The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. Old south church copy of the bay of psalms being sold at auction in november 20. Last week, bostons old south church voted 274 to sell one of its two remaining copies of the 1640 bay psalm bookone. If every lot in a catalogue is guaranteed, the conditions of sale will so state and this symbol will not be used for each lot. The whole booke of psalmes, or the bay psalm book, as it is now known, is expected to sell for. The bay psalm book is the first known book to be printed. After a few editions, printing of the bay psalm returned to england, and was previously thought to have remained there until the eighth edition. Heath anthology of american literaturethe bay psalm book. Swann auction galleries new york, ny bid online at. Later edition of the bay psalm book bay psalm book.
Pba galleries auctioneers and appraisers of rare books. The bay psalm book is often described as the first. Pba galleries is the premier san francisco auction house for rare books and ephemera. A tiny book of psalms from 1640, believed to be the first book printed in what is now the united states, sold for just under 14. Today, sothebys will auction a copy of the first englishlanguage book printed in america. The seller of lots with this symbol has been guaranteed a minimum price from one auction or a series of auctions. The crowninshieldstevensbrinleyvanderbiltwhitney copy of the bay psalm book. A 1648 edition, described in american book prices current as the. Originally, the colonys residents looked to a committee of thirty men led by john eliot, thomas welde, and richard mather to translate all 150 psalms from hebrew into english. On 26 november at sothebys new york, one of only 11 surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is. The main thing you need to know right now about the bay psalm book is that a copy of it is up for public sale for the first time since 1947.
Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new york. The bay psalm book in the libbie auction catalogue of the livermore library. It was the first time in more than sixtysix years that a copy of this rare book was sold on the open market. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638. The bay book of psalms was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640. The auction will take place without an auctioneer calling the sale. Sothebys, the bay psalm book, new york, 26 november 20. View auction details, art exhibitions and online catalogues. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance. No example of the bay psalm book has appeared at auction since 1947, when another copy achieved a record auction price for any printed book at the time many multiples of what other icons of printing. England book auctions in south deerfield, massachusetts. Rubenstein of the carlyle group, an investment firm in washington. The uk and us book departments at bonhams offer only the finest printed and manuscript material, ranging from early illuminated manuscripts and incunabula through natural history, literature, art.
Unseen on the marketplace for more than two generations, it has become too rare to collect, said david redden of sothebys books department in a press. Courtesy of the john carter brown library at brown university. Believed to be the first book published in the us, the work has become the most expensive printed book after it was auctioned. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs of the old and new testament. Together, they served to disseminate puritan values for over a hundred years. The singing of psalmes, though it breath forth nothing but holy harmony, and melody. Bay psalm book from 1640 breaks auction record for printed. The whole booke of psalmes faithfully translated into english. Bay psalm book, 1640, perhaps the oldest book now in existence that was published in british north america. This copy of the bay psalm book was once owned by jonathan corwin, a judge in the salem witch trials, and his wife. Today, only eleven copies are still in existence and fetch as much as fourteen million dollars at auction, making it also the most expensive book in the world. The bay psalm book, which was auctioned tuesday at sothebys in. In addition to cookbooks, there is also a whole world of diet books.
Whether you want to lose weight, gain weight, or manage a health condition, there is a diet book. The first book printed in british north america, 1640. The bay psalm book 1640 the new england primer 1683. Speculations on the sale of the bay psalm book rare books. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39.
The rare bay psalm book is the first book ever written and printed in what is. The decision to print a book of psalms metered for singing may seem an odd choice as the first book to be printed by the settlers of massachusetts bay, but this modest book served the larger purpose of the colonyto live within the reformed church. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. This copy, apparently the first american edition after forty years of printing abroad, sheds. Top american libraries canadian libraries universal library community texts project gutenberg biodiversity heritage library childrens library. It was prepared by puritan leaders of the massachusetts bay colony. Here are other items that fetched eyepopping record sales prices on the auction block in recent times. The bay psalm book, believed to be the first book published in what.
The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new york. The bay psalm book, as this work is commonly known, is the first book printed in british north america. The bay psalm book is the first book to be published in the us, one of only eleven surviving copies of the volume printed in cambridge, ma. As the first printed book in america, the bay psalm book was an early harbinger of american independence. Join david redden director, special projects, and s. The bay psalm book and the new england primer were, next to the bible, the most commonly owned books in seventeenthcentury new england. The first edition of the bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in what is now the united states. It sold for 33 million us dollars to the auctions high bidder. Flyleaf from the john carter brown library copy of the bay psalm book, with the signature of richard mather. One of eleven surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states, and one of the worlds most valuable books will be on public view from friday until sunday at sothebys in new york, in advance of a november auction where the book. Nov 22, 20 and the worlds most expensive book sale in the history of book trades goes to the bay psalm book owned by the old south church. The crowninshieldstevensbrinleyvanderbiltwhitney copy of.
The description of the bay psalm book in the 1875 leonard auction catalogue of the shurtleff library. Rubensteins copy, which has been rebound, is complete and one of the six copies that includes the original title page. Nov 16, 20 but the bay psalm book, as it is known, has a special place in bibliophiles hearts, so much so that michael inman, the curator of rare books at the new york public library, said the auction was. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new.
While you might not earn much on ebay for that gideon bible you swiped from your hotel room, some antique religious texts, from bibles to psalters, can earn you huge sums. On november 26, 20, sothebys new york auctioned off the bay psalms book the first book. Nov 27, 20 the first book ever printed in what became the usa is now the worlds most expensive printed book. But it is as a book and not as a text, that the bay psalm book is best known, celebrated, and revered. The first book written and printed in the new world, the bay psalm book holds a unique place in our cultural and religious history. For the use, edification and comfort of the saints in publick and private, especially in newengland. Swann will auction the latin americana library of dr. A2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing thomas princes annotations of variant readings from the 1647 reprint edition. News bay psalm book from 1640 breaks auction record for printed volume. The psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, of the old and new testament. The auction for the copy of the whole booke of psalmes thats become known as the bay psalm book finally happened last week, and billionaire david m. But the bay psalm book, as it is known, has a special place in bibliophiles hearts, so much so that michael inman, the curator of rare books at the new york public library, said the auction was. The reverend jesse glover imported the first printing press to the massachusetts bay colony in 1638, some 18 years after the first english settlers landed at plymouth rock. With over 100,000 online catalog sales we provide superb service 7 days a week w a large selection of auction catalogs to choose from.
Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the. The communal singing of the psalms from the bay psalm book served to instill a strong sense of unity among puritans of the day. A london printer, stephen daye, came with the press and established a printing office in cambridge. According to msn, one of the 11 surviving copies of the. Get cozy and expand your home library with a large online selection of books at. Apr 18, 20 the church once had five copies, but has sent one each to the library of congress, yale, and brown university. Census of copies of the bay psalm book, with provenance, sale. The most expensive printed book sold at auction will go on display to the public after the buyer pledged to lend it to libraries across. The bay psalm book was the first book to be printed in north america, twenty years after the arrival of the pilgrims in massachusetts.
And while the faithful translation into english meter of the whole booke of psalmes could be. New york citybased swann auction galleries is a familyowned business, priding themselves on authenticity and approachability while adding an element of education and fun to auctions. The buyer of the bay psalm book, as it is known, was david m. Unseen on the marketplace for more than two generations, it has become too rare to collect, said david redden of sothebys books department in a. Auction house sothebys has sold a book, believed to be the first printed in what is now the united states, for a record.
In november 20, philanthropist david rubenstein purchased this copy of the bay psalm book at auction. One of the greatest artifacts of american history the bay psalm book. You can find books on french, german, italian, caribbean, and just about any other form of cuisine you can imagine. That was more than auction prices at the time for the gutenberg bible. Take advantage of our bulk deals on multiple purchases w. If one of the old southbpl copies is sold, it will be the first time since 1947 that a first edition has come to auction. Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the new. With the reports today wbur, boston globe that the leadership of bostons old south church is considering the sale of one of its two copies of the 1640 bay psalm book, i thought it was worth taking a look at the eleven known copies. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts.
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