[Alabama]: Garrett, Ephraim S.:

A Book of Philosophical Quotations and Comments Made for the New Age [cover title].

Birmingham, Al. 1941. [8],136pp. typescript, including three black-and-white photographs laid down, plus [8]pp. typed Index tipped onto rear pastedown. Square folio. Original green cloth with black decorative stamping and typed labels on spine and front cover. A blank book, with typescript pages laid down. Two additional small pieces of typescript laid down on front pastedown. Very good. Item #5830

An intellectual cabinet of curiosities assembled by an obscure Alabama Mason in the midst of the Second World War. Ephraim Spencer Garrett (1871-1943) was, according to a pencil note at the upper left of the front pastedown, a 32nd degree Mason. In his introduction to the present work, Garrett writes that he conceived the work while he was an invalid with a high fever. At that time, several years ago, he could close his eyes and see the pages of the book he liked, seeing them and comprehending them almost instantaneously, when before it would have taken him a number of hours. This manuscript is a result of that fevered time.

In this substantially-sized text, Garrett quotes "from memory" the works of Shakespeare, Bacon, Dante, Epictetus, Longfellow, and many others, occasionally including his own thoughts among those of the immortals. Over sixty pages of the work contain quotes by various notables, all arranged alphabetically by subject. For example, the entry for "WORDS" is followed by this quote from Solomon: "Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in pitchers of silver." An additional small piece of typescript laid down on front pastedown provides further context to the work. It is a notice that this particular copy of Garrett's work was made especially for The New Age, a publication of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite masons to whom the author gives permission to reprint any part of this work. The New Age was a Masonic magazine published by the Supreme Council of 33rd Degree Southern Jurisdiction Masons from 1904 to 1989.

In addition to the text, Garrett includes three photographs featuring local subjects that are referred to in the text. These include a fern tree in Capitol Park in Birmingham, supposedly "one of the last survivors of the carboniferous ferns);" a fossilized tree stump "from a mine near Birmingham...thought to be about five hundred million years old;" and "An oak tree with a sword in its heart. A popular show place in Birmingham." Garrett was born in Alabama and lived in Birmingham for a long period. According to his obituary, he had been a member of a California music firm before he retired.

We could locate no other copies of this decidedly strange work by this most peculiar Alabama man.

Price: $650