Done
New York, NY, United States
Auction Details
The Complete Kelmscott Press Collection
The Complete Kelmscott Press Collection of Joseph Mark Van Horn
Joseph Mark Van Horn (1932-1983) was an entrepreneur and inventor, described as "a remarkable man, self-made and self-educated." An orphan, he went on to become an MIT educated engineer and computer scientist, holding numerous US and foreign patents. He was also a member of the Club of Odd Volumes, the Harvard Faculty Club, and the Grolier Club, and put together this remarkable and complete collection of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press, including related works to Morris and his vision. Van Horn bought mostly in the 1960s and 70s both at auction and from the respected book dealers of his day including Philip Duschnes and Goodspeed's, with some receipts still extant, assembling this fantastic collection featuring numerous association copies presented by Morris to important contemporaries such as Edward Burne-Jones, Sydney Cockerell, Rudyard Kipling, A.C. Swinburne, as well as copies on vellum of desirable Kelmscott titles, copies from famous collectors like Robert Hoe; Beverly Chew; and Mark Landsburgh, as well as copies of famous books that would influence Morris's designs at the Kelmscott Press, such as Koberger's Nuremberg Chronicle. Van Horn was described as having "the most remarkable taste in the arts," and the condition of most of the works in the collection would support that assessment. Remarkably, when Van Horn passed away suddenly in 1983, the collection was inherited by his fianc?e, Laura Carchia, who proceeded to store it away for the next 40 years until her own passing in 2023. For the first time since 1983, this wonderful, and complete, collection of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press, with related works, is reemerging like Rip Van Winkle and offered here at auction - representing an unheard of opportunity to acquire works not seen in the market for 50 years.
Joseph Mark Van Horn (1932-1983) was an entrepreneur and inventor, described as "a remarkable man, self-made and self-educated." An orphan, he went on to become an MIT educated engineer and computer scientist, holding numerous US and foreign patents. He was also a member of the Club of Odd Volumes, the Harvard Faculty Club, and the Grolier Club, and put together this remarkable and complete collection of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press, including related works to Morris and his vision. Van Horn bought mostly in the 1960s and 70s both at auction and from the respected book dealers of his day including Philip Duschnes and Goodspeed's, with some receipts still extant, assembling this fantastic collection featuring numerous association copies presented by Morris to important contemporaries such as Edward Burne-Jones, Sydney Cockerell, Rudyard Kipling, A.C. Swinburne, as well as copies on vellum of desirable Kelmscott titles, copies from famous collectors like Robert Hoe; Beverly Chew; and Mark Landsburgh, as well as copies of famous books that would influence Morris's designs at the Kelmscott Press, such as Koberger's Nuremberg Chronicle. Van Horn was described as having "the most remarkable taste in the arts," and the condition of most of the works in the collection would support that assessment. Remarkably, when Van Horn passed away suddenly in 1983, the collection was inherited by his fianc?e, Laura Carchia, who proceeded to store it away for the next 40 years until her own passing in 2023. For the first time since 1983, this wonderful, and complete, collection of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press, with related works, is reemerging like Rip Van Winkle and offered here at auction - representing an unheard of opportunity to acquire works not seen in the market for 50 years.
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0073: ROSSETTI FAMILY. Archive of correspondence to the Rossetti family including letters from Lawrenc...Est. $800-$1,200
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0074: DOUBLE PRESENTATION, FROM WILLIAM MORRIS TO HIS DAUGHTERS TO A FRIEND. MORRIS, WILLIAM. 1834-189...Est. $2,000-$3,000
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0075: WILLIAM MORRIS PRESENTATION TO HIS DAUGHTER. MORRIS, WILLIAM. 1834-1896. The Story of Sigurd the...Est. $800-$1,200
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0076: WILDE, OSCAR. 1854-1900. The Ballad of Reading Gaol. London: Leonard Smithers, 1898.Est. $600-$800
0077: BURNE-JONES, GEORGIANA. 1840-1920. Memorials of Edward Burne-Jones, Vol I, 1833-1867. New York:...Est. $400-$600Lot Passed
0078: BURNE-JONES, EDWARD. 1833-1898. The Flower Book. Reproductions of Thirty-Eight Watercolour Desig...Est. $3,000-$5,000Lot Passed
0079: ASHENDENE THUCYDIDES. THUCYDIDES. c.460-395 BC. The History of the Peloponnesian War. Chelsea: A...Est. $3,000-$5,000Lot Passed
![ASHENDENE PRESS. [LONGUS.] Les amours pastorales de Daphnis et Chloe. London: Ashendene Press, ...: ASHENDENE PRESS.[LONGUS.] Les amours pastorales de Daphnis et Chloe. London: Ashendene Press, 1933. Small 4to. Printed in red and black with initials and paragraph marks in blue, wood-engraved](https://p1.liveauctioneers.com/1043/354414/193742735_2_x.jpg?height=310&quality=70&version=1733414757)
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