VMs: Three Voynich articles

["Petr Kazil" <kazil@xxxxxxxxxx>]

I excavated three further articles at the Royal Library. Probably it's old
news but I'll scan and post them next week anyway, since they are not on the
web yet.

*** 1

The Library. Second Series, No. 14, Vol. IV. April, 1903. p189-199
On the study of early printed books: notes from a lecture by Wilfrid
Voynich.

Notes from a lecture given by VMW on March 18 at the School of Economics.

"Delivered to an audience mainly of young students, the lecture was avowedly
elementary, and in its historical section re-traversed beaten ground. Even
here, however, Mr. Voynich brought together facts and suggestions which the
more expert of his listeners were very glad to take note of."

To me this suggests that VMW was mainly an expert on "incunabula" and not a
manuscript expert. He has a lot to say about early types and typesetting
from 1470 - 1500.

*** 2

Zeitschrift für Bücherfreunde, 10. Jahrgang 1906/1907. Heft12: März 1907.
p.481-487
Die Bibliophilen. W.M. Voynich. Von Professor Otto von Schleinitz in London.

Describes the books that were exhibited by WMV in 1902 in Soho Square No. 1.
All unique specimens from 1476 - 1492 . Bought by British Museum with
donation from Hon. Walter Rotschild and Lord Strathcona. Demonstrates that
WMV was more of a "incunabel" specialist and less a manuscript specialist.

It has a photograph of WMV and he looks like "The gangs of New York".
Further bio-data:

Voynich anglicized his name to Woynicz
Born 1863 in Poland
Studied at the universities of Warchau and Petersburg
1885 exiled to eastern Siberia - without trial, for poitical reasons
1890 fled to England

*** 3

Philobiblon, Eine Zeitschrift für Bücherliebhaber
III . Jahr Wien . VI . Strohmaeyergasse 6 1930 . Heft 9 p.396

Just a short obituary ... Bio-data:

- declared in his testament that no book and no manuscript from his
possession should be sold to America, a country "where all the books will be
massacred" (sic !) He wants his collection to be auctioneered at Sotheby's
- has lived since 1914 in New York
- born Polish
- studied in Moscow ( see above !)
- for his polish-nationalistic actions was held prisoner in the fortress of
Warschau and later transported to Siberia
- fled to England in 1890 and became a British citizen
- his testament mentions that the VMS should be sold to a public institute
for $100.000 and should *never* be sold to a private person, not at any
price (Bacon and Newbold are also mentioned)

***

Petr Kazil - Urban Adventure in Rotterdam
http://www.euronet.nl/users/kazil/

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