I received
a notification that my inbox was so full it would shortly not accept new mail
unless I went through it all and deleted stuff. I did a reverse order shuffle
to find emails from way back that never got deleted at the time. There were
even some from Bruce from 2008. But what has prompted this post now was an
email from a reliable source in India (!) from 2005, about a mouth watering
cache of material that had apparently been recently sold on eBay.
The story
as told to me was as follows:
Apparently
the library of Jesse Hemery appeared on the market only a few months back. If
I have the story correctly it was bought as part of a job lot of second
hand clothes etc by a lady who deals in that sort of thing. It seems
Jesse Hemery's trunk was full of most interesting items including and original
Three Worlds, about 115 letters from Russell, mostly handwritten, 50 or 60 from
Rutherford and a few from Knorr, various photos and numerous other books including
Horae Apocalypticae etc. Had a lot of interest, and it finally went for 34,000
GBP. There cannot be many who would pay that kind of money. Do you have any
ideas? Apparently included were the following:
178
letters from Pastor C T Russell mostly written in
hand from about 1900 to 1916 . Some are typed, paper very aged in some, some
splitting where badly opened. Some deal with Bible Students Conventions in
London, Glasgow, The new London Tabernacle, The London Opera House Photo Drama
show, Travel to London by steam ship. Most are of practical rather
than theological content.
74
letters from J F Rutherford, mainly typed and signed
from a variety of locations. In NY, California, etc. Most again are
practical. Bible Student Conventions at Alexander Palace, Royal Albert
Hall, travel arrangements. Radio broadcasts from London. BBC monopoly etc.
12
letters from NH Knorr typed but signed - general admin
at Craven Terrace post War.
200
Miscellaneous copies of the Outlook for the London
Company, Judge Rutherford and ‘Empire news’, His Majesties Aliens
Dept letter re deportation of American A Schroeder, letters from various UK
Bible Students groups non WT Society enclosures. Letters from European Offices
of Society 1920 – 1950. Letters from Scottish brethren Minna and John Edgar.
Maybe
60 Photos - various of Russell at conventions
around UK? With Hemery, similar with Rutherford. Photos of
Craven Terrace inside and Elders.
Books,
Booklets various Old Theology, Golden Age, Towers,
Convention reports – random selection about 90 items, paperback Plan of the
Ages – cream cover (signed as gift by Russell).
Audio Angelophone
Hymn record – broken/cracked
Non
Society material - Books by various authors: Elliot (Horae
Apocalypticae), Barton (God’s Covenants), Barbour (Washed in his
blood.), Henry Drummond (Dialogues on Prophecy), Morton Edgar (Prayer and the
Bible, etc
Hemery
books! – Revelation Unfolded, The Second coming of
Jesus Christ - 1950’s. He seems to have left the
Society by this time.
(end
of list)
The
big question is where did it all go? Has any of it surfaced on the internet in
the collecting world since then? Or has someone got this all lined up as part
of their pension fund?
2 comments:
I'm making no recriminating comment here :-) except to say when exactly in 2005 did you receive this information and have you tried searching the Wayback Machine for this date. A long shot, but it may be possible to find the posting and the buyer - assuming that it was the UK ebay.
Regarding this inventory list: dear unknown pension fund, please let me know if you are interested to sell this collection to me :-) Sounds a little like Tischendorf visiting Kathrin´s monastry at Mt. Sinai...
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