Old Art Books. Collected and Catalogued

Folding frontis. & numerous plates (many folding). Large folio, orig. cloth. London: [Printed at the Oxford University Press for] Maggs Bros. Ltd., 1975. Number "3" of 300 numbered copies, signed by the collector, presentation copy, inscribed by Theodore Besterman to Hardy Grieb (1946-90), bookseller at E.P. Goldschmidt and later a partner at Martin Breslauer: "for Hardy Grieb with cordial regards Th.B." This is a highly interesting copy, containing the notes regarding provenance and condition as well as appraised values of Besterman's wonderful collection of 381 books illustrative of the arts. The sale of the collection was handled by Hardy Grieb and Jacques Vellekoop and the books are now at the Getty Library. Besterman (1904-76), psychical researcher, bibliographer, and founder of the Voltaire Institute, formed several collections over the years: calligraphy (now at Dartmouth), bibliography (purchased by Martin Breslauer), the present collection, and others. Besterman was privately described by Bernard Breslauer as one of the most disagreeable men of the twentieth century book world. That is certainly an example of the "pot calling the kettle black." A number of pamphlets by and about Besterman and appraisal lists have been laid-in.