Recollections of James Lenox and the Formation of His Library [in rare dust jacket]

New York: The New York Public Library, 1951. Unread copy. Near Fine condition in a Good+ original plain paper dust jacket (unusual to find with the original dust jacket). This is NOT a cheaply-made modern reprint. It is the original 1951 New York Public Library FIRST EDITION THUS, Revised and Elucidated by Victor Hugo Paltsits, Litt. D. and LIMITED to 1000 copies. Bright, clean, square and tight. Condition would be Fine but for tiny bump to one corner. The dust jacket has a few small chips and tears. NO owner's name or bookplate. NO remainder mark. Fresh and crisp -- obviously never read. The best, most complete edition. From Joel Silver's AB Bookman's Weekly article (August 16, 1993): "One of the most colorful of antiquarian booksellers was Henry Stevens (1819-1886)... He supplied Americana and other rare books and manuscripts to collectors such as James Lenox and John Carter Brown, and libraries such as Library of Congress and the British Museum. RECOLLECTIONS OF JAMES LENOX is ostensibly Stevens' memoir of the great collector whose library forms one of the cornerstones of the New York Public Library... The book, however, is much more about Stevens than about Lenox, and Stevens is always an interesting, if not modest, narrator. From the Gutenberg Bible to the Columbus Letter to the Bay Psalm Book, Stevens' story is filled with great books and how Stevens managed to sell them... There is a great deal of rare book lore... and Stevens' adventures make for a wonderful afternoon of reading... The introduction and notes by Paltsits provide a good deal more detail about the books, manuscripts, and people mentioned by Stevens...." Illustrated with a frontispiece portrait of James Lenox and 19 other plates, inserted, (i.e. not page numbered, as published). Bound in the original gilt-stamped blue cloth. Complete with the rare dust jacket.. First edition thus, limited 1000 copies. Hardcover. Near Fine condition/Good+ plain paper jacket. 8vo. xxxvi, 189pp. + 19 plates. Great Packing, Fast Shipping.