another tip on searching for books -- possibly of general interest --
from my colleague, the textual bibliographer David Vander Meulen:

>Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 14:34:24 -0500 (EST)
>From: "David L. Vander Meulen" <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Elizabeth Fowler <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Thomas Osborne's Book Sales, ca. 1743
>
>Elizabeth--
>
>I suspect she has tried this, but if she hasn't pursued the question
>since 1987 perhaps this catalog has information that would be new to her.
>
>Best,
>David
>
>-------
>http://www.rlg.org/cit-sci.html
>
>SCIPIO: Art and Rare Book Sales Catalogs
>
> SCIPIO: Art and Rare Book Sale Catalogs is the only online union
>catalog of auction catalog records in
> existence. This RLG Library Resource provides bibliographic access to
>valuable sources of information on the
> provenance of art objects and rare books, the history of collecting,
>and contemporary and historical market trends.
> SCIPIO describes art and rare book auction sales catalogs dating from
>the late sixteenth century to currently
> scheduled auctions that have not yet been held. Records contain
>information on dates and places of sale, catalog title,
> the auction house, sellers, institutional holdings, and other
>information.
>
> SCIPIO consists of records for auction sales catalogs from all major
>North American and European auction houses
> as well as important private sales....
>
>
>
>
>On Mon, 15 Jan 2001, Elizabeth Fowler wrote:
>
>> David, just IN CASE you happen to have any loose threads in mind that she
>> could pull, I'm forwarding Germaine Warkentin's recent post to the Spenser
>> list. If not, of course, no need to follow up --
>>
>> hope you had some nice downtime! all best, Elizabeth
>>
>>
>> >From: Germaine Warkentin <[log in to unmask]>
>> >Subject: Thomas Osborne's Book Sales, ca. 1743
>> >
>> >Long ago -- in 1987 to be exact -- I sent a query to _The Book
>> >Collector_ about Thomas Osborne's auction catalogues. It garnered few
>> >responses, and none which solved my problem. I post it now to the
>> >members of these learned lists, in the hope of better luck. I have of
>> >course trawled all the usual sources (Munby and Coral, etc. etc.). If
>> >no one can give me a lead, I think I will just fall silent on the
>> >auction catalogue issue for good. Best to all, and thanks for any
>> >information, Germaine. (see below)
>> >
>> >In connection with my edition of the catalogue of the Sidney family
>> >library at Penshurst Place (ca. 1665) I am attempting to track down the
>> >auction catalogue prepared when the books were dispersed. The sale was
>> >conducted under the aegis of Thomas Osborne, or by William Shropshire
>> >(not likely his son Walter, who worked later), acting as Osborne's
>> >agent. According to the _Daily Advertiser_, the auction of the "Library
>> >of the late John, Earl of Leicester , John Nicholls, late Counsellor at
>> >Law and the Rev. Mr. Smith" took place in thirty-one sessions between 10
>> >January and 14 February 1742/3. In 1865, "ABHBA" inquired in _Notes and
>> >Queries_ (3rd series viii, 324) about Osborne's catalogues. His
>> >anonymous respondent listed the many notable libraries Osborne had sold
>> >(though he did not mention the books of the Sidneys), and then observed,
>> >"In 1851 Thomas Thorpe, the bookseller, possessed the most complete
>> >collection of Osborne's catalogues, bound in forty-three volumes 8vo,
>> >1729 to 1768, which he priced at 61.16s.6d. Only five odd volumes of
>> >the series are to be found in our national library, namely, 1736, 1753,
>> >1754 (2 vols.), and 1761." I am attempting to trace the remaining
>> >volumes, in the hope that one of them will provide me with further
>> >information about the dispersal of "Lord Leicester's Library." Does
>> >anyone know where the remaining thirty-eight volumes of Thorpe's
>> >collection might be, or of any references to them in the nearly a
>> >century and a half since the exchange in _Notes and Queries_?
>> >
>> >--
>> >***********************************************************************
>> >Germaine Warkentin // English (Emeritus)
>> >Victoria College, University of Toronto
>> >73 Queen's Park Crescent, Toronto, Ont. M5S 1K7, CANADA
>> >Fax: (416) 585-4584
>> >[log in to unmask]
>> >***********************************************************************
>> >

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Elizabeth Fowler
Associate Professor
Department of English
University of Virginia
219 Bryan Hall
PO Box 400121
Charlottesville VA 22904-4121
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804-924-6627