"It is impossible to collect a library intelligently until you have first read certain books which treat of the subjects and books which you want to build your library on."
Charles J. Barnes
September 1891
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ANNOUNCING A NEW LIMITED SERIES FROM
BEAR HOLLOW BOOKS:
Early Mormon Bibliographies
BIBLIOTHICA SCALLAWAGIANA -
THE BERRIAN CATALOGUE -
THE LIBRARY OF CHARLES J. BARNES -
Charles L. Woodward was a caustic old book dealer in New York in the last half of
the Nineteenth Century. For some reason he collected Mormon Books including the Book
of Commandments. His catalogue of Mormon books: Bibliothica Scallawagiana is considered
the first Mormon bibliography. One need only to read a few of the annotations for
some of the Mormon titles in Bibliothica Scallawagiana to conclude that Woodward
was no fan of Mormonism. After a failed attempt to solicit financial assistance from
like-
399: Mormons. Cannon (Elder George Q.) Writings from the “Western Standard . . .” Privately printed in a very small number of copies for the author’s children and immediate friends. Not in Woodward; cited by Bancroft as one of his authorities.
401: Mormons. Harrison (E.) and Tullidge (E.) The Peep o’ Day . . . .” No previous records discovered, nor any other file located.
Not in Berrian or Woodward.
402: Mormons. Hyde (Orson, Editor). The Frontier Guardian. . . . “ Of Excessive Rarity, there being no record of the publication in either the Berrien (sic) or Woodward collections. . . .”
The Woodward and Berrian Catalogues remained the Mormon bibliographic authority for
nearly one hundred years until with the impetus motivated by Dale L. Morgan to develop
a comprehensive Mormon Bibliography, A Mormon Bibliography 1830-
Charles L. Woodward’s Bibliothica Scallawagiana contained approximately 500 Mormon entries. In comparison, “Flake” as it is known today contains over 14,000 entries.
William Berrian, a book collector from Brooklyn purchased the majority of Bibliothica
Scallawagiana at Woodward’s auction in 1880 and continued to add to the Mormon collection
for the next 14 years. Woodward died in 1894 and several years later his son, Charles
Berrian organized and separated William’s Mormon collection from the rest of William’s
large book collection. (William Berrian collected books in biology, history and free
will as well as Mormonism – these “non-
Charles Berrian sold his father’s Mormon books to Helen Gould – daughter of Jay Gould the railroad tycoon. She donated the books to the New York Public library. Miss Gould states that she donated this collection to the New York Public Library because “. . . I believe it will be very useful for students to have access to a collection that gives a clear idea of this peculiar form of error. The Mormon Elders are proselyting (sic) in many sections of our country, and our people generally should become better informed on the subject of Mormonism in order to be on their guard against these “Latter Day Saints” as they style themselves.”
Probably the most prized book in Bibliothica Scallawagiana was Woodward’s’ Book of Commandments. The book was passed on to William Berrian when he purchased Woodward’s books and from there went to Helen Gould who then donated it along with the entire collection to the New York Public Library. The Library retained possession of the Book of Commandments until 1911 when it was sold to the Library of Congress when the New York Public Library acquired a better copy.
Then there is Charles J Barnes. He was a Chicago business man who happened to collect
Mormon Books, including two copies of the Book of Commandments. He catalogued his
books and sold them in 1920 – his Book of Commandments sold for $320.00. To put things
in perspective, in 2012 a Book of Commandments sold for 1.7 million! I have included
a 20-
EACH OF THE 26 LETTERED SETS ARE HOUSED IN A CUSTOM MULTI-
THE SET OF THE 3 BOOKS -
Facsimile reprints of three early Mormon Bibliographies
Each book is limited to 26 signed and lettered copies with 4 copies hors commerce
Octavo q 8vo (6 x 9 inches)
Printed by Bear Hollow Books, South Jordan, Utah
Hand-
Smyth sewn and hard bound in cloth by Schaffer Bindery, Salt Lake City, Utah
Each book contains a brief biographical introduction (20-
facsimile reproduction of the respective catalogue. Bibliothica Scallawagiana also
includes a 8-
foreword explaining the project.
The three titles are sold as a set.
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Charles L. Woodward -
110 pages
Foreword: [ix]–xvi
Biographical Introduction: [xix]–xlvii
Facsimile reprint of Bibliothica Scallawagiana [1]–50
Colophon
William Berrian -
92 pages
Biographical Introduction: [ix]–xxxii
Facsimile reprint of The Berrian Catalogue [1]–48
Colophon
Charles J. Barnes -
95 pages
Biographical Introduction: [ix]–xxviii
Facsimile reprint of The Library of Charles J. Barnes -
Colophon