After writing the previous post, I found I had an email from Peter J. Tyldesley, the owner of the diary damaged at the British Library. He's launched a website about the case, at which he claims the book was never in fact at the BL to be rebound, but was deposited there for safekeeping. There's much more there at the website which I'm still reading through myself, but I did want to get it out as soon as I could.
Curious and curiouser, indeed.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Damaged Diary: The BL's Side
On Tuesday I wrote briefly about a diary which had been damaged while under the care of the British Library. The BL's full statement on the incident follows:
"This is an isolated incident dating back to a service we offered in the 1990s. We are of course doing our best to find out what happened to the diary since it was left in the Library in 1994.
The Library used to operate a binding service specifically for private clients. In 2000 this service was stopped but we regret that a diary belonging to Mr Tyldesley, which was assigned to this service in 1994, was not returned at that time.
In the intervening period since 1994, it suffered accidental damage causing staining to the pages and the front cover was removed. The book had been kept in safe storage in a protective box and it was not until the box was opened that the stains were discovered.
As soon as this unfortunate incident came to light earlier this month we took steps to rectify the situation. We can conserve the book to remove the stains and rebind the front cover, which we have offered to do immediately. We have also apologised to Peter Tyldesley for any distress caused.
The Library takes the care of its collections extremely seriously and aspires to the highest standards of conservation.
(signed) Helen Shenton, Head of Collection Care, British Library."
There are some very important things to note here. First, the original Times story does not mention that the book was at the BL for rebinding (in fact it says that the owner "transferred it to the library in 1994 because he was nervous of looking after it"). Second, this explains the removed front cover; obviously this step would be taken if the book was to be rebound. That leaves the spilled liquid as the accidental damage, which can be chalked up to an unfortunate accident. Third, the BL's pledge to conserve the document by removing the stains and completing the rebind was omitted entirely from the Times article.
As I noted on Tuesday, there was something weird about the way the Times portrayed this incident. Clearly there was rather more to the story than they shared. Yes, there still seem to have been some missteps along the way, but they seem on the whole much less sinister than the Times would have had us believe.
[h/t to Christopher Edwards, Ex-Libris, for the BL's full statement]
[Update: See here. There's apparently still more to this story ...]
[Additional update: Mr. Tyldesly has responded further in a comment to this post.]
"This is an isolated incident dating back to a service we offered in the 1990s. We are of course doing our best to find out what happened to the diary since it was left in the Library in 1994.
The Library used to operate a binding service specifically for private clients. In 2000 this service was stopped but we regret that a diary belonging to Mr Tyldesley, which was assigned to this service in 1994, was not returned at that time.
In the intervening period since 1994, it suffered accidental damage causing staining to the pages and the front cover was removed. The book had been kept in safe storage in a protective box and it was not until the box was opened that the stains were discovered.
As soon as this unfortunate incident came to light earlier this month we took steps to rectify the situation. We can conserve the book to remove the stains and rebind the front cover, which we have offered to do immediately. We have also apologised to Peter Tyldesley for any distress caused.
The Library takes the care of its collections extremely seriously and aspires to the highest standards of conservation.
(signed) Helen Shenton, Head of Collection Care, British Library."
There are some very important things to note here. First, the original Times story does not mention that the book was at the BL for rebinding (in fact it says that the owner "transferred it to the library in 1994 because he was nervous of looking after it"). Second, this explains the removed front cover; obviously this step would be taken if the book was to be rebound. That leaves the spilled liquid as the accidental damage, which can be chalked up to an unfortunate accident. Third, the BL's pledge to conserve the document by removing the stains and completing the rebind was omitted entirely from the Times article.
As I noted on Tuesday, there was something weird about the way the Times portrayed this incident. Clearly there was rather more to the story than they shared. Yes, there still seem to have been some missteps along the way, but they seem on the whole much less sinister than the Times would have had us believe.
[h/t to Christopher Edwards, Ex-Libris, for the BL's full statement]
[Update: See here. There's apparently still more to this story ...]
[Additional update: Mr. Tyldesly has responded further in a comment to this post.]
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Handy New Tool at viaLibri
Jim Hinck at viaLibri has unveiled a really nifty new feature: Library Collection Search. Enter in author, title, keyword or a combination of those and then select from a list of ten national/international union catalogs or twelve major library OPACs. I just took this feature for a test drive, and found it worked excellently.
Searchable union catalogs: WorldCat, COPAC, KVK, CCPB, ICCU, ESTC, VD17, ISTC, STCN, artlibraries.
Searchable OPACs: LC, BL, Hollis, Yale, Huntington, Folger, Morgan, AAS, Getty, CCA, Chicago Art Institute, Kew. Jim notes that he's taking suggestions for additions.
I like it! Simple, fast, and useful - doesn't get better than that.
Searchable union catalogs: WorldCat, COPAC, KVK, CCPB, ICCU, ESTC, VD17, ISTC, STCN, artlibraries.
Searchable OPACs: LC, BL, Hollis, Yale, Huntington, Folger, Morgan, AAS, Getty, CCA, Chicago Art Institute, Kew. Jim notes that he's taking suggestions for additions.
I like it! Simple, fast, and useful - doesn't get better than that.
Links & Reviews
- Over at Upward Departure, Travis has some discussion of a 1977 theft - unsuccessfully prosecuted - from the Ohio Historical Society.
- LibraryThing has rolled out the first full live iteration of LibraryThing for Libraries, at the Danbury Library in CT. This integrates LT user data (other editions, similar books, and tags) into the library's OPAC. I haven't played around with it too much yet, and there are certainly still some kinks to work out (it only recognizes books with ISBNs so far, for example) but I think it's got excellent potential.
- Forrest at FoggyGates points us to an op/ed column in today's NYTimes by Judith Pascoe on the death of Dr. John K. Lattimer, a urologist as well as a collector and documenter of the macabre. I know Lattimer as the author of the very interesting book Lincoln and Kennedy: Medical and Ballistic Comparisons of Their Assassinations (it also contains much information on the attempted murder of William Seward, which is why I originally had call to use it). Pascoe's essay, however, concerns Lattimer's ownership of a certain, eh, urethral portion of Napoleon's anatomy.
What is purported to be the emperor's penis was - apparently surreptitiously - removed by the priest who administered last rites to the dying exile; before Lattimer, it was owned by Philadelphia bookseller A.S.W. Rosenbach, who had it displayed at the Museum of French Art in New York. Pascoe's argument runs that the organ "should be allowed to go home and rejoin the rest of his captivating body." How Lattimer's estate will dispose of the collection (which also includes, as Pascoe notes, Lincoln's bloodied shirt collar) is unclear at this time.
- As fade theory notes, Colophon Book Shop (Exeter, NH) is having a 50% off sale on a wide variety of books on books, now through 15 June. I'll warn you though, it's a dangerous thing to start going through their lists ... believe me, I've done it. In fact Christine's email to me when I placed my order read in part "How'd you do that that fast? We're stunned and impressed." What can I say, I'm a sucker for sales - especially good ones.
- I usually wait for the Perez-Reverte mysteries to appear in paperback so I haven't gotten his newest Captain Alatriste adventure, The Sun Over Breda. Kai Maristed has a review in the LATimes.
- Richard Cox comments on Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor (just out from Viking). He writes: "Obviously, I read the book because of the emphasis on Lee’s letters, but I also found Pryor making an effort to provide a balanced and critical review of Lee’s life and activities that moves us past the stereotypes and impressions of the resident of Arlington and the Confederacy’s military leader. Pryor minces no words in portraying Lee’s attitudes about slavery, for example, or about his doubts and struggles about his personal religious views."
- Back on 2 May I wrote about a new book which purports to identify Jack the Ripper. Matthew Sturgis reviews The Fox and the Flies: The World of Joseph Silver, Racketeer and Psychopath in The Telegraph. Of author Charles van Onselen's work, Sturgis concludes "It is a triumph of research and persistence. And, indeed, the most entertaining part of the book is the epilogue detailing how the archival detective-work unfolded." But, Sturgis says, van Onselen's contention that Silver was Jack the Ripper isn't quite sufficiently justified by the available evidence: "quite why Silver abandoned his serial-killing spree to devote himself to a life of petty larceny and organised prostitution remains rather hazy. It is all pretty tenuous stuff."
- In The Guardian, David McKie confesses to an obsession with trying to read the titles of books in the backgrounds of newspaper photographs: "Whenever I see such pictures I have an uncontrollable urge to seize the nearest magnifying glass and try to decipher the titles."
- From the same paper, a short profile of the Darwin Correspondence Project, which now contains the full text of more than 5,000 letters to or from Darwin up to 1865 (more than 9,000 more will be added in future).
- At Fine Books Blog, Scott notes the upcoming appearance at auction of a first edition of H.A. Rey's Curious George. The book, which is expected to fetch more than $10,000, will be sold 12 July at PBA Galleries; it's believed to be the first such copy on the market in more than a decade.
- Via Rare Book News, word that Princeton has acquired the papers of British literary critic Sir Frank Kermode; the National Library of Scotland has begun a $3.6 million project to digitize its holdings, which comprise more than 1 million books from the rare book collection alone; and the New Hampshire Institute of Art has received more than 2,000 rare early photography books from the collection of John Teti.
- LibraryThing has rolled out the first full live iteration of LibraryThing for Libraries, at the Danbury Library in CT. This integrates LT user data (other editions, similar books, and tags) into the library's OPAC. I haven't played around with it too much yet, and there are certainly still some kinks to work out (it only recognizes books with ISBNs so far, for example) but I think it's got excellent potential.
- Forrest at FoggyGates points us to an op/ed column in today's NYTimes by Judith Pascoe on the death of Dr. John K. Lattimer, a urologist as well as a collector and documenter of the macabre. I know Lattimer as the author of the very interesting book Lincoln and Kennedy: Medical and Ballistic Comparisons of Their Assassinations (it also contains much information on the attempted murder of William Seward, which is why I originally had call to use it). Pascoe's essay, however, concerns Lattimer's ownership of a certain, eh, urethral portion of Napoleon's anatomy.
What is purported to be the emperor's penis was - apparently surreptitiously - removed by the priest who administered last rites to the dying exile; before Lattimer, it was owned by Philadelphia bookseller A.S.W. Rosenbach, who had it displayed at the Museum of French Art in New York. Pascoe's argument runs that the organ "should be allowed to go home and rejoin the rest of his captivating body." How Lattimer's estate will dispose of the collection (which also includes, as Pascoe notes, Lincoln's bloodied shirt collar) is unclear at this time.
- As fade theory notes, Colophon Book Shop (Exeter, NH) is having a 50% off sale on a wide variety of books on books, now through 15 June. I'll warn you though, it's a dangerous thing to start going through their lists ... believe me, I've done it. In fact Christine's email to me when I placed my order read in part "How'd you do that that fast? We're stunned and impressed." What can I say, I'm a sucker for sales - especially good ones.
- I usually wait for the Perez-Reverte mysteries to appear in paperback so I haven't gotten his newest Captain Alatriste adventure, The Sun Over Breda. Kai Maristed has a review in the LATimes.
- Richard Cox comments on Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters by Elizabeth Brown Pryor (just out from Viking). He writes: "Obviously, I read the book because of the emphasis on Lee’s letters, but I also found Pryor making an effort to provide a balanced and critical review of Lee’s life and activities that moves us past the stereotypes and impressions of the resident of Arlington and the Confederacy’s military leader. Pryor minces no words in portraying Lee’s attitudes about slavery, for example, or about his doubts and struggles about his personal religious views."
- Back on 2 May I wrote about a new book which purports to identify Jack the Ripper. Matthew Sturgis reviews The Fox and the Flies: The World of Joseph Silver, Racketeer and Psychopath in The Telegraph. Of author Charles van Onselen's work, Sturgis concludes "It is a triumph of research and persistence. And, indeed, the most entertaining part of the book is the epilogue detailing how the archival detective-work unfolded." But, Sturgis says, van Onselen's contention that Silver was Jack the Ripper isn't quite sufficiently justified by the available evidence: "quite why Silver abandoned his serial-killing spree to devote himself to a life of petty larceny and organised prostitution remains rather hazy. It is all pretty tenuous stuff."
- In The Guardian, David McKie confesses to an obsession with trying to read the titles of books in the backgrounds of newspaper photographs: "Whenever I see such pictures I have an uncontrollable urge to seize the nearest magnifying glass and try to decipher the titles."
- From the same paper, a short profile of the Darwin Correspondence Project, which now contains the full text of more than 5,000 letters to or from Darwin up to 1865 (more than 9,000 more will be added in future).
- At Fine Books Blog, Scott notes the upcoming appearance at auction of a first edition of H.A. Rey's Curious George. The book, which is expected to fetch more than $10,000, will be sold 12 July at PBA Galleries; it's believed to be the first such copy on the market in more than a decade.
- Via Rare Book News, word that Princeton has acquired the papers of British literary critic Sir Frank Kermode; the National Library of Scotland has begun a $3.6 million project to digitize its holdings, which comprise more than 1 million books from the rare book collection alone; and the New Hampshire Institute of Art has received more than 2,000 rare early photography books from the collection of John Teti.
Thieving Librarian's Sentence Reduced
Well, I can't say I didn't see this one coming. Karen Dale Churton, the thieving librarian from New Zealand who appealed her 11-month jail sentence last week, won over the judge. Justice Alan Mackenzie agreed yesterday to reduce Churton's jail time to just four months (of which she'll probably serve less than half), after finding that the trial judge set too high a bar for Churton's sentence. Churton's "first offender" status also worked in her favor, said MacKenzie.
Once again, a person who has abused the trust placed in them to safeguard materials entrusted to their care gets a slap on the wrist.
Once again, a person who has abused the trust placed in them to safeguard materials entrusted to their care gets a slap on the wrist.
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Events Upcoming
There are a few neat things going on in the book world over the next few days that I thought I'd better pass along:
- On Thursday, 17 May, the Boston Athenaeum sponsors "Libraries and the Organization of Knowledge: Searching the Past, Seeking the Future" as part of its bicentennial lecture series. Terry Belanger, founder and director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, will speak, along with former ALA president Michael Gorman. The talk will be at 6 p.m. in the Rabb Lecture Hall at the Boston Public Library.
- On Tuesday, 22 May, the American Printing History Association is screening "Letterpress Unbound," a film about letterpress masters printers Ruth Lingen and Peter Kruty. Producers Champe Smith and Sally Gardner will be at the screening, as will the featured printers. This event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street in NYC.
Feel free to add anything I've missed!
- On Thursday, 17 May, the Boston Athenaeum sponsors "Libraries and the Organization of Knowledge: Searching the Past, Seeking the Future" as part of its bicentennial lecture series. Terry Belanger, founder and director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, will speak, along with former ALA president Michael Gorman. The talk will be at 6 p.m. in the Rabb Lecture Hall at the Boston Public Library.
- On Tuesday, 22 May, the American Printing History Association is screening "Letterpress Unbound," a film about letterpress masters printers Ruth Lingen and Peter Kruty. Producers Champe Smith and Sally Gardner will be at the screening, as will the featured printers. This event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street in NYC.
Feel free to add anything I've missed!
Johnson/Boswell Association Copies Talk at BPL
Finally being freed from the yoke of classes I had the chance last night to get down to the BPL for "Guilt by Association: The Passions of a Private Book Collector," a talk by Paul Ruxin as part of the Library's Lowell Lecture series. Mr. Ruxin, an attorney by vocation who also serves as a trustee at the Folger Shakespeare Library and is involved with the publication of The Private Papers of James Boswell at Yale, started collecting early and fine editions of the writings of Johnson and Boswell, but has since branched out to collect 'association copies' somehow related to the pair or their writings.
The discussion was riveting - Ruxin had brought along some of the most interesting books from his collection, including a copy of one of JB's books which he'd inscribed to his friend and mentor George Keith, and a bound edition of MacPherson's Ossian poems containing an essay by Boswell's father on the authenticity of those works. The coup de grace was Sir Joshua Reynolds' copy of Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, the discovery of which solved a longstanding bibliographic mystery. Ruxin commented on how the association copies make him feel closer to those who once owned them, read them, and experienced them.
Incidentally, today is being hailed as "Johnson/Boswell Day", for it was on this day in 1763 that Dr. Johnson first made the acquaintance of the young James Boswell - and on this day in 1791 when Boswell's Life of Johnson was first published. Bruce Tober also has just mounted a fascinating essay on Robert Dodsley, one of the publishers who encouraged Johnson to begin work on his great Dictionary of the English Language.
So, happy Johnson/Boswell Day to all, in honor of which I'll close with one of the quotes from Johnson's great letter to MacPherson in their correspondence over the Ossian poems: "Stubborn audacity is the last refuge of guilt."
The discussion was riveting - Ruxin had brought along some of the most interesting books from his collection, including a copy of one of JB's books which he'd inscribed to his friend and mentor George Keith, and a bound edition of MacPherson's Ossian poems containing an essay by Boswell's father on the authenticity of those works. The coup de grace was Sir Joshua Reynolds' copy of Boswell's Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides, the discovery of which solved a longstanding bibliographic mystery. Ruxin commented on how the association copies make him feel closer to those who once owned them, read them, and experienced them.
Incidentally, today is being hailed as "Johnson/Boswell Day", for it was on this day in 1763 that Dr. Johnson first made the acquaintance of the young James Boswell - and on this day in 1791 when Boswell's Life of Johnson was first published. Bruce Tober also has just mounted a fascinating essay on Robert Dodsley, one of the publishers who encouraged Johnson to begin work on his great Dictionary of the English Language.
So, happy Johnson/Boswell Day to all, in honor of which I'll close with one of the quotes from Johnson's great letter to MacPherson in their correspondence over the Ossian poems: "Stubborn audacity is the last refuge of guilt."
Rare Kashmiri Manuscripts Lost to Violence
Daily News & Analysis (India) has a short article today on the widespread destruction of rare books, manuscripts and other cultural artifacts in the disputed Kashmir region. Indian authorities say they have no idea exactly how many manuscripts have been destroyed - mostly in fires set by militants at institutions such as Islamia College and the Jammu and Kashmir Academy of Art, Culture and Languages.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Book Review: "Spellbound"
Histories of writing/spelling/dictionaries &c. are a particular interest of mine, so I was delighted to see James Essinger's Spellbound: The Surprising Origins and Astonishing Secrets of English Spelling (Delta, 2007) come across the transom. Essinger's enthusiasm for spelling and its idiosyncracies is abundantly evident from the get-go, and this book is a reasonably interesting general introduction to the history of English and some of the language's oddities. However, Essinger's desire to target this book at a 'general audience' got in its way, I think - his enthusiasm has a tendency to run toward the goofy (it's very hard to take seriously someone who uses a quote from "Gladiator" as an epigram, and who repeatedly refers to the "magic" of spelling as if it were somehow conjured up by some benevolent - or malevolent, depending on your inclinations - wizard somewhere).
Essinger's account of the development of English as a language - both spoken and written - is basic but fairly informative. He throws in some "fun facts" about why certain words are spelled as they are, as well as some trivia about a few of the best-known English dictionaries. I was struck, though, but how many of his 'conclusions' were preceded by "my guess is" or one of its equivalents ... again, not exactly the sort of thing to inspire confidence.
Readable and breezy this book may be - but it's difficult to take it with more than a grain of salt. References would have helped, as would a more complete bibliography. Sometimes more than an author's affinity for a subject is required to make a good book.
Essinger's account of the development of English as a language - both spoken and written - is basic but fairly informative. He throws in some "fun facts" about why certain words are spelled as they are, as well as some trivia about a few of the best-known English dictionaries. I was struck, though, but how many of his 'conclusions' were preceded by "my guess is" or one of its equivalents ... again, not exactly the sort of thing to inspire confidence.
Readable and breezy this book may be - but it's difficult to take it with more than a grain of salt. References would have helped, as would a more complete bibliography. Sometimes more than an author's affinity for a subject is required to make a good book.
Diary Damaged at BL
The Times (London) reported yesterday on an extremely unfortunate and disconcerting accident at the British Library: an eighteenth-century diary on deposit with the BL was severely damaged when someone (somehow) spilled oil on it and cut off the front cover. The diary's owner, Peter J. Tyldesley, told the paper that he "wanted to weep" when he saw the manuscript's condition. "There are sections which are completely destroyed, sections where the entire text block has disappeared into a smeary mess," he told the Times. "In some ways, it’s so bad it’s difficult to imagine it was ever a diary. It’s been a truly shocking experience."
Tyldesely's ancestor Thomas Tyldesley (1657-1715) was the diary-keeper; the book details preparations for the Jacobite Rising in 1715.
The library's reaction to the damage is really mind-boggling: collections manager Helen Shenton told the paper that Tyldesley's diary "suffered accidental damage," and called it an "isolated incident." "The book had been kept in safe storage in a protective box and it was not until the book was opened that the stains were discovered. We apologise for any distress caused to Peter Tyldesley."
Something's fishy about this. If the book was in the box, how'd the oil get in there? And who cut the cover off?
Bizarre, any way you slice it.
[h/t Shelf:Life]
Tyldesely's ancestor Thomas Tyldesley (1657-1715) was the diary-keeper; the book details preparations for the Jacobite Rising in 1715.
The library's reaction to the damage is really mind-boggling: collections manager Helen Shenton told the paper that Tyldesley's diary "suffered accidental damage," and called it an "isolated incident." "The book had been kept in safe storage in a protective box and it was not until the book was opened that the stains were discovered. We apologise for any distress caused to Peter Tyldesley."
Something's fishy about this. If the book was in the box, how'd the oil get in there? And who cut the cover off?
Bizarre, any way you slice it.
[h/t Shelf:Life]
Monday, May 14, 2007
Book Review: "The Little Book of Plagiarism"
Judge Richard Posner (of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals) has been described by Gary Rosen as a "one-man think tank" for his extensive body of writing on topics ranging from aging to the 2000 election to intelligence reform (and far, far beyond). His newest book, The Little Book of Plagiarism (Pantheon, 2007) is a short (just 109 pages) but witty and to-the-point discussion of various aspects of plagiarism as it's viewed today.
Posner spends a significant amount of time trying to develop an adequate definition of the term plagiarism, which proves tricky once he explores some of the odd little nooks and crannies of the concept. He finally settles on "nonconsensual fraudulent copying" (p. 33) though even this has certain deficiencies. The book then discusses typical punishments (best left to "informal, private sanctions, he concludes) and the fact that "the stigma of plagiarism never seems to fade completely, not because it is an especially heinous offense, but because it is embarrassingly second-rate; its practitioners are pathetic, almost ridiculous" (p. 37).
The middle portion of Posner's essay examines the confluences and divergences between plagiarism and copyright infringement (one is not necessarily the other), the issue of 'self-plagiarism' (hilariously exemplified by the fact that Laurence Sterne's love letters to his mistress contained lines taken verbatim from letters he'd written previously to his wife), and the history of plagiarism as an idea.
Finally, Posner comments on the relative ease with which modern plagiarism can be detected (including through the use of programs like Turnitin), and the fact that the potential for success should be a deterrent to plagiarism since success and the corresponding scrutiny makes discovery so much more likely (pg. 80). He takes aim at the double standard he sees between the treatment of students and professors accused of plagiarism, and bluntly states "the Left, which dominates intellectual circles in the United States, is soft on plagiarism" (p. 94).
The Little Book of Plagiarism is notable for its trenchant commentary, well-reasoned arguments, and useful examples.
Posner spends a significant amount of time trying to develop an adequate definition of the term plagiarism, which proves tricky once he explores some of the odd little nooks and crannies of the concept. He finally settles on "nonconsensual fraudulent copying" (p. 33) though even this has certain deficiencies. The book then discusses typical punishments (best left to "informal, private sanctions, he concludes) and the fact that "the stigma of plagiarism never seems to fade completely, not because it is an especially heinous offense, but because it is embarrassingly second-rate; its practitioners are pathetic, almost ridiculous" (p. 37).
The middle portion of Posner's essay examines the confluences and divergences between plagiarism and copyright infringement (one is not necessarily the other), the issue of 'self-plagiarism' (hilariously exemplified by the fact that Laurence Sterne's love letters to his mistress contained lines taken verbatim from letters he'd written previously to his wife), and the history of plagiarism as an idea.
Finally, Posner comments on the relative ease with which modern plagiarism can be detected (including through the use of programs like Turnitin), and the fact that the potential for success should be a deterrent to plagiarism since success and the corresponding scrutiny makes discovery so much more likely (pg. 80). He takes aim at the double standard he sees between the treatment of students and professors accused of plagiarism, and bluntly states "the Left, which dominates intellectual circles in the United States, is soft on plagiarism" (p. 94).
The Little Book of Plagiarism is notable for its trenchant commentary, well-reasoned arguments, and useful examples.
Mariner's Museum Archivist Sued for Thefts
The Mariner's Museum in Newport News, VA has filed a civil suit for $1.35 million against a former archivist, Lester Weber, and his wife Lori Childs. The five-count lawsuit alleges that Weber and Childs conspired to "remove an estimated $160,000 worth of property from The Mariners' Museum and then sell the goods" on eBay, according to the Daily Press.
"The couple is also accused of permanently altering historical documents belonging to the museum so that they could claim control of the property."
"The museum is seeking $250,000 in compensatory damages, $750,000 in three-fold damages and $350,000 in punitive damages." (Well, I guess if criminal charges won't result in any punishment, going after the checkbook might be a useful strategy). Under Virginia law, the paper notes, the museum "can sue Weber and Childs for three times the amount of damages it claims to have suffered by the couple's alleged conspiracy. It also can seek reimbursement of legal fees."
Weber worked at the Mariner's Museum from 2000 through last September, when he was "dismissed." Museum officials did not tell the paper what materials Weber reportedly stole or altered, but seemed to indicate that they may have been uncatalogued items.
The Newport News police department is also investigating the thefts, the Daily Press report notes. Federal authorities may also be involved.
WVEC's Mary Nelson also reported on the Weber case Friday; she spoke with both Weber and his wife, who denied the accusations leveled by the museum. Weber told Nelson "I would never have stolen, never would steal from an employer. I really enjoyed working at the place. I don't understand where this is coming from." Childs told Nelson she was included in the suit "Because I am the one who had the ebay account. It's my whole little pocket money."
Nelson adds: " We checked out eBay finding bluprints [sic] of naval ships ... not originals, but duplicates from originals. And because the lawsuit claims Weber and Childs 'permanently altered' archival items, we asked museum officials if they believe Weber and Childs duplicated museum documents and sold those on eBay, but we received no clear answer."
If the latter scenario is what this turns out to be, it could make this case a very notable one to watch. I'll keep my eye on it.
[h/t Everett Wilkie, Ex-Libris]
"The couple is also accused of permanently altering historical documents belonging to the museum so that they could claim control of the property."
"The museum is seeking $250,000 in compensatory damages, $750,000 in three-fold damages and $350,000 in punitive damages." (Well, I guess if criminal charges won't result in any punishment, going after the checkbook might be a useful strategy). Under Virginia law, the paper notes, the museum "can sue Weber and Childs for three times the amount of damages it claims to have suffered by the couple's alleged conspiracy. It also can seek reimbursement of legal fees."
Weber worked at the Mariner's Museum from 2000 through last September, when he was "dismissed." Museum officials did not tell the paper what materials Weber reportedly stole or altered, but seemed to indicate that they may have been uncatalogued items.
The Newport News police department is also investigating the thefts, the Daily Press report notes. Federal authorities may also be involved.
WVEC's Mary Nelson also reported on the Weber case Friday; she spoke with both Weber and his wife, who denied the accusations leveled by the museum. Weber told Nelson "I would never have stolen, never would steal from an employer. I really enjoyed working at the place. I don't understand where this is coming from." Childs told Nelson she was included in the suit "Because I am the one who had the ebay account. It's my whole little pocket money."
Nelson adds: " We checked out eBay finding bluprints [sic] of naval ships ... not originals, but duplicates from originals. And because the lawsuit claims Weber and Childs 'permanently altered' archival items, we asked museum officials if they believe Weber and Childs duplicated museum documents and sold those on eBay, but we received no clear answer."
If the latter scenario is what this turns out to be, it could make this case a very notable one to watch. I'll keep my eye on it.
[h/t Everett Wilkie, Ex-Libris]
Links & Reviews
- From Book Trout, Rachel recommends Sense and Nonsensibility: Lampoons of Learning and Literature, by Lawrence Douglas and Alexander George. Sounds amusing, I'll have to keep my eye out for this one.
- Joyce has some useful reference links, mostly for identifying first editions.
- Bookride offers up comments on a few of the famous billionaire book collectors, including James Goldsmith and Maundy Gregory.
- The Sunday Telegraph reports on why the Harry Potter release this summer probably won't be particularly good news for bookstores. [h/t GalleyCat]
- Another review of the new John Donne bio, this one by Thomas Mallon in the NYTimes. Might have to move this one up in the pile, or by the time I read it it'll have been reviewed to death.
- Richard J. Cox explores the new book Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America by Andrew Ferguson (forthcoming, Atlantic Monthly Press). Cox compares the book to Tony Horwitz's Confederates in the Attic, but notes that Ferguson's "humor is subtler and may be sensed primarily by how the individual reader views Lincoln."
- Paul Collins has been in touch with descendants of Arthur Ostrander, who was the assistant of George Poe (he of the amazing respirator machine). Collins says the Ostrander family still has Poe's respirator machine, and that a journal article is in the works. Also from Paul, electric spiders.
- Amazon has launched a podcast network, GalleyCat reports.
- Joyce has some useful reference links, mostly for identifying first editions.
- Bookride offers up comments on a few of the famous billionaire book collectors, including James Goldsmith and Maundy Gregory.
- The Sunday Telegraph reports on why the Harry Potter release this summer probably won't be particularly good news for bookstores. [h/t GalleyCat]
- Another review of the new John Donne bio, this one by Thomas Mallon in the NYTimes. Might have to move this one up in the pile, or by the time I read it it'll have been reviewed to death.
- Richard J. Cox explores the new book Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America by Andrew Ferguson (forthcoming, Atlantic Monthly Press). Cox compares the book to Tony Horwitz's Confederates in the Attic, but notes that Ferguson's "humor is subtler and may be sensed primarily by how the individual reader views Lincoln."
- Paul Collins has been in touch with descendants of Arthur Ostrander, who was the assistant of George Poe (he of the amazing respirator machine). Collins says the Ostrander family still has Poe's respirator machine, and that a journal article is in the works. Also from Paul, electric spiders.
- Amazon has launched a podcast network, GalleyCat reports.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Meet Cornelius
If you're reading this post directly on the blog site, you'll see a new addition to the top of the sidebar; if you're reading through Google Reader or another feed aggregator you might want to click through just so the rest of this post makes some semblance of sense.
Cornelius (aka "An Owl with Books") was created c. 1625 by members of the Bloemaert family, a well-established Dutch artist clan. The engraving is inscribed "H. Bloemaert pinx: C. Bloemaert sculp: et excud:", meaning that it is taken from a painting (pinx.) done by Hendrick Bloemaert (c. 1601-1672) and was engraved (sculp.) by Hendrick's younger brother Cornelius (c. 1603-1692).
The caption reads, in Dutch, "Wat baet keers off bril, als den Wl niet sienen wil" ("What good could a candle or spectacles do, if the owl doesn't want to see"). The open book to the owl's right is the Bible; the visible text is "Ghij en sult niet dootslaen, Ghij en sult niet stelen" ("Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal"), and the sheet protruding from the closed book which the owl clutches reads "T' is omt profyt" ("It is about profit").*
As noted in the exhaustive monograph Abraham Bloemaert and his Sons: Paintings and Prints by Marcel Roethlisberger and Marten Jan Bok (Davaco, 1993), pg. 444, the proverb in the caption is traditional: "Preferring night to day, the owl cannot see in daylight, hence its popular reputation for stupidity and blindness towards faith. ... Here, it ignores the lesson of the open Bible and blindly clings to the closed book which is about greed. Spectacles stand for foolishness." The owl here is symbolic of stupidity, the precise reverse of its general use as a symbol of wisdom in our own time.
I like the image, although I must admit that once I understood the caption I gained a totally different perspective on the engraving than I had initially. I briefly considered lopping off the proverb, but decided it was better left on as an important statement about how symbols evolve and change their meanings over time.
*Translations also from Roethlisberger and Bok, p. 444.
Cornelius (aka "An Owl with Books") was created c. 1625 by members of the Bloemaert family, a well-established Dutch artist clan. The engraving is inscribed "H. Bloemaert pinx: C. Bloemaert sculp: et excud:", meaning that it is taken from a painting (pinx.) done by Hendrick Bloemaert (c. 1601-1672) and was engraved (sculp.) by Hendrick's younger brother Cornelius (c. 1603-1692).
The caption reads, in Dutch, "Wat baet keers off bril, als den Wl niet sienen wil" ("What good could a candle or spectacles do, if the owl doesn't want to see"). The open book to the owl's right is the Bible; the visible text is "Ghij en sult niet dootslaen, Ghij en sult niet stelen" ("Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal"), and the sheet protruding from the closed book which the owl clutches reads "T' is omt profyt" ("It is about profit").*
As noted in the exhaustive monograph Abraham Bloemaert and his Sons: Paintings and Prints by Marcel Roethlisberger and Marten Jan Bok (Davaco, 1993), pg. 444, the proverb in the caption is traditional: "Preferring night to day, the owl cannot see in daylight, hence its popular reputation for stupidity and blindness towards faith. ... Here, it ignores the lesson of the open Bible and blindly clings to the closed book which is about greed. Spectacles stand for foolishness." The owl here is symbolic of stupidity, the precise reverse of its general use as a symbol of wisdom in our own time.
I like the image, although I must admit that once I understood the caption I gained a totally different perspective on the engraving than I had initially. I briefly considered lopping off the proverb, but decided it was better left on as an important statement about how symbols evolve and change their meanings over time.
*Translations also from Roethlisberger and Bok, p. 444.
Book Review: "Stephen Decatur"
In Stephen Decatur: American Naval Hero, 1779-1820, (UMass Press, 2007), Robert Allison (history professor at Suffolk University in Boston) provides an excellent updated biography of one of America's first great naval champions. Decatur, who holds the distinctions of being the youngest man ever to serve as captain in the Navy and the last captain killed in a duel, managed to have an almost unbelievably successful naval career back when the American navy barely existed at all.
From the Barbary Wars (during which Decatur led a swashbuckling raid on Tripoli harbor to destroy the captured American ship Philadelphia) to the War of 1812 (when he defeated the British frigate Macedonian and hauled it back to the U.S. as his prize) and the Algerian wars in the aftermath of the Treaty of Ghent, Decatur sailed his way into the great esteem of his fellow citizens. Even when defeated in the closing days of the War of 1812, he was honored by his victorious opponent, who refused to take "the sword of an officer, who had defended his ship so nobly."
Allison's biography draws on vast contemporary sources (well noted, although a full bibliography would have been a good addition) to provide additional and very useful context to Decatur's life and the times in which he and the country lived and labored. His battle accounts are excellent, and he's captured well the naval culture as it began to form during the period. The opening and closing vignettes of the duel which killed Decatur are also marvelous; it surprised me that even more than fifteen years after Hamilton's death at Weehawken duels were still so common.
A balanced, well-written and attention-holding treatment of Decatur and the early republic. Highly recommended.
From the Barbary Wars (during which Decatur led a swashbuckling raid on Tripoli harbor to destroy the captured American ship Philadelphia) to the War of 1812 (when he defeated the British frigate Macedonian and hauled it back to the U.S. as his prize) and the Algerian wars in the aftermath of the Treaty of Ghent, Decatur sailed his way into the great esteem of his fellow citizens. Even when defeated in the closing days of the War of 1812, he was honored by his victorious opponent, who refused to take "the sword of an officer, who had defended his ship so nobly."
Allison's biography draws on vast contemporary sources (well noted, although a full bibliography would have been a good addition) to provide additional and very useful context to Decatur's life and the times in which he and the country lived and labored. His battle accounts are excellent, and he's captured well the naval culture as it began to form during the period. The opening and closing vignettes of the duel which killed Decatur are also marvelous; it surprised me that even more than fifteen years after Hamilton's death at Weehawken duels were still so common.
A balanced, well-written and attention-holding treatment of Decatur and the early republic. Highly recommended.
Book Review: "Scholarium"
Translated from German, Claudia Gross' Scholarium (Toby Press, 2004) is a dark mystery set in the turbulent times of early fifteenth-century Cologne. As scholars debate complex philosophical matters, one of their own is found brutally murdered, and the killer - who seems also to hail from the educated community - has left a trail of troubling clues behind.
This book reminded me slightly of The Name of the Rose, and even in a good way. Deeply philosophical and suspenseful, it's an interesting examination of medieval education and scholarship - and the difficult conclusions that were being reached about how the world works. Gross also incorporates the important question of the role of women in academia during the period, as well as some bizarre heretical practices and an alchemical explosion or two.
Aside from a few inconsistencies and what may have been rough patches in the translation here and there, this book was a fascinating read.
This book reminded me slightly of The Name of the Rose, and even in a good way. Deeply philosophical and suspenseful, it's an interesting examination of medieval education and scholarship - and the difficult conclusions that were being reached about how the world works. Gross also incorporates the important question of the role of women in academia during the period, as well as some bizarre heretical practices and an alchemical explosion or two.
Aside from a few inconsistencies and what may have been rough patches in the translation here and there, this book was a fascinating read.
Scurvy Treatise at Christies
The Daily Record reports that a first edition of Scottish physician James Lind's A Treatise on the Scurvy (Edinburgh: Sands, Murray and Cochran for A. Kincaid and A. Donaldson, 1753) will sell at Christie's on London on 6 June as Lot 155 of a sale of Valuable Printed Books and Manuscripts.
Lind's book was the first to recommended citrus fruits/juices and green vegetables be added to sailors' diets to combat scurvy. Lind served as a Royal Navy surgeon for ten years before attaining the post of physician in charge at Haslar Royal Naval Hospital. This copy of his book, with the early Edinburgh imprint, was presented to John Clevland, secretary to the Admiralty in 1753, according to Christie's lot description.
The presale estimate: £10,000-15,000.
Other interesting lots from this sale:
- Autograph manuscript fair copy of T.F. Dibdin's book An Introduction to the Knowledge of Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics (1802), his first bibliographic work. £3,000-4,000. Lot 65.
- Four Samuel Johnson letters to his stepdaughter, Lucy Porter; 1761-1780. £5,000-8,000 each. Lots 89-92.
- First edition, first issue of Isaac Newton's Opticks (London: 1704). £15,000-25,000. Lot 160.
Lind's book was the first to recommended citrus fruits/juices and green vegetables be added to sailors' diets to combat scurvy. Lind served as a Royal Navy surgeon for ten years before attaining the post of physician in charge at Haslar Royal Naval Hospital. This copy of his book, with the early Edinburgh imprint, was presented to John Clevland, secretary to the Admiralty in 1753, according to Christie's lot description.
The presale estimate: £10,000-15,000.
Other interesting lots from this sale:
- Autograph manuscript fair copy of T.F. Dibdin's book An Introduction to the Knowledge of Rare and Valuable Editions of the Greek and Roman Classics (1802), his first bibliographic work. £3,000-4,000. Lot 65.
- Four Samuel Johnson letters to his stepdaughter, Lucy Porter; 1761-1780. £5,000-8,000 each. Lots 89-92.
- First edition, first issue of Isaac Newton's Opticks (London: 1704). £15,000-25,000. Lot 160.
Saturday, May 12, 2007
Thieving Librarian Appeals Sentence
Former Massey University librarian and confessed book thief Karen Dale Churton appealed her 11-month prison sentence yesterday; her lawyer called the term "manifestly excessive" and asked that it be reduced or replaced with community service. He said that Churton is "genuinely remorseful," but "She is still not entirely able to understand what led her to the temptation to steal these books."
Maybe eleven months in prison will help her figure that out.
The judge who heard the appeal, Alan Mackenzie, will announce his decision next week.
Maybe eleven months in prison will help her figure that out.
The judge who heard the appeal, Alan Mackenzie, will announce his decision next week.
Friday, May 11, 2007
Links & Reviews
Much news this morning:
- Chicago's Newberry Library and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies have purchased a copy of Postilla Litteralis super totam Bibliam, a Bible commentary by Nicolaus de Lyra printed in the 15th century, according to Chicago Public Radio. This copy is the third known in the U.S.
-The Herald reports that three key Gaelic documents may go on tour through the Highlands and Scottish islands. The Fernaig Manuscript (a collection of early Gaelic verse dating from the late seventeenth century), the Islay Charter of 1408 ("the only Gaelic language land charter in existence and the earliest complete example of the public use of Gaelic in the 15th century") and the 1609 Statutes of Iona (signed by the clan chiefs and designed to "civilize" the Highlands) have never been displayed together. If the current plan goes forward, the three may be exhibited at Iona, Islay, Inverness, Skye, Uist and Stornoway. [h/t Shelf:Life]
- fade theory's got the video of Salman Rushdie on "The Colbert Report" discussing literary criticism and book review sections.
- In the Christian Science Monitor, Gregory Lamb reviews a few of the recent Jamestown books, focusing on Benjamin Woolley's Savage Kingdom.
- Joyce's police tape has reappeared: a copy of John Banim's The Ghost-Hunter and His Family (London: 1852) has gone missing from Motte & Bailey Booksellers in Ann Arbor. Full description here.
- Also from Bibliophile Bullpen, books as commodes.
- BibliOdyssey's most recent compilation of images comes from Remarkable Persons, a collection of sensational illustrations and text by James Caulfield (1819-20).
- Reading Copy notes that AbeBooks has opened a Religion and Spirituality room.
- Over at the LATimes, Janice Nimura reviews Rebecca Stott's Ghostwalk ... hmm, might have to add this one to the list.
- Chicago's Newberry Library and Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies have purchased a copy of Postilla Litteralis super totam Bibliam, a Bible commentary by Nicolaus de Lyra printed in the 15th century, according to Chicago Public Radio. This copy is the third known in the U.S.
-The Herald reports that three key Gaelic documents may go on tour through the Highlands and Scottish islands. The Fernaig Manuscript (a collection of early Gaelic verse dating from the late seventeenth century), the Islay Charter of 1408 ("the only Gaelic language land charter in existence and the earliest complete example of the public use of Gaelic in the 15th century") and the 1609 Statutes of Iona (signed by the clan chiefs and designed to "civilize" the Highlands) have never been displayed together. If the current plan goes forward, the three may be exhibited at Iona, Islay, Inverness, Skye, Uist and Stornoway. [h/t Shelf:Life]
- fade theory's got the video of Salman Rushdie on "The Colbert Report" discussing literary criticism and book review sections.
- In the Christian Science Monitor, Gregory Lamb reviews a few of the recent Jamestown books, focusing on Benjamin Woolley's Savage Kingdom.
- Joyce's police tape has reappeared: a copy of John Banim's The Ghost-Hunter and His Family (London: 1852) has gone missing from Motte & Bailey Booksellers in Ann Arbor. Full description here.
- Also from Bibliophile Bullpen, books as commodes.
- BibliOdyssey's most recent compilation of images comes from Remarkable Persons, a collection of sensational illustrations and text by James Caulfield (1819-20).
- Reading Copy notes that AbeBooks has opened a Religion and Spirituality room.
- Over at the LATimes, Janice Nimura reviews Rebecca Stott's Ghostwalk ... hmm, might have to add this one to the list.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Book Review: "Empire of Blue Water"
Journalist Stephan Talty's Empire of Blue Water: Captain Morgan's Great Pirate Army, the Epic Battle for the Americas, and the Catastrophe that Ended the Outlaws' Bloody Reign (2007, Crown), aside from having a fairly self-explanatory subtitle, is one among many books on pirates being published this spring to take full advantage of the upcoming release of the third "Pirates of the Caribbean" film (I'm trying to decide if I want to read all of them that I've got in sequence or spread them out over the next couple months).
Captain Henry Morgan - the man himself - was a Welshman transplanted to Jamaica who found himself through a combination of hard work and pure unadultered good luck one of the most successful pirates the world has ever known. The leader of four profitable raids on Spanish cities in central and South America, Morgan became a useful proxy in the wars between European powers for control of the Caribbean, as well as a feared leader of men. Hauled under arrest to England after peace is made with Spain, Morgan works his way into the good graces of Charles II and ends up returning to Jamaica as a knight with a commission as the lieutenant governor, charged - ironically - with stamping out Caribbean piracy. And then of course he drinks himself to death.
Morgan's story is, for the most part, well told by Talty. He has captured the man and the times nicely, and his descriptions of the glory days of Port Royal (and of its destruction by a massive earthquake soon after Morgan's death) are vivid.
There are some important style points, however, on which I must give Talty lower marks. I did not think necessary his introduction of a "prototypical pirate" (named Roderick) whose trajectory we follow along with Morgan's through the battles and their aftermath. Talty ought to have relied on archival sources and real people where possible. Also, some of the comparisons Talty drew seemed both awkward and silly: for example, his likening the piratical custom of making improvements to captured ships to better suit their own purposes to "grease monkeys cackling as they dropped a supercharged V-12 into their father's vintage Olds" (p. 53) left me shaking my head.
More fundamentally, Talty's treatment of the pirates' system of 'profit-sharing' was overly simplistic. "Pirates were democrats," he declares at one point (p. 52). While it's true that there were communitarian and quasi-democratic elements at play in pirate culture, it's significantly more complicated than Talty's bold generalizations indicate. The hierarchy of pirate command structures were often in danger of collapse at any moment, it's true, but this does not mean democracy; a better descriptor might be 'barely controlled anarchy.' And egalitarian socialism certainly wasn't the rule - as Talty's own discussion of incentive-based-pay (p. 203) makes clear, taking risk in battle was rewarded with extra loot; it doesn't get much more capitalist than that.
The narrative is accompanied by useful maps, a semi-comprehensive bibliography, and notes (unindicated in the text) which leave something to be desired.
It's hard to separate myth from reality when it comes to telling pirate tales. In Empire of Blue Water, Stephan Talty's done an admirable - if not a perfect - job. Recommended.
Captain Henry Morgan - the man himself - was a Welshman transplanted to Jamaica who found himself through a combination of hard work and pure unadultered good luck one of the most successful pirates the world has ever known. The leader of four profitable raids on Spanish cities in central and South America, Morgan became a useful proxy in the wars between European powers for control of the Caribbean, as well as a feared leader of men. Hauled under arrest to England after peace is made with Spain, Morgan works his way into the good graces of Charles II and ends up returning to Jamaica as a knight with a commission as the lieutenant governor, charged - ironically - with stamping out Caribbean piracy. And then of course he drinks himself to death.
Morgan's story is, for the most part, well told by Talty. He has captured the man and the times nicely, and his descriptions of the glory days of Port Royal (and of its destruction by a massive earthquake soon after Morgan's death) are vivid.
There are some important style points, however, on which I must give Talty lower marks. I did not think necessary his introduction of a "prototypical pirate" (named Roderick) whose trajectory we follow along with Morgan's through the battles and their aftermath. Talty ought to have relied on archival sources and real people where possible. Also, some of the comparisons Talty drew seemed both awkward and silly: for example, his likening the piratical custom of making improvements to captured ships to better suit their own purposes to "grease monkeys cackling as they dropped a supercharged V-12 into their father's vintage Olds" (p. 53) left me shaking my head.
More fundamentally, Talty's treatment of the pirates' system of 'profit-sharing' was overly simplistic. "Pirates were democrats," he declares at one point (p. 52). While it's true that there were communitarian and quasi-democratic elements at play in pirate culture, it's significantly more complicated than Talty's bold generalizations indicate. The hierarchy of pirate command structures were often in danger of collapse at any moment, it's true, but this does not mean democracy; a better descriptor might be 'barely controlled anarchy.' And egalitarian socialism certainly wasn't the rule - as Talty's own discussion of incentive-based-pay (p. 203) makes clear, taking risk in battle was rewarded with extra loot; it doesn't get much more capitalist than that.
The narrative is accompanied by useful maps, a semi-comprehensive bibliography, and notes (unindicated in the text) which leave something to be desired.
It's hard to separate myth from reality when it comes to telling pirate tales. In Empire of Blue Water, Stephan Talty's done an admirable - if not a perfect - job. Recommended.
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