Creator
Anne-Thérèse-Philippine, Comtesse d’Yve
Title
Description bibliographique d'une très-belle collection de livres, rares et curieux, provenant de la bibliothèque de Melle. la Comtesse d'Yve.
Coverage
Bruxelles
Publisher
Auguste Wahlen
Date
1819-1820
Subject
2 vols.
Description
The Comtesse d’Yve was a Belgian aristocrat known for her political activism and participation in the Brabant Revolution of 1789-1790. She was also a formidable collector of early printed books, as demonstrated by this posthumous sale catalogue of her library. Lot 6 describes her superb copy of the Gutenberg Bible in its original fifteenth-century binding, now owned by Eton College. Although the Comtesse was not the first woman to own the Gutenberg Bible, she was the first to acquire a copy as a bibliophilic pursuit.
Source
Purchased in 2005 at the Breslauer sale with Grolier Club Library Harper Funds, generously supported by Grolier Club member donations.