Richard Heber | Bibliotheca Heberiana, Catalogue of The Library of the Late Richard Heber, Esq., 1834

[Richard Heber]

Biibliotheca Heberiana. Catalogue of the Library of the late Richard Heber, Esq. Sotheby's and Son, 1834

8vo, 12 parts (of 13) in 4 volumes, green buckram, red morocco spine labels, title page of first part detached

THE CATALOGUE OF ONE OF THE LARGEST AND MOST CELEBRATED LIBRARIES EVER ASSEMBLED. The indefatigable bibliophile Richard Heber (1773–1833) was a founder member of the Roxburghe Club and went about amassing a collection which over his lifetime filled at least eight houses in Britain and the Continent. A single copy of a desired book was not enough: "No gentleman," he remarked, "can be without three copies of a book, one for show, one for use, and one for borrowers."

The auction sales after his death took place between 10 April 1834 and 22 February 1837. There were three additional sales on the Continent in 1835 and 1836. "The English sales brought in £56,774, with those on the continent adding some £10,000, so that the total amount of all the sales came far short of the estimated £100,000 originally paid by Heber..." (Oxford DNB). Most of Heber's manuscripts were bought by the British Museum, the Bodleian Library, and Sir Thomas Phillipps.