- 2 Frassetto Way - Lincoln Park, NJ 07035
The Peter Benchley Collection: Jaws, A Life of Writing, A Legacy of Ocean Conservation.
Lot 103:
Description
Three octavo volumes focused on literature and maritime history. The first volume is Selected Plays of William Shakespeare, introduced by James Putnam and published by Fine Editions Press, Cleveland, in 1952. The second work is Great Shipwrecks and Castaways, edited by Charles Neider and published by Harper and Brothers, New York, in 1952. The third volume is a trade paperback edition of The Buccaneers of America by John Esquemeling, published by Dover Publications, New York, in 1967. The Shakespeare volume is quarter-bound in reddish-brown leather with tan cloth boards, decorated with a gilt spine and raised bands. The interior endpapers bear two variations of a black ink ownership stamp reading BENCHLEY. The Neider volume is bound in tan cloth and includes a blue woodcut-style frontispiece depicting a shipwreck. The Esquemeling paperback features pictorial wrappers and contains marginalia. Largest copy: 8" L x 5 3/4" W x 1 1/4" D.
The books behind the books. Peter’s working library of marine biology, maritime history, underwater archaeology, exploration and shark science is where The Deep, Beast, Shark Trouble and his National Geographic articles began. He loved these books and read them thoroughly.
From the personal collection of Peter Benchley (American, 1940–2006), acclaimed author of Jaws, accomplished diver, and prominent advocate for ocean and shark conservation.
Proceeds from the Peter Benchley Collection will benefit five ocean conservation organizations: Peter Benchley Ocean Awards, WildAid, Beneath the Waves, Blue Frontier and Environmental Defense Fund.
Condition report:
The collection shows significant wear and varied condition issues. The Shakespeare volume exhibits severe leather deterioration to the spine with extensive cracking and substantial loss at the head. The tan cloth boards of the maritime hardcover display a prominent circular moisture stain and general surface soiling. The paperback volume shows minor shelf wear and light creasing to the spine.
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