The date Ben Abramson decided to break up the collection is difficult to determine precisely. We do know that he made every effort to find an institutional home soon after the blocks arrived. Sadly, for some anyway, negotiations with Harvard and The Art Institute of Chicago for a bulk sale failed. It is said that at least one American institution was later paying far more for its blocks than asked for the entire collection in 1942. As we shall see later: there is some evidence to suggest that most, if not all, of the blocks were together well into 1943. According to Abramson’s own annotated set of the Memorial Edition; a buyer from Harvard, seemingly a touch hesitant, bought the Fable block: The Magpie and the Sheep. This was on 17 March 1943. Two days later, and Harvard returned with more confidence to purchase: the Hanging Man vignette from The Land Birds together with The Night Heron, The Cheviot Ram and, Piglets & Sow vignette from The Fables of Aesop.
Of course others with an appreciation for the significance of this particular collection were not so inhibited - practically from day one word had spread...
New York Sept. 27. 1943
Dear Fred [Anthoensen]:
Here are the promised proofs, poorly printed, but clear enough to hint at their essential goodness. The printing reminds me of the Miltonic phrase abt. The quality of infernal light - just light enough to render darkness visible.
How come you’re not buying Bewick blocks?
You might be able to use ‘em as D.B.U. did & their prices range from $15 to $50 apiece at the Argus Bookshop in Chicago. This dealer, I learn from Ernst Detterer, acquired 1300 blocks for $7,000 at an English auction. I still think the British Museum shd. have bought the lot! Anyway, its neglect of a National duty now enables me to send you these, but even this seems a benefit far outweighed by the loss to British archives.
Yours very sincerely
Paul Standard
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The five proofs sent in 1943 |
Paul Standard, noted American Calligrapher, teacher and author writing to Fred Anthoensen, printer/publisher.
