Jeremy Griffiths Manuscript Auction Catalog Collection
This picture was taken from a special color advertisement for the complete copy
of a Gutenberg Bible that went on auction at Christie's of New York on April
7, 1978. At that time, there were 21 known complete Bibles and 27 incomplete
Bibles printed by Johannes Gutenberg. Also worth of note is the mention in the
preview catalog that this was the first complete edition of the Gutenberg Bible
to appear at auction in over fifty years.
"The Gospel Book of Henry the Lion is traditionally said to be the finest
illuminated manuscript remaining in private hands..." (Sotheby & Co. The
Gospels of Henry the Lion December 6, 1983, p.5) This special catalog is
a color preview for the auction of The Gospels of Henry the Lion, a fully illuminated
manuscript of the Gospels, with Henry and his wife Matilda added in to witness
the stories.
The auction was held on Tuesday, December 6, 1983 at Sotheby's,
London. The story pictured is the Good Samaritan, with Henry and Matilda looking
on from the top corners of the page.
This collection was purchased as the Jeremy Griffiths Collection. Jeremy Griffiths
was the editor of English Manuscript Studies. The collection contains
auction catalogs concerning medieval manuscripts and celebrated collections sold
chiefly at Sotheby's (1920-1997) and Christie's (1959-1997). The collection also
includes some miscellaneous catalogues (1815-1932) before Sotheby's and Christie's
became as prominent as they are today.
The catalogs contain excellent descriptions of European, Middle Eastern, and
Oriental manuscripts sold at auction in the last century. Included in the catalogues
are photographs of illuminations and engravings of some of the more spectacular
manuscripts for sale. Some of the more famous collections featured are: the Phillips
Manuscript Collection, Estelle Doheny Collection, J.R. Abbey Collection, the
Honeyman Collection, the Chester Beatty Collection, the Lothian Collection, the
Dawson Turner Collection, the Harry Yates Thompson Collection, the Manuscripts
from Stowe and the sale of the Gutenberg Bible, which had its own
separate catalogue.
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