Re: Who the hell was Henry H. Harper?

[David Klappholz <d.klappholz@worldnet.att.net>]

I should probably have waited until I got home tonight, to consult my 
BS -- has a nice ring to it -- yearbooks, but, to the best of my 
recollection, William Porterfield Trent is listed as an officer; 
now, a prominent academic could, conceivably, be in league with a 
charlatan of sorts, but ...

Dave

PS Four or five other officers are listed.


> I would be surprised if there were any officers of the Society, other than
> HHHarper himself  and have a sense that it was a profit making proposition
> for the benefit of HHHarper. The fact the Luther Brewer in Cedar Rapids
> (whose typographic tastes leaves much to be desired) printed his books makes
> no difference. The "members' were, no doubt, subscribers to his publications,
> some of which are of considerable scholarly interest.
>
> Probably, what  I find  most objectionable is the treacly tone of the whole
> thing -- insipid prose, "deluxe" design in poor quality paper and bindings,
> &c.
>
> But anyone is free to defend HHH and we will be the better for it.!
>
> MAMcCorison
>
>
> David Klappholz wrote:
>
> >  >  The Bibliophile Society was, I
> >  >think, something of a fraud, but I may be quite wrong.
> >
> >  I wonder why you say this.  I've always been surprised that the
> >  Bibliophile Society was, apparently, an organization whose members
> >  didn't meet on a regular basis and which, apparently, didn't sponsor
> >  activities.  It certainly DID publish books which many bibliophiles
> >  of the first two decades of the 20th century appreciated, and which
> >  are, clearly, of sufficient interest for YOU to have acquired.  The
> >  Society's 1920 yearbook, published when the Society had been in
> >  operation for about 20 years, lists such presumably fraud-resistent
> >  bibliophiles as Henry E. Huntington and a number of  prominent, and
> >  presumably fraud-resistent, libraries as members.  (I doubt that a
> >  fraudulent operation would have remained undetected by sophisticated
> >  individuals and libraries after 20 years.)  The Society appears to
> >  simply have been an earlier, more limited, Limited Editions Club,
> >  whose publications were more than simply classics reprinted in
> >  stylish formats.
> >
> >  I am, however, interested in knowing more about Harper, whose
> >  publications I personally have found to be rather boring.  I'm also
> >  interested in Luther Brewer, who printed all/most Society
> >  publications at his Torch Press in Cedar Rapids Iowa, and who was
> >  apparently printer of catalogues to a number of prominent NYC
> >  booksellers in the 1920's.
> >
> >  Please post responses to the entire list.
> >
> >  Thanks
> >  Dave
> >
> >  >
> >  >Harper seems to have been on the margin of the sophisticated (and
> >  >exclusive) book world. He was not a member of The Grolier Club or of The
> >  >Club of Odd Volumes.
> >  >
> >  >I own a number of the year books, &c. of The Bibliophile Society (which
> >  >I take to be his private operation) and a few of his other publications,
> >  >but not the ones that go for $$$. Many volumes were printed on thick
> >  >acidic deckled paper or on acidic "Japan vellum," bound in paper-covered
> >  >boards.
> >  >
> >  >Are there papers extant of HHH? Who knows who he was? If you know,
> >  >please let ME know.
> >  >
> >  >Thanks for help!
> >  >--
> >  >
> >  >Marcus A. McCorison
> >  >mamcc@worldnet.att.net
> --
> Marcus A. McCorison
> mamcc@worldnet.att.net