NEW YORK: 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 $14.2 million on Tuesday, setting an auction record for a printed book.
The Bay Psalm Book, which was auctioned at Sothebys in Manhattan, had a pre-sale estimate of $15 million to $30 million.
A copy of John James Audubons "Birds of America" was the previous record-holder, selling for $11.5 million at Sothebys in 2010.Only 11 copies of the Bay Psalm Book survive in varying degrees of completeness.
The book sold at Sothebys was one of two owned by Bostons Old South Church, which voted to sell it to increase its grants and ministries.
Samuel Adams was a member and Benjamin Franklin was baptized at the church, which was established in 1669."This is enormous for us," said the Rev.
Nancy Taylor, senior minister of the church. "It is life-changing for the ministries we can do."The book was bought over the phone by American businessman and philanthropist David Rubenstein, who plans to lend it to libraries around the country.
The sale price included the buyers premium.In April, Taylor called the book spectacular" and said it is "arguably one of the most important books in this nations history.
"The church owned five copies of the 6-inch-by-5-inch (15-inch-by-12.5-centimeter) book. One is now at the Library of Congress, one is at Yale University and one is at Brown University.
The book was published in Cambridge, Massachusetts, by the Puritan leaders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony just 20 years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth.
It was supposed to be a faithful translation into English of the original Hebrew psalms — puritans believed selected paraphrases would compromise their salvation.
The 1,700 copies were printed on a press shipped from London.A yellowed title page, adorned with decorative flourishes, reads: "The Whole Booke of Psalmes, Faithfully Translated into English Metre.
No comments:
Post a Comment
you are naijah for real page