convicted thief first two large (1 Ergebnisse)

Hardcover. Zustand: Very Good. No Jacket. 1st Edition. Libri, Guillermo. Catalogue of the mathematical, historical, bibliographical, and miscellaneous portion of the celebrated library including many scarce publications, relating to America; Rare Junta and Aldine editions Important works relating to Italian history & topography Fine Horae and other manuscripts upon vellum Numerous publications relating to the history of the sciences a very complete and unique series of works relating to GalileoPart the First, A L. London: S. Leigh Sotheby & John Wilkinson, 1861. Large 8vo. xxxi + [1]p + [4] plates of facsimiles + 475 + [1 blank]p. Half shagreen with gilt lettering to spine. The first of two large miscellaneous auction catalogues with descriptions of 4335 lots sold over 12 days from 25th April to 8th May 1861; 250 items related to Galileo, described as lots 2985-3235, were sold on the 9th day. (A second auction ended 26th July 1861). Count Guglielmo Libri-Camucci, outstanding Florentine mathematician, is best known as a convicted cleptomaniac, who stole books and manuscripts from libraries in Italy and France while researching as a scholar owing to social introductions. His first thefts were scientific manuscripts and books of hours from the library of Lorenzo de Medici in Florence. Seeking greater opportunities he emigrated to France and befriended the politician François Guizot. By 1841, he was made chief inspector of French libraries with unsupervised access to collections all over France. Although massive thefts were discovered in 1847 with Libri as the prime suspect, he was shielded by Prosper Merimé and other friends, whom he lost during the 1848 Revolution. Fearing arrest for theft, he fled to London disguised as a political refugee, having beforehand sent some 30,000 books and manuscripts to be auctioned. After his conviction in absentia in France, Libri defended his reputation in London in a public letter written on his behalf by Achille Jubinal to the Athenaeum in 1851. With the help of Antonio Panizzi, director of the British Library, he was able to retain the trust of his English contacts, presenting himself as a bibliophile slandered by malicious political enemies who was forced to sell his collections because of his poor health, as explained in his lengthy (bilingual) introduction contained in the preliminaries.The extent of his thefts and deceptions was conclusively exposed after his death in 1869, when his collections were already sold. ' the first auction sale of rare books to describe in detail so many great classics in the mathematical and physical sciences.' (Norman). British Museum, List of Catalogues of English Book Sales, pp 295-96.