Lots with this symbol indicate that a party has provided sotheby s with an irrevocable bid on the lot that will be executed during the sale. In protest of its sale, the old souths historian resigned. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The bay psalm book and the ainsworth psalter, in early american literature, vol. Only 11 copies of the bay psalm book survive in varying degrees of completeness.
The one being offered at sotheby s is one of two owned by bostons old. The translations are not particularly polished, and. The bay psalm book is believed to be the first book. The main thing you need to know right now about the bay psalm book is that a copy of it is up for public sale for the first time since 1947. Known as the bay psalm book, it is believed to be the first book ever published in the united states. The 6by5inch hymnal books estimated value was raised by 10 million dollars since the end of last year when we first ran a feature on the sale. It will go on display in libraries across the united states. A copy of the bay psalm book is pictured at sotheby s auction house in new york, november 21, 20. The congregationalist puritans who emigrated to massachusetts bay in search of religious freedom quickly set about to translate and produce a. Worlds most expensive book sold at sothebys auction for.
It is in this contextone of deliberation and intentionalitythat the creation and printing of the bay psalm book must be seen. The bay psalm book is viewable in its entirety online. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english. It was the first book printed in british north america. Midnineteenthcentury black morocco over bevelled boards, probably bostonian, the covers panelled in blind, spine in six compartments, giltlettered psalmes in the second and imprinted 1640 in the sixth, marbled endpapers, gilt edges, corners bumped, joints and hinges repaired.
Psalm 23 bay psalm book, 1698, by john playford 1623. The book, on display at sotheby s manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. The first book ever printed in what became the usa is now the worlds most expensive printed book. Currently, there are 11 surviving copies of these books. Bay psalm book auction smashes record for print book with. The intended use of the bay psalm book tells us why it was americas first book. En route to sothebys, bay psalm book traces nations. Published in 1640, the bay psalm book is considered the first book printed in what was then the british colonies of north america. Sothebys the bay psalm book auction catalog 20 ebay.
Printed in 1640, its considered to be the first book. As the first printed book in america, the bay psalm book was an early harbinger of american independence. I am very desirous of obtaining one of the duplicate copies of the old bay psalm book belonging to the old south church library, having a strong veneration for the old volume. While it is not a numismatic work, nevertheless, i thought that this article about what may be the worlds most expensive book would be of interest to readers. Shurtleff obtained his copy of the bay psalm book via old south deacon loring lothrop. Sotheby s new york will auction one of the finest surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states of america. New york, 12 april 20 on 26 november 20, sotheby s new york will auction one of the finest surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states of america. The bay psalm book s price tag at sotheby s soared past the previous book auction record. A2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing thomas princes annotations of variant readings from the 1647 reprint edition. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. Bay psalm book the worlds most expensive book that sold.
The congregationalist puritans who emigrated to massachusetts bay in search of religious freedom quickly set about to translate and produce a version of the book of psalms that was a. Makholm resigned as historian of the old south church in boston when it decided to sell a copy of the bay psalm book. Believed to be the first book published in the us, the work became the most expensive printed book after it was. The first edition of the resulting bay psalm book was printed in cambridge, massachusetts, in 1640, and sothebys will auction one of the 11 surviving copies in the dedicated auction. What is believed to be the first book ever published in the united states the bay psalm book is set to appear at sotheby s on november 26. A copy belonging to bostons old south church will be auctioned by sotheby s on nov.
And while the faithful translation into english meter of the whole booke of psalmes could be accomplished with men and materials already in massachusetts bay colony, its. A reexamination of the evidence concerning the bay psalm book and the eliot indian bible as well as other contemporary books and people. About 7 inches high and 4 inches wide, it is largely undecorated. The type of the bay psalm book, unlike the paper, was of english manufacture. But it is as a book and not as a text, that the bay psalm book is best known, celebrated, and revered. The copy of the bay psalm book that sotheby s is set to auction this week comes from the prince library, too.
Join david redden director, special projects, and selby kiffer senior specialist, special projects, as they explore the books incalculable significance in advance of its historic auction at sothebys new york on 26 november. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. To heighten awareness of the book, sotheby s is sending the 373yearold on a 12city tour. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. The bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. Oldest surviving bay psalm book to be auctioned by sotheby.
One of the greatest artifacts of american history, the whole booke of psalmes, commonly known as the bay psalm book, will be auctioned at 7pm on the 26th day of this month at sothebys in new york. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new. The bay psalm book came back into the news in 20 when the old south church in boston decided to sell one of its two copies in order to fund ministry purposes. Bromsen curator of latin american books, john carter brown library, for his assistance with this description. Additionally, the first verse of psalm 100 z4v has a contemporary manuscript emendation. En route to sotheby s, bay psalm book traces nations seesaw religious history. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the. Sothebys, the bay psalm book, new york, 26 november 20. One of eleven surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states, and one of the worlds most valuable books. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung have survived for instance, old 100th. The sternhold and hopkins text was frequently appended to editions of the geneva bible and the book of common prayer, a circumstance acknowledged in the preface to the bay psalm book. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in the colonies and the first book printed in english in the new world. A1r, psalm 1 of course, the massachusetts bay puritans had psalters in england, and they undoubtedly carried to the new world both henry ainsworths version of the psalms in prose and meter and the poetical paraphrases of thomas sternhold and john hopkins.
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