La Sainte Bible - vol13 - Board Paper.

Sermons Preached Upon Several Occasions by Benjamin Calamy, 1700. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 123774 - Sermons - Board Paper.

The Old and the Young

Since beginning my study of the books in the Grimes Collection, I have discovered that the collection is diverse in a number of areas: in topics, languages, sizes, binding styles, and place of publication. One aspect that has intrigued me more than others is the wide range in ages. If we consider a book to be as old as its publication date, irrelevant of whether it is a 4^th edition or a 1^st, then the range between my oldest book and youngest book is 373 years, which is quite a considerable length of time.

And so this post is dedicated to the oldest and youngest books in the Grimes collection: Lucam Evangelion, a commentary written by a medieval theologian Bonaventure (1539) and the Roman Catholic prayer book, Paroissien Romain Très Complet (1912).

A Historiated Initial in Lucam Evangelion

Lucam Evangelion is a Latin text which was published in London in 1539. The title translates as ‘The Gospel of Luke’, one of Jesus’ Apostles. The purpose behind Bonaventure’s commentary was aimed at explaining and interpreting Luke’s Gospel in a more simplified version for either the laity or the preachers, which was similar to his other exegetic works. The text shows signs of its previous ownership in the form of signatures at the beginning and pen marks underlining certain selections or the addition of words in the margins throughout the book. Another feature of the simple book includes historiated initials and despite being published 476 years ago, there is little damage to its spine and cover, which makes me think that it was a well-cared for and prized book to have.

Interior of Paroissien Romain Très Complet

In comparison, Paroissien Romain Très Complet is a French text, published in Tours, France. It is a small book designed for a parishioner and focuses on a certain period of the Catholic calendar, between Trinity Sunday (the first Sunday after Pentecost) and the Sixteenth Sunday after Pentecost. It is bound simply and I can only assume, was made to fit into someone’s pocket.  Despite its small size, it still contains beautiful illustrations and page headings. Other details of the text include the use of red ink and the detailed illustrations on the page headings, and like Lucam Evangelion, Paroissien Romain Très Complet it is in a good condition. In regards to the collection, this is a book that may have been bought directly by Bishop Grimes, or by one of the following Bishops. This text was aimed at educating or aiding the laity in prayer. A letter in the 12^th February 1876 edition of Tablet suggests the use of a ‘Liturgical Prayer Book’ for the laity, particularly one in English (oddly enough, one much like the French Paroissien Romain). A book like this, the writer says, should contain the masses and vespers for every day as well as including a number of other rites and prayers. Grimes’ copy of the Paroissien Romain shows us that although he may not have needed it for himself, it could have been used for loaning out to parishioners or as an educational text.

One thing that interested me when I was looking at these two books is the differences in printing techniques. When comparing the two, it is evident that there have been a number of improvements over the year, specifically in the detail of illustrations. Obviously the style and ability to print books has developed over the years and has improved in terms of productivity. Books no longer have to undergo the laborious task of having every page carved onto a wooden or copper block for individual stamping. It is easy to read about these changes but it is only when you can actually see the differences for yourself that you can understand how much of an art printing was 500 years ago, and how important it has been ever since.

References

Pereira, Matthew J. ‘Bonaventure’. Ed. Henrik Lagerlund. Encyclopedia of Medieval Philosophy: Philosophy Between 500 and 1500. Vol. 1. New York: Springer Science+ Business Media B.V., 2011. 182-187.

‘Prayer-Book for the Laity – “The Paroissien Romain.”,’ Tablet. 12 February 1876. http://archive.thetablet.co.uk/

D. Bonaventurae secundum Lucam Evangelion, commentarium pars altera, 1539. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collections - 119241 - Lucam Evangelion - p. 414

Paroissien romain très complet, 1912. University of Canterbury Rare Books Collection - 109651 - Paroissien - Interior