The Hillsdale College library owns many rare books — including a copy of James Joyce’s “Ulysses,” published in 1935 and illustrated by famous French artist Henri Matisse.
Currently, the book is appraised at $15,000 to $20,000. It is so valuable because it was commissioned by a Limited Editions Club, a kind of group which would enlist contemporary artists to illustrate and sign 1,500 books, classic or otherwise, which were then sent to subscribers. In 1929, the club subscription was only $10.
The library’s copy of “Ulysses” is rare because it is signed by both Joyce and Matisse. Matisse, who was not a Joyce fan, originally thought he was illustrating Homer’s “Odyssey.” Therefore, only 250 copies were signed by both author and illustrator. It is one of the most valuable Limited Edition Club books.
“We were debating how valuable the book was,” Linda Moore, public service librarian, said. “It was on ‘Antiques Roadshow.’”
“Its value could be higher, it just depends on the market value at the time,” Dan Knoch, library administrator, said.
According to Moore, Bono, the lead singer of U2, also once purchased a copy of the rare book.
“Bono bought a copy for $20,000,” Moore said.
“Ulysses” is not Mossey’s only rare book. The library also boasts Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” illustrated and signed by Pablo Picasso. “Antiques Roadshow” appraised this book at $5,000 in 2013, and online it goes for even more. Other rare items include a first edition of Walt Whitman’s 1855 “Leaves of Grass,” Machiavelli’s “Discourses on Livy,” and a first complete collection of John Milton’s prose writings. The oldest book is a 16th-century edition of Aristotle’s Works.
The library’s most expensive book is John Locke’s 1690 “An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.”
“It is insured for $42,500, so that’s pretty high,” Knoch said. “The first collected set of ‘Journals of Congress’ is 13 volumes, that’s insured for $45,500. Those are the two highest.”
But books kept behind glass aren’t much use, as Assistant to the Provost Mark Maier well knows. Maier, a former librarian, is teaching a course this semester called History of the Book. When studying different eras of history, he brings in different rare books to show his students.
Maier studied rare books and special collections for his master’s degree at the University of South Carolina, which owns an excellent rare book collection. Maier’s class is based on a class he took there, a class which allowed him to experience classic texts, manuscripts, and handwritten letters.
“As a bibliophile it was almost indecent,” Maier said. “It was just too great.”
Maier said he enjoys learning not merely how books develop as texts, but as actual printed objects.
“Compare that to reading a cheap paperback copy or reading on a Kindle,” Maier said. “It’s a tangible connection to the past and way of experiencing the books as they were experienced by the readers of the time. To see a first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass’ as it was introduced to the world for the very first time is an interesting and meaningful experience.”
But the single most expensive item in the library — and on campus — sits on a shelf in the Heritage Room, and it’s not a book.
Edward Hicks’ painting “Declaration of Independence” is worth $900,000.
“The art world knew about three of them, and this is the fourth,” Moore said.
The painting came from John Meader, who gifted the painting to the college in 2010. According to Moore, Meader and Hicks both came from the same area in Pennsylvania.
“The painting is just striking when you look at it,” College President Larry Arnn told MLive when he first received the painting. “I remember being knocked down when I first saw it.”
Most of the college’s treasures are donated. Moore said a large number of them, such as the Russell Kirk Collection, are kept in storage, but will be displayed when the new library archives are built. People come to look at the books for special projects and theses, but Moore said they try to balance preservation versus use. Moore also has a standing order search on eBay for college materials and trinkets, such as antique collectible spoons and hatpins.
“I don’t know anyone who could possibly value it more,” Arnn said of the college’s appreciation for the special painting. The same is true for many of the library’s other treasures and collections, which Hillsdale values for their beauty, history, and connection to the college and its mission.
“I don’t know too many other libraries our size that have the kind of library that we have,” Maier said. “We’re very fortunate.”
