The E-Sylum:  Volume 8, Number 33, July 31, 2005, Article 13

F. PARKES WEBER ON DEATH AND NUMISMATICS

Recently I asked about books by F. Parkes Weber.
Ken Bressett writes: "Regarding "Aspects of Death In Art" by
Weber, I have a copy of the book, and it does seem to be rather
scarce. It is reprinted, with additions, from an article that first
appeared in Numismatic Chronicle in 1909-1910, Nos 36-38.
Good reading, and unique in its numismatic coverage."

Hadrien Rambach writes: "Here are descriptions of my different
copies of Weber:

WEBER, F. P. Aspects of death and their effects on the living,
as illustrated by minor works of art, especially medals, engraved
gems, jewels &c. Chicago (The Open Court Publishing Company)
s.d. [1910]. American issue of the first edition. Octavo, viii, 160
pp., 58 illustrations in the text, gilt publisher’s cloth with
embossed macabre medal by Boldu on the board. Perfect condition.
Very rare.

After several articles published in the Numismatic Chronicle in
1909-1910 (numbers 36-38), Friedrich Parkes Weber (1863-1962,
a member of the Royal Numismatic Society since 1885) wrote
the book Aspects of death and their effects on the living, as illustrated
by minor works of art, especially medals, engraved gems, jewels
&c. the first edition of which was published in 1910. It was
enlarged and republished in London at T. Fisher Unwin and
Bernard Quaritch in 1914 (xxviii, 461 pages, 123 illustrations).
A third edition appeared in 1918 with a modified title: Aspects
of death and correlated aspects of life in art, epigram, and poetry.
Contributions towards an anthology and an iconography of the
subject (xl + 784 pages). The 4th and largest edition was printed
again by T. Fisher Unwin, in 1922, and republished in Maryland
in 1971. In 1914, the author had also published Art and epigram
regarding science and medicine in relation to death, together with
an Addition on Epigram and art in relation to the excessive fear
of death. It was translated by Eugen Holländer and published in
1923 under the title Des Todes Bild (247 pp. illustrated). All of
these four editions had a brilliant and unique study of the
“aspects of death” in coins and medals. He also published in
1956 in London (H.K. Lewis & Co.) a book entitled Interesting
cases and pathological considerations and a numismatic suggestion
(octavo, iv, 78 pages, with text-illustrations)."

[To conserve space I've edited out Hadrien's descriptions of
the third and fourth editions of the work. Is the 1971 reprint
readily available? -Editor]

Larry Mitchell writes: "There are two other well-known books
relating to death and numismatics:

Hough, Franklin Benjamin. Washingtoniana: or,
Memorials of the death of George Washington, giving an
account of the funeral honors paid to his memory, with
a list of tracts and volumes printed upon the
occasion, and a catalogue of medals commemorating the
event. Roxbury, MA: Printed for W.E. Woodward, 1865.

Boyd, Andrew. A memorial Lincoln bibliography: being
an account of books, eulogies, sermons, portraits,
engravings, medals, etc., published upon Abraham
Lincoln, sixteenth president of the United States,
assassinated Good Friday, April 14, 1865; comprising a
collection in the possession of the compiler, Andrew
Boyd ... Albany, NY: A. Boyd, 1870.

While these titles are specific to the subject, more
general titles--Brown's 3-volume series on "British
Historical Medals," for example--include numerous
specimens of such "funerary art" in miniature."

  Wayne Homren, Editor

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