The Albert Schweitzer Jubilee Book - "Royal Deluxe" edition

Cambridge, Mass: Sci-Art Publishers, 1951. Royal Deluxe Edition. Full Gilded Leather. Near Fine/No Jacket as Issued. Every once in a while, a bookseller comes across a book that is not only beautiful because of its binding and signatures, but one that is a true historical document. This is the Royal Deluxe edition of Albert Schweitzer's Jubilee Book, published to raise money for his hospital with a book of twenty-six chapters and 508 pages (including an extensive index) covering topics about medicine, philosophy, music and others written by his colleagues, experts in their fields. It is numbered "Copy No. 23" of an unknown amount of Royal Deluxe editions and is signed by Schweitzer (winner of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize) and 13 other medical, philosophical and social experts of the time, including the publisher A.A. Roback. (more about the signatures later in this description). This book is finely bound in dark red leather with bright gold accents, with a grey silk bookmark. It is in near fine condition, with a slight dryness to the beautiful leather (easily fixed with the proper dressing) but the covers are solid and beautiful with only minor rubbing on the corners. There is gold gilt on the top edge with minor touches of wear, marbled endpapers, and natural toning from age has darkened the pages but quite evenly. It is uncertain whether the book was privately bound or was published in this fine binding. There is a signed letter from the publisher, A.A. Roback, attached to a front page in which the publisher states the book was shipped directly from the publisher with the autograph sheets. These signature pages have been tipped in to the front of the book. Now the good part: Albert Schweitzer has signed the top of one of these early pages with a message in french: "avec mes bonnes pensees" (with my good thoughts). On the letter in the front, as mentioned, is the signature of A.A. Roback and on another page are 13 signatures by A.A. Roback (again) and 12 authors of many of the chapters in the book: (1) A.A. Roback (1890-1965), Ph.D. Polish-born psychologist, philologist, folklorist, and educator and publisher, edited the book and wrote Chap. I "Albert Schweitzer The Man" (2) Werner Jaeger (1888-1961), a 20th Century classicist, Professor of Classical Philology at Harvard University, wrote Chap. XX "Xenophanes And The Beginnings of Natural Theology (3) George Sarton (1884-1956), Belgian chemist and historian, Professor of the History of Science at Harvard University, considered the founder of the History of Science Discipline, listed on the title page and writer of the Epilogue, Chap. XXIII, "The Scholar's Dilemma;" (4) Sir Phillip Manson-Bahr (1881-1966), Director, Clinical Division, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, married the daughter of Sir Patrick Manson, founder of the tropical medicine field. An expert in his own right, he wrote Chap. XVII, "The Post-Graduate Teaching of Clinical Tropical Medicine;" (5) J.S. Bixler (1894-1985), Ph.D., President of Colby College, writer of Chap. II, "Productive Tensions in the Work of Albert Schweitzer;" (6) Clement C. Chesterman, M.D., O.B.E., Hon. Sec. British Advisory Bd. on Medical Missions, author on many books on tropical medicine, wrote Chap. XVIII, "The Strange Case of Dives and Lazarus;" (7) William Ernest Cooke (1879-1967), F.R.C.S.I., L.R.C.P.I., D.P.H, Superintendent of the School for Tropical Diseases in London, wrote Chap. XIX, "Medical Missions and the Future;" (8) Olof Linton, Theol. D., Professor of Exegetics, University of Uppsala, wrote Chap. XXII, "Albert Schweitxzer's Interpretation of St. Paul's Theology;" (9) Karl Vietor (1892-1951), Ph.D., Professor of German Art & Culture, Harvard University wrote Chap. XIV, "Lutheranism, Catholicism, and German Literature;" (10) Roland H. Bainton (1894-1984), B.D., Ph.D., was the Titus Street Professor of Ecclesiastical History at Yale University for 42 years, wrote Chap. XIII, "The Unity of Mankiind in the Classical Christian Tradition;" (11) Edward L. Thorndike (1874-1949), Ph.D., LL.D., Sc.D., Professor, Teachers College, Columbia University, His work on animal behavior and the learning process led to the theory of connectionism and helped lay the scientific foundation for modern educational psychology. He wrote Chap. VI, "Valuations of Achievements, Acts, Laws and Persons;" (12) A.T. Davison (1883-1961), Ph.D., Mus. D. (Hon.), F.R.C.M., Professor of Music, Harvard University, wrote Chap. VIII, "The Transcendentalism of Albert Schweitzer;" (13) Leo Schrade (1903-1964), Professor of Music History at Yale University; Professor and Director, Musicology Institute, University of Basel; wrote Chap. VII, "Schweitzer's Aesthetics: An Interpretation of Bach." A gloriously-bound work of history signed by men well established in their respective fields in the world of Albert Schweitzer, all of whom are no longer with us.