686. Two Copies of The Parables from the Gospels

Contacts between Ricketts and German artist Marcus Behmer have been the subject of blogs before (see in particular blog 624 'Charles Ricketts about Marcus Behmer'), and because the house with Behmer's library was lost during World War II, traces of them are scarce. Some copies of books by Ricketts with handwritten dedications to Marcus Behmer have been preserved, probably because Behmer often stayed with acquaintances outside Berlin or in Italy. Examples are Lord de Tabley, Poems Dramatic and Lyrical (1893) - Ricketts designed the cover - and Ricketts's book of imaginary conversations Beyond the Threshold (1929).

To this short list, we can now add a new title thanks to the digitisation project of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library in Weimar.

The Parables from the Gospels (Vale Press 1902)
[Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Weimar]

The library owns a copy of the Vale Press edition of The Parables from the Gospels (1902). It is a dedication copy but the dedication is not from Ricketts but from Behmer himself who gifted the book to a close friend:

Für Alexander Olbricht durch Charles Ricketts’ Güte von Marcus Behmer. 8. Oktober 1926

Translation: For Alexander Olbricht, through the kindness of Charles Ricketts, from Marcus Behmer. 8 October 1926

Olbricht (1876-1942), an artist, who specialised in engravings, was a teacher at the Bauhaus between 1921 and 1935. He left 88 books to the Duchess Anna Amalia Library. [See the webpage about the cataloguing project].

The copy of The Parables from the Gospels bears his monogram and the date of 16 June 1933, five years after he received this copy from Behmer. At the back, on one of the blank pages is a long pencil note by Behmer explaining how this gift came about.

Im Sommer 1926 bat ich Charles Ricketts mir mitzuteilen wo ich wohl ein Exemplar dieses Büches bekommen könnte um an A.O. zu geben, der es so sehr liebe.

Mit einem Brief von 17. Aug. schickte mir dann R. ein Exemplar und schrieb dazu ..... By the same post I am sending you a signed copy of the Parables, this will enable you to present your Friend with your old copy, the book is difficult to find. ......." 

                                                                                                8.X.26         M.B. 

[Translation of the German: In the summer of 1926, I asked Charles Ricketts to let me know where I could get a copy of this book to give to A.O., who loved it so much.

With a letter dated 17 August, R. then sent me a copy and wrote: ...] 

Handwritten note by Marcus Behmer in
The Parables from the Gospels (Vale Press 1902)
[Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek, Weimar]

The copy signed by Ricketts was probably lost, but Behmer's own first copy is now available for all to see on the Digitale Sammlungen website [follow this link].