In early November, a collection of small-format books published by publisher David Bryce was sold in one lot at Bonhams auction. At the end of the 19th century, few people heard of David Bryce; success came to him only after he began publishing small books. Miniature editions turned out to be of very high quality and were a success. It was world classics (Walter Scott, Shakespeare, Voltaire), tiny dictionaries, several translations of the Bible and the Koran in Arabic.
The cost of the lot, which included 201 books, was $98,000. One of the most interesting books is Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard by Thomas Gray, completed in 1750. This little book was once considered non-existent, now the buyer got three copies.
Another important crumb is The Smallest English Dictionary in the World. The book became a very successful project for the publisher: it was housed in a metal locket with a round magnifying glass in the lid and sold well. The collection includes other dictionaries: French and English, as well as English and German.
The collection includes six Qurans, one of which is incredibly rare and valuable, as it is printed entirely in gold. Like dictionaries, Korans and Bibles were also printed in the size of a medallion.
