Today, we have redux of another kind, and not one that is
very pleasant to report. In February 2004, I wrote an OpEd piece for the Boston
Globe that told how a rare botanical book from the early eighteenth century
sold at a Christie's auction fourteen months earlier by the Massachusetts
Horticultural Society had been stripped to the bare bones of its 248 exquisite
engravings, and sold on the Internet as trendy wall decorations by rapacious
European dealers. (The piece was included in Editions & Impressions,
recently published by Fine Books Press).
What made this disclosure especially egregious was that the book --known as the Nurnbergische hesperides, and one of just eight held institutionally worldwide--was one of more than 2,000 culled from the collection of the once-proud Boston organization, and sold off to pay for such necessities as a new roof for the society's building and to help underwrite its annual flower show. All told, the MHS raised more than $5 million from the fire sale of a library once regarded as one of the strongest of its kind in North America.
As shameless as this desecration was--the MassHort director at the time rationalized that many of the books "hadn't been used in decades"--there were tepid assurances that what remained, at least, would be safeguarded for future users. Well, so much for half-hearted promises, as the results of a sale this week of fine books and manuscripts at Sotheby's in New York make so painfully clear.
Not content, apparently, to keep at least a couple of the treasures that remained from a tradition that goes back to 1829, MassHort found another 27 high-end items on its shelves to put on the block--all of them beautifully illustrated, and all of them prime targets for the kind of cultural cannibalism that took place with the Nurnbergische hesperides--were offered up on Dec. 11, and projected to bring in $700,000 to $1 million, almost a third of the $3.42 million realized in the sale of 247 lots.
Top grossers among MassHort books included: $98,500 for lot 222, Hortus Sanitatis (Mainz, 1491); $86,500 for lot 219, a work known as the Grete Herbal (London, 1526); $22,500 for lot 226, Edwin Hale Lincoln's Orchids of the North Eastern United States (Pittsfield, MA. 1931), and $15,000 for lot 229, a two-volume collection of lithographs of the garden of Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau (Stuttgart, 1834.) What was expected to be highest-ticked MHS item of the sale--a seven volume set of stipple-engraved plates by Henri-Louis Duhamel Du Monceau depicting various fruits (Paris, 1807-1835) valued at $80,000 to $100,000--failed to reach its reserve, and was "bought in," as the saying goes, and will undoubtedly go on the block in another sale, or be sold privately.
"It's certainly one of the best groups of illustrated botanical books we've auctioned in several decades," Selby Kiffer, a senior vice president in the books and manuscript department at Sotheby's in New York, told the Boston Globe. "It includes masterworks, as well as some lesser known but unique books."
Betsy Ridge Madsen, president of the MassHort board of trustees, said she was saddened by the decision to put on yet another garage sale of irreplaceable treasures, "but we see this as the only way to go forward to clean up our debt." Like her predecessor four years ago, she said the society will maintain the five hundred rare books that still remain in the collection, along with 12,000 other volumes. But she added this caveat: "We did a member survey, in which we asked members what was most meaningful about their membership, and the rare books were their lowest priority."
Which is short-hand for fasten your seat belts. The founders and earliest benefactors of this venerable institution--some of the giants of nineteenth-century Boston society--must be turning over in their graves. The Athens of America, indeed.
What made this disclosure especially egregious was that the book --known as the Nurnbergische hesperides, and one of just eight held institutionally worldwide--was one of more than 2,000 culled from the collection of the once-proud Boston organization, and sold off to pay for such necessities as a new roof for the society's building and to help underwrite its annual flower show. All told, the MHS raised more than $5 million from the fire sale of a library once regarded as one of the strongest of its kind in North America.
As shameless as this desecration was--the MassHort director at the time rationalized that many of the books "hadn't been used in decades"--there were tepid assurances that what remained, at least, would be safeguarded for future users. Well, so much for half-hearted promises, as the results of a sale this week of fine books and manuscripts at Sotheby's in New York make so painfully clear.
Not content, apparently, to keep at least a couple of the treasures that remained from a tradition that goes back to 1829, MassHort found another 27 high-end items on its shelves to put on the block--all of them beautifully illustrated, and all of them prime targets for the kind of cultural cannibalism that took place with the Nurnbergische hesperides--were offered up on Dec. 11, and projected to bring in $700,000 to $1 million, almost a third of the $3.42 million realized in the sale of 247 lots.
Top grossers among MassHort books included: $98,500 for lot 222, Hortus Sanitatis (Mainz, 1491); $86,500 for lot 219, a work known as the Grete Herbal (London, 1526); $22,500 for lot 226, Edwin Hale Lincoln's Orchids of the North Eastern United States (Pittsfield, MA. 1931), and $15,000 for lot 229, a two-volume collection of lithographs of the garden of Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau (Stuttgart, 1834.) What was expected to be highest-ticked MHS item of the sale--a seven volume set of stipple-engraved plates by Henri-Louis Duhamel Du Monceau depicting various fruits (Paris, 1807-1835) valued at $80,000 to $100,000--failed to reach its reserve, and was "bought in," as the saying goes, and will undoubtedly go on the block in another sale, or be sold privately.
"It's certainly one of the best groups of illustrated botanical books we've auctioned in several decades," Selby Kiffer, a senior vice president in the books and manuscript department at Sotheby's in New York, told the Boston Globe. "It includes masterworks, as well as some lesser known but unique books."
Betsy Ridge Madsen, president of the MassHort board of trustees, said she was saddened by the decision to put on yet another garage sale of irreplaceable treasures, "but we see this as the only way to go forward to clean up our debt." Like her predecessor four years ago, she said the society will maintain the five hundred rare books that still remain in the collection, along with 12,000 other volumes. But she added this caveat: "We did a member survey, in which we asked members what was most meaningful about their membership, and the rare books were their lowest priority."
Which is short-hand for fasten your seat belts. The founders and earliest benefactors of this venerable institution--some of the giants of nineteenth-century Boston society--must be turning over in their graves. The Athens of America, indeed.
It's sad to see that "rare books are the lowest priority" for MHS members, but shouldn't the the board of trustees understand the historical value in maintaining a heritage collection of rare volumes? Shame on the MHS for turning a blind eye to the uncertain fate of these treasures. There must be other ways to clear debt. (Salary cuts, for starters, perhaps?)
Unfortunately, the previous management at the Massachusetts Horticultural Society left the institution in such a disastrous financial state that most of their staff of 30 people were let go back in June. There are six employees at present, four of whom maintain the grounds and buildings, which MassHort is obligated to do under terms of the 99 year lease for the property from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
The list of unpaid creditors is long, and this unfortunate liquidation of priceless assets was deemed as a last resort for the society to meet its obligations. Many of the society's creditors are single persons who are in dire financial straits themselves.
The society's current membership of over 7,000 people was polled by an independent company and the results of a lengthy questionnaire determined that the library was not a top priority for the vast majority of the members, many of whom live far from the library in Wellesley, Massachsetts.
Currently, the two paid administrative staff members are assisted by a number of full-time volunteers who have been working for almost 6 months pro bono.
Nobody at MassHort was happy with having to sell off the rare books, but the auction proceeds will continue to be used to pay off its creditors.
It is a shame that the Massaachusetts courts have allowed the lately infamously negligent Board of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society to fire-sale assets which belong to its membership (which has never been informed of any goings on, including the surreptitious firings of its last three directors); and which (out of ignorance) continues some support while kept in the dark about the financial goings-on. Hort will maintain a short stay, until this money is gone, and they become the circus, once and for all, that is their true passion and support.
The society's membership has never been "polled" about anything, contrary to the constant refrain from the Board(s), that they have been notified of the steady deterioration of the financial situation, malfeasance by directors, ineptitude of board members, law suits, etc. They seem never to tell the truth about anything. Suborning membership support under these circumstances appears to be just plain fraud.
Dear Anonymous:
There is a long litany, as I understand it, of grievances that go back to when the powers that be at MassHort decided to sell off its magnificent building in Boston across from Symphony Hall--a structure of great historical significance--for a pittance, and when the funds from that fire sale failed to balance the books, they set their eyes on the real books--the ones in the vault. What riles me more than anything is this stubborn-minded attitude of anti-intellectualism that seems to permeate those who maintain control, and the ready willingness to sell off a sacred trust of patrimony that has been turned over to them by the founders. I appreciate your comments, anonymous, thank you for posting them.