A few years ago I met, and entertained for an evening, a typical respectable Clerk and his wife. They were an engaging pair, in their mid thirties I should think. She the stronger character but nonetheless deferring to his male precedence. Thy had some literary pretensions, in a small way, and he said to me "What is this Yellow Book Mr. Bennett?" I was put in mind of this today when looking through my set of The Yellow Book in my library. Of course it achieved a notoriety it didn't deserve at the time but I liked it, and thought it a genuine attempt to distill important elements of the contemporary arts. I still enjoy a browse in its pages every now and then, not forgetting my own first published short story in Volume VI.
Looking around at my books I started to reflect on the fact that many, if not all, would survive me and would pass into new ownership. In a way a book has a life of its own. All my books have my personal bookplate at the front and I wonder if future owners will recognise my name, perhaps even have an affection for my work. Take The Yellow Book for example. Will the thirteen volumes be kept together? How many hands will they pass through and how many years sit dusty and forgotten on the shelves of a second hand bookshop awaiting an interested new owner. I like to imagine that someone will one day buy the set, take it home and place the volumes conspiculousy on their shelves. There are few finer experiences in life than arranging one's books!
Could you tell me where and when the following statement was made by Bennett: "All my books have my personal bookplate at the front and I wonder if future owners will recognise my name"?
ReplyDeleteWhen his books were sold at auction by Sotheby's in 1931 only ONE included his bookplate by Fred Mason. Thanks.
As far as I know this was not a statement, but rather a sort of musing in the context of thinking about books as artefacts. When he writes 'all' I should not be inclined to take this literally; speaking for myself I often say 'all' when I mean 'most of the time'. Interesting to hear about the Sotheby's sale. The bookplate AB had in mind was the one with Athena (complete with shield and owl)holding a ribbon emblazoned "E.A.BENNETT". And the motto: "POUR SA VENTE APRES DECES". Was this by Fred Mason? It was certainly the one in the set of The Yellow Book that was acquired by Betsy Drake referred to in the blog.
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