From Antwerp to Amsterdam with some stops in-between
Descrittione di M. Lodovico Guicciardini patritio Fiorentino, di tutti i Paesi Bassi, altirimenti detti Germani Inferiore. In Anversa: Apresso Christofano Plantino, 1581. In-2. OTM: Band 2 B 2
Prins Willem van Oranje, Christophe Plantin and the Antwerp bindings with the Van Oranje coat of arms (c 1581-1584)
After the Pacification of Gent (1576) and the reigning in of the Spanish/Catholic domination, Willem van Oranje returned from exile to make Antwerp his temporary home from 1577 till 1582. Where his earlier Parisian bindings are colourful and stylish (Band 1 A 18), the Antwerp bindings are more sober. Band 2 B 2 is bound in a sombre dark brown, cracked calf, and with its gold-stamped center and cornerpieces it lacks the subtlety of the tooling and colouring on Band 1 A 18. All Van Oranje’s bindings dating from the Antwerp period are on works printed by Christophe Plantin (1520-1589), as is this binding. Of French origin, Plantin left Paris in 1548 and relocated to Antwerp, initially as as bookbinder, later becoming one of the most renowned printers of The Low Countries. Van Oranje and Plantin found each other in the late 1570’s and early 80’s in the importance of spreading the word through printed matter, in pamphlets and other manifestos. Their shared goal was to achieve peace and tolerance for and from both sides of the continuing religious unrest. Fontaine Verwey found nine Antwerpian Plantin bindings with the Van Oranje coat of arms, one of which is Band 2 B 2, Lodovico Guiccardini’s (Florence 1521-Antwerp 1589) nostalgic portrayal of unity and freedom in The Low Countries when ‘everything was better’. It was a popular work in the time, there were 33 editions by several printers in the 16th century alone. Fontaine Verwey suggests that Plantin had this copy bound for Willem van Oranje as a present to commemorate their shared wish for peace and tolerance. Band 2 B 2 was probably part of the 1585 public sale in Delft, where the Prins van Oranje’s possessions were sold after his murder in 1584. (Fontaine Verwey n.d.)
Coat of arms Van Oranje
Above: coat of arms on Band 2 B 2
Below: coat of arms Van Oranje Nassau before 1582
Band 2 B 2 in the Fairfax collection (1729-1756)
It all began with the collection of books, brought together by Brian Fairfax's ancestors and continued by him to what eventually would become a renowned library of broad interest, consisting of 3087 volumes. Brian inherited not only books, but also his pleasure in reading from Brian senior; his knowledge of old and valuable books was legend. From 1712 onward, after the death of his father, Brian started adding to the library, buying books through agents in Britain and on the Continent, often through Thomas Osborne, the controversial bookseller who also sold the library of Thomas Hearne (Band 1 A 7). Many were bought in The Hague, a.o. at the Marckiana (1712) and the Vriesiana (1715) sales, and maybe also at the Gosuinus Uilenbroek sale in 1729 in Amsterdam where Band 2 B 2 was sold. And so, sometimes buying whole catalogues at once, the Fairfax collection increased with works on a broad range of subjects. As was often the habit among book collectors, Brian also had an impressive ancient numismatic collection and reference books on the subject, a habit originating from the Humanists who collected Greek and Roman coins to complement their 16th century interest in the classical texts. The Fairfax collection was much appreciated by visiting scholars, who were allowed to consult the library.
Brian would have been pleased to buy Band 2 B 2 with its princely provenance as he was connected to the House of Oranje. In 1688, when Brian was thirteen, he was taken by his father to The Hague, to meet Willem IIL, Prins van Oranje etc. There was a semi-familial relation through Van Oranje's wife Mary, and most importantly, Brian's father was in search of a Protestant monarch to replace the Catholic successors to Charles II, he was a supporter of Van Oranje becoming King of England. It is said that the two Fairfaxes were received well by the Van Oranjes and it did indeed unfold that, a year later in 1689, Willem III became King of England etc. (William and Mary). Brian senior was appointed as King William's equerry.
Upon Brian's death in 1749, his brother Robert inherited the property. He added to the library between 1749 and 1756, but ultimately had to sell everything, including the books, to pay the bills following the death of Brian. A catalogue of the library was made in 1756, but it did not come to a public sale, the collection was bought as a whole by Francis Child of Osterley Park. Band 2 B 2 is No. 411 in the 1756 catalogue.
Osterley Park Library 1756-1885
'The library, with mantelpieces and carved bookcases of great beauty. … The old books in the library were sold…’ (Dowager Countess of Jersey 1920)
The Countess of Jersey mentions the library at Osterley Park twice in her extensive narrative on the history of Osterley Park and its lavish furnishings. She writes nothing about the content of the beautiful bookcases, but she does include some amusing anecdotes on other subjects. The introduction to Sotheby's Villiers sale in 1885 gives a rundown of titles of manuscripts and rare imprints, but nothing about the collection formation. Fortunately Bennet 1976 has the details.
Due to temporary shortage of space when living elsewhere, Francis Child had to sell half of Brian's 3087 books, only to start collecting again when he moved to the much roomier Osterley Park. The Osterley Park Library was born, but Francis would not be able to match the scope of the Fairfax collection. When Francis died in 1763, his brother Robert Child inherited. Librarian-collectors Dr Winchester and Dr Thomas Morell were in charge of new collecting activities and of systematically organizing the library. This resulted in Morell's 1771 catalogue of the Osterley library, which still included Band 2 B 2 as No. V 3 4. Eventually the bookcases at Osterley Park were filled all over again, ultimately to be sold in 1885.
‘the glory of the famous Osterley Park library has departed.’ Middlesex County Times, 16 May 1885
At the Child Villiers sale in 1885 most books were bought by dealers, many by Bernard Quaritch. Who bought No. 760, Band 2 B 2, Bernard Quaritch - who is said to have bought all the important items?
Ex libris in Band 2 B 2 of Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey, the last of the Child family to live at Osterley Park
After the Osterley Park auction, the next known owner is Eugène von Wassermann, a descendant of a German banking family. Wassermann caught the bibliophilic bug at an early age, he was eighteen years old when he started collecting books in 1888, his focus was mainly on interesting illustrated books and bindings from the 15th until the 19th century, which makes Band 2 B 2 with its many topographic engravings and binding with royal provenance the perfect candidate for his library. Wassermann never married. His manuscripts and books were sold by by auction in 1.413 lots in Bruxelles, where he had lived a large part of his life before moving to Berlin for his final years.
Some afterthoughts
Who was Gosuinus Uilenbroek, the second known owner of Band 2 B 2, apart from a book collector with an impressive library and an important patron of the Amsterdam binderies. A binder’s workshop was named after him, the Uilenbroek Binderij, active c 1705-c 1715. According to the Edward Worth Library the binding below was made by them. It is rather similar to Band 2 B 2.
On Pietro Castelli, Exactissima descriptio rariorum quarundam plantarum. Romae: Typis Iacobi Mascardi, 1625 see: Item 9 in National Library of Ireland exhibition: ‘This Glittering Library’ 275 Years of the Edward Worth Library.’
According to an annotation in a copy of the 1941 Gosuinus catalogue signed by Charles van Hulthem the well-known Belgian bibliophile, only part of his library was sold in 1729.
‘ ‘M. Gossuin Uilenbroek, déjà d'un âge avancé, avoit fait vendre en 1729, une partie de sa bibliothèque, dont cependant un grand nombre de livres ont été retenus et n'ont été vendus définitivement qu'en 1741’. Ondert.: C[harles] V[an] H[ulthem]. Gand, 24 janvier 1830.’ dbnl.org
A large part of the lots were withdrawn by Gosuinus himself. Did they not meet his reserves or did he get cold feet about selling? What does it mean that Band 2 B 2 was one of the items that were not withdrawn? Did Brian Fairfax pay a high price to acquire it?
And finally, Fontaine Verwey n.69 mentions French provenance for Band 2 B 2 but does not say when and who, neither does he say when and how the University of Amsterdam acquired Band 2 B 2.
Provenance
Bound in Antwerp c. 1581
Coat of arms of Willem van Oranje / Prins van Oranje, Graaf van Nassau-Dillenburg (1533-1584)
Probably Van Oranje auction 1585 in Delft
Gosuinus Uilenbroek (1658-1740)
Gosuinus Uilenbroek sale in Amsterdam in 1729. Bought by Brian Fairfax.
Brian Fairfax (1676-1749)
Robert Fairfax. Brian's younger brother. Had to sell the books to pay the death taxes
The entire Fairfax library was bought by Francis Child in March 1756
Francis Child III, of Osterley Park (1735-1763) also Lord Mayor of London
Robert Child (-1782) brother of Francis
Sarah Child, Robert's wife (-1793)
Sarah Sophia Child, Robert's granddaughter (1785-)
Married Lord Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey
Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey (1845-1915)
Osterley Park/Villiers sale Sotheby, Wilkinson &. 6/5-1885. Bernard Quaritch bought nearly everything at this sale.
Eugène von Wassermann, Brussels (1870-1925)
Wasserman sale Brussels 1921
University of Amsterdam
Related bindings
University of Amsterdam - Bandenkast 1500-1600
Armorial binding
OTM: Band 1 A 5
OTM: Band 1 A 16
OTM: Band 1 A 18
OTM: Band 1 C 22
OTM: Band 1 E 9
OTM: Band 2 A 4
OTM: Band 2 B 2
OTM: Band 2 C 12
OTM: Band 2 E 9
OTM: Band 3 D 7
OTM: Band 2 D 23
OTM: Band 3 E 21
OTM: Band 4 C 7
Van Oranje coat of arms
OTM: Band 1 A 16
OTM: Band 2 B 2
Sales and catalogues
Public auction Delft 1585. (Fontaine Verwey.)
Bibliotheca Uilenbroukiana, Sive Catalogus Librorum Quos Collegit Vir Eximius D. Gosuinus Uilenbroek: In Tres Partes Divisus. Cujus Publica Siet ... Die 3 Octobris, & Sequentibus. Amsterdam, 1729. p. 222, no. 1091. Online
Bennet 1976. Band 2 B 2, p. 518:
Catalogue of the Bryan Fairfax Library. 1756. No. 411.
Catalogus Librorum in Bibliotheca Osterleinsi. Compiled in 1771 by Dr. Thomas Morell. No. V 3 4.
The Osterley Park Library. Catalogue of this Important Collection of Books, the Property of the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Jersey [Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey], which will be sold by auction, by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge… 6th Day of May, 1885, and Seven Following Days. No. 760.
Catalogue de la bibliotheque de M. Eugène von Wasserman. Bruxelles: Georges Giroux. Les 24-27 Octobre et les 3-5 Novembre 1921. No. 61. (Fontaine Verwey n.69.)
John Frank Bennett A.L.A., The History of the Library of Osterley Park House, Middlesex. June 1976. p. 518.
H. de la Fontaine Verwey, ‘Boekbanden van Willem van Oranje.’ In: ---, Uit de wereld van het boek IV. Boeken, banden en bibliofielen. ‘t Goy: HES Uitgevers, n.d. p. 140 Plate 8.
Bibliography
OTM: Band 2 B 2 at the University of Amsterdam
Binding description of Band 2 B 2 at bandenkast.blogspot.com
Armorial belge du bibliophile. n.p.: Société des Bibliophiles et Econophiles du Belgique, 1930. p. 35. (Fontaine Verwey n.69.)
John Frank Bennett A.L.A., The History of the Library of Osterley Park House, Middlesex. June 1976. Submitted to the Library Association as a FLA (Fellow of the Library Association) thesis. Typescript. (National Art Library General Collection ND.92.0815 Victoria & Albert Museum.) All the information above on the Fairfax/Osterley Park Library can be found in this publication.
H. de la Fontaine Verwey, ‘Boekbanden van Willem van Oranje.’ In: ---, Uit de wereld van het boek IV. Boeken, banden en bibliofielen. ‘t Goy: HES Uitgevers, n.d. p. 132-154. n.60, n.69.
[M.E.]Dowager Countess of Jersey, Osterley Park and its Memories. Printed for Private Circulation only. London: Burt & Sons, 1920.
The Osterley Park Library. Catalogue of this Important Collection of Books, the Property of the Rt. Hon. the Earl of Jersey [Victor Albert George Child Villiers, 7th Earl of Jersey], which will be sold by auction, by Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson & Hodge… 6th Day of May, 1885, and Seven Following Days. Introduction.
Seymour de Ricci, English Collectors of Books & Manuscripts (1530-1930) and their Marks of Ownership. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1960 [1930]. p. 38, 161.
'La Collection de reliures d'Eugène von Wassermann (1870-1925)'. Histoire de la Bibliophilie at blogspot.com (Retrieved June 2021).
Paris Van Oranje binding Band 1 A 18 and Antwerp Van Oranje binding Band 2 B 2
[Pam van Holthe]