Richard S. Wormser: Collection of Printed Ephemera and Miscellaneous Manuscripts on Literary Frauds and Forgeries, ca. 1915-1973

RLIN ID No.
NYGG02-A153

Main Entry
Wormser, Richard S.

Title
Collection of printed ephemera and miscellaneous typescripts on literary frauds and forgeries, ca. 1915-1973.

Physical Description
50 items (1 box)

Historical/Biographical Note
Richard S. Wormser was an antiquarian bookseller in Bethel, Connecticut who specialized in early science books, non-European incunabula, type specimens and Americana. He died in 1975.

Scope and Contents Note
The collection of about fifty items contains offprints, catalogs, ephemera, newspapers and newspaper clippings. Items include but are not limited to: a parody issue of the Reader’s Digest (1949), catalogs and announcements of exhibits of forgeries, and issues of The Bawl Street Journal from 1946 to 1970. Also: miscellaneous typescript drafts by Wormser for various articles on the subject of forgeries, and items concerning his type specimen of Binny & Ronaldson, type founders of Philadelphia, “1802” [ca. 1953].

Finding Aid Note
Unpublished list available in repository.

General Note
Title devised by cataloger.

Names
Wormser, Richard S.
Bawl Street Journal.
Binny & Ronaldson.

Subjects
Literary forgeries and mystifications. 20th century.

Genres
Ephemera. 20th century.
Forgeries. 20th century.
Newspapers. New York (State). New York. 20th century.
Typescripts. Connecticut. Bethel. 20th century.
Type specimens.

Occupation (as reflected in collection)
Authors, American. 20th century.

Location
Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, N.Y. 10022-1098.

Collection Inventory
Adams, Randolph Greenfield. “Carrying a matter to its logical confusion.” [Michigan Alumnus (1928). Offprint.
Adams, Richard N. Parody of publicity brochure for Howard H. Peckham’s Pontiac and the Indian Uprising. [Princeton University Press, 1947]; inscribed to RSW by Howard Peckham.
Bawl Street Journal (New York, N.Y.). 19 issues (1946-1970). Lacks nos. 22, 23 and 28.
Bernard Quaritch, Ltd. Catalogue no. 926: “A catalogue of books and pamphlets from the library of Maurice Buxton Forman. [London, 1973].
“Christmas Catalog for book collectors, librarians and others…1973.” The Book Collector, vol. 22, no. 4 (Winter 1973). Offprint.
Congressional Record 1971 Aug. 14 and Aug. 12. Five leaves concerning fictitious items inserted into the CR.
Fanny Hill Enterprises, Inc. Offering circular, Fanny Hill Enterprises, Inc… Underwriter: Fund Securities, Inc… (Staten Island, N.Y.: 1968 Oct. 15). Photocopy.
Grolier Club (New York, N.Y.). Invitation to the exhibition “Second Thoughts: An Exhibition of Authors’ Corrected Proofs” [1967].
_______. Invitation to “Exhibition of small but choice collection of unique books selected from the libraries of members of the Grolier Club…,” 1944 April 20.
Grub Street Bookshop (New Haven, Conn.). List no. 1 [1956?].
International Autographs, Inc. (New York, N.Y.). Autographs, special edition, 1974.
Jahn, Melvin E. “Dr. Beringer and the Wurzburg ‘Lugensteine’.” Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, vol. 4 (Jan. 1963). Offprint.
_______. “A further note on Dr. Johann Bartholomew Adam Beringer.” Journal of the Society for the Bibliography of Natural History, vol. 4, pt. 3 (Nov. 1963). Offprint.
Malkin, Sol. M. Prospectus for “Obscene literature: a bookseller’s & librarian’s guide to pornographic and lewd books…to be published April 1, 1952.”
Miscellany (Kansas City, Mo.). Includes unsigned article on “The Fortsas Library.”
National Review, vol. 23, no. 29 (April 27, 1971). “The secret papers they didn’t publish.” Entire issue of NR with inlaid clippings from New York Times hoax.
New Jersey. Superior Court. Typescript of court ruling, John Reilly vs. 180 Club, Inc., Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division, No. A-353-50, Sept. Term, 1950. Carbon copy.
Peckham, Howard H. Two copies of Pontiac’s bookplate: Original issue with TLS from Colton Storm to RSW; reprint (ca. 1953) in presentation folder.
Phillips, George L. “Lord Lauterdale’s Irish goose.” Notes and Queries (Jan. 1964). Offprint.
Reader’s Dijest [sic]. Vol. 54, no. 345 (1949).
Sotheby & Co. (London). Leaves containing lots 178-299 from sale of 1972 April 10, consisting of items consigned by Madeline Buxton Holmes.’
Sullivan, Howard A. “The old librarian and his almanack.” Stechert-Hafner Book News, vol. 17, no. 5 (Jan. 1963).
Thompson, Lawrence S. “Of bibliographical humor” (Lexington, KY: Library, 1953). Occasional contribution, no. 47. TLS from author laid in.
Wormser, Richard S. Miscellaneous typescript drafts (original and carbons) for various articles by RSW, some news clippings, and a few letters addressed to him. 1 folder.
_______. Hoax type specimen for Binny & Ronaldson, Type-founders of Philadelphia, dated 1802 [ca. 1953].
Yale Record’s Daily News: New York’s Fiction Newspaper (New Haven: 1946 Dec. 16).