Letters by Max Stern about his library
Letters by Max Stern to family members, mentioning his books and his
library (in the Dominion Gallery archive at the National Gallery of
Canada, Ottawa):
4 March 1939 from London to Job Sax (Amsterdam?):
[Translated from the original German into English, it reads] "I
have saved my library, thank God, and with it a second Thieme Becker
and 11 very valuable atlases."
10 March 1939 from London to Aunt Klara (Düsseldorf? Germany):
[Translated into English, it reads] "Please also pass by the bookseller's
again and ask when he could send me the book [about Ruisdael; see below];
if it is no longer available they should send me their antiquarian and
modern art history list and I will choose something from there. Also
ask them if they can get the big Oxford dictionary and what it costs.
That is an English dictionary that describes each English word with
and English one [sic]. (it corresponds to the French Larousse).
..
I am prepared to take the Oxford dictionary instead of the Ruisdael
book that I have already paid for. Unfortunately I have no idea what
it might cost."
[March 1939, just before he travelled to the USA] from London to Aunt
Klara:
[Translated into English, it reads] "I forgot to ask Herbert to
send along our stock books, goods on commission, auction stock and commission
and sales catalogues - this is absolutely necessary as I need to use
them constantly."
7 June 1950 from Montreal to his mother, Hedi and Hans (sister and
husband) in London:
This letter is in English and describes the new Dominion Gallery, where
there are to be two rooms on the second floor for the library.
19 December 1959 from Montreal to his mother, Hedi and Hans (sister
and husband) in London:
This letter is in English and describes the renovations at the Dominion
Gallery, saying that his library is not in order yet, he may engage
a secretary to put it in order, and he has ordered bookcases with glass
doors.
|