Book sale thanks its lucky stars for celestial atlas gift

Published on Monday 4 May 2009 09:57

HEAVENS above. Organisers of the annual Christian Aid book sale at St Andrew's and St George's Church were delighted to discover an 1822 celestial atlas compiled by Scottish amateur astronomer Alexander Jamieson among the volumes donated.

The atlas, made up of 30 colour plates illustrating the stars in the sky, is beautifully preserved and in excellent condition. "It's a real find," said Dr Ried Zulager, an expert on antique books who flies to Edinburgh from Washington DC every year to help with the specialist books in the sale.

"We don't know who handed this in, but it is a wonderful gift.

"Often with these kind of books, people rip out the plates to put on the wall, but this is complete."

Dr Zulager said illustrations of the heavens had been popular before Mr Jamieson published his atlas, but most were produced as art rather than accurate astronomical drawings.

He said: "They liked to have pictures of what they imagined was in the skies, but Jamieson was the first to combine science and art. He was a bit of a pioneer."

Mr Jamieson's drawings retain the animal pictures which were traditional in depictions of the stars, dating back to Greek mythology.

Dr Zulager said: "For the first time, the images became scientifically accurate. This was the beginning of professional astronomy."

Organisers will not name a price for the atlas, or any of the other rare books included in the sale, which opens on Saturday and runs all the following week.

Sale convener Mary Davidson stressed it was not an auction. She said: "We will put a price on it at the last minute and the first person with the money will get it."

The annual sale at the church in George Street began in 1974 and since then has raised more than 1.7 million for Christian Aid.

Other prized items which have been donated include a first edition of Outlines of Moral Philosophy, published in 1793, by Dugald Stewart, a major figure of the Scottish Enlightenment and a professor at Edinburgh University from 1785-1810. A monument on Calton Hill attests to his fame, while a new Edinburgh University building in Potterrow has been named after him.

Also in the sale are some first editions of the Waverley novels of Sir Walter Scott and a rare and pristine first edition of Watership Down by Richard Adams.

As well as books, there are old maps, picture postcards, vintage newspapers and magazines, letters and postcards dating back to both world wars, and some collectable 1960s and 70s film, theatre and exhibition posters.

For more details, visit www.standrewsandstgeorges.org. uk/christian_aid_book_sale.php

The sale runs from 10am on Saturday and 10am-3.30pm from Monday, May 11, to Friday, May 15, with late-night opening until 8pm on Thursday.