This little book of 1640 was precursor to lexington and concord, and, ultimately, to american political independence. 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. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america. A book of psalms which is amongst the first books ever printed in america is on the way to become the most expensive book ever sold. Rarest american book at auction fine books and collections.
It was probably preceded by a small singlesheet production known as the oath of a freeman, of which no copy is extant. En route to sothebys, bay psalm book traces nations seesaw. It will be auctioned at sotheby s of new york beginning at 6. On november 26 night at sotheby s new york, one of only 11 surviving copies of the bay psalm book the first book printed in what is now the united states of america set a new world auction record for any printed.
Published in 1640, the bay psalm book is considered the first book printed in what was then. Nov 27, 20 a copy of the bay psalm book is pictured at sotheby s auction house in new york, november 21, 20. David redden, director of special projects and worldwide chairman of sothebys books department, commented. Its sale set a record for a book sold at auction, sotheby s said. The bay psalm book, printed in cambridge, massachusetts, by stephen daye in 1640, was the first book printed by the newly established cambridge press. Nov 21, 20 the book, on display at sotheby s manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. The bay psalm book is for american book collecting what the guttenberg bible has been for collecting wordlwide, said bill reese, a major dealer in printed americana. The book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts.
The book, on display at sotheby s manhattan headquarters, opened to psalm 23, is physically unimposing. The bay psalm book is believed to be the first book. The bay psalm book, as it is known, is essentially sacred text to be sung during the liturgy. The bay psalm book was not only the first book printed in america, and the first book written in america. 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. First printed book in america expected to fetch up. About 7 inches high and 4 inches wide, it is largely undecorated. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some. What you need to know about the bay psalm book christianity. Nov 25, 20 today, sotheby s will auction a copy of the first englishlanguage book printed in america.
The type of the bay psalm book, unlike the paper, was of english manufacture. Sotheby s, on 28 january 1947 it achieved a higher price than any other printed book sold up to that time. Nov 27, 20 the translation of the biblical psalms, the bay psalm book, is seen at sotheby s in new york. The book in question is one of the 1,700 copies printed in the year 1640 by the pilgrims who had come from england and settled in plymouth, massachusetts.
The whole booke of psalmes, or the bay psalm book, as it is now known, is expected to sell for. Bay psalm book last updated march 14, 2020 title page of the copy of the bay psalm book held by the beinecke rare book and manuscript library. A committee of thirty learned elders, including john cotton, richard mather, and john eliot, set about the task of creating a new translation of the 150 hebrew psalms into english and casting the text into verse for singing. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and. Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new york. As the first printed book in america, the bay psalm book was an early harbinger of american independence. Bay psalm book from 1640 breaks auction record for printed. In advance of multimilliondollar auction, first book. Rare bay psalm book goes on view at sothebys the new. The translations are not particularly polished, and not one has remained in use, although some of the tunes to which they were sung. Bay psalm book wikimili, the best wikipedia reader. Bay psalm book article about bay psalm book by the free. An april 20 file photo provided by sotheby s and taken in new york shows what the auction house describes as the worlds most valuable book, the bay psalm book, which is the first book ever. Auction catalogs is our bizness with over 100,000 online sales and still counting supplying buyers and sellers from all over the.
Only 11 copies of the bay psalm book survive in varying degrees of completeness. The bay psalm book is one of eleven surviving copies of the tome and is one of the worlds most valuable books. Bay psalm book auction smashes record for print book with. Thats a wrap the battered bay psalm book is just 6in by 5in, riddled with printing errors and poorly bound. 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. Selby kiffer, international senior specialist in sotheby s asserted that the bay psalm book is not merely a book but has acquired the status of one of the greatest artifacts of american history. Book published in 1640 sets a record at auction the new. View auction details, art exhibitions and online catalogues. Courtesy, houghton library, harvard university vault stc 2738 3. It was the first book printed in british north america. 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 sotheby s in new york. First book printed in america, bay psalms book newslagoon. The psalms in it are metrical translations into english.
Makholm resigned as historian of the old south church in boston when it decided to sell a copy of the bay psalm book. 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. In addition, sotheby s auction house introduced a bay psalm book app for smart phones that can be downloaded for free. Mar 14, 2020 the bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The bay psalm book was the first book printed in british north america. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter, first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The translation of the biblical psalms, the bay psalm book, is seen at sotheby s in new york. Less than a month prior to the sale of the bay psalm book, sotheby s london sold a complete set of the doubleelephant folio of john james audubons birds of american for. Oldest surviving bay psalm book to be auctioned by sothebys. Q2r from the bay psalm book remaining at the old south church, showing the unique reading in psalm 69, verse 23 see page 39. The bay psalm book is valued not only as an object of extreme. 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.
The rare book will be auctioned by sotheby s, new york on 26 nov. With this app you can read a psalm a day or two or three or 150 with the precise, idiosyncratic spelling and in the actual rhyming english meter translated, composed and printed on this soil in 1640 by our pious and. That recordsetting figure dwarfed the auction prices that other great books achieved at the time. A copy of the bay psalm book is pictured at sotheby s auction house in new york, november 21, 20. Nov 25, 20 the first book printed in what later became the united states of america is expected to set a world record at auction on tuesday. In the 1640s, the congregationalist puritans emigrated to massachusetts bay in search of religious freedom. Sothebys, the bay psalm book, new york, 26 november 20.
W4r from the harvard copy of the bay psalm book, showing a contemporary emendation to psalm 87, verse 6. The rare bay psalm book is the first book ever written and printed in what is now the united states. The bay psalm book is a metrical psalter first printed in 1640 in cambridge, massachusetts. The bay psalm book the first book printed in america is. Bay psalm book project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. First printed book in america expected to fetch up to. 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. The bay psalm book is the first book to be published in the us, one of only eleven surviving copies of the volume printed in cambridge, ma.
En route to sothebys, bay psalm book traces nations. Oldest surviving bay psalm book to be auctioned by sotheby. The finest surviving copy of the bay psalm book the first ever book to be printed in the united states of america will be auctioned in november this year. Nov 15, 20 as the first printed book in america, the bay psalm book was an early harbinger of american independence. 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. 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. It will go on display in libraries across the united states.
Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the. Join david redden director, special projects, and selby kiffer senior specialist, special. Nov 27, 20 an april 20 file photo provided by sotheby s and taken in new york shows what the auction house describes as the worlds most valuable book, the bay psalm book, which is the first book ever. Sothebys the bay psalm book auction catalog 20 ebay. The bay psalm book will be on display from noon to 8 p. The irrevocable bidder, who may bid in excess of the irrevocable bid, will be compensated based on the final hammer price in the event he or she is not the successful bidder. Today, sotheby s will auction a copy of the first englishlanguage book printed in america. The bay psalm book is for american book collecting what the guttenberg bible has been for collecting wordlwide, said bill reese, a major dealer in. The book was printed by puritan settlers in cambridge, mass. Let bidding begin for the bay psalm book from 1640 the new.
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