December 1905 Anomaly

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

These issues were NOT supposed to have the Title Page, Contents, List of Illustrations and Index in the back of the magazine as “most” of the 1907 and earlier volumes did.

I have discovered that some magazines were issued "with" these items and have two in my possession – as well as one without the items.

Those that I have observed without, show no sign that these items ever existed, i.e. no telltale markings of pages removed – to include tight bindings that would have otherwise shown signs of so many pages being removed.

On the other hand, I have also seen the loose pamphlet distributed on request to members, indicating perhaps that the distribution of the December issue “without” the aforementioned items was the norm.

Any thoughts?

[Scott T. Shier]

Hey Mel,

I don't know what to say to that Mel, but it's another intersting oddity that needs to be "solved" !

- Scott

[George Thomas Wilson]

Hi Mel,

My Dec. 1905 issue is a reprint so I don't know how much weight it carries.  It has the index (numbered pages) and the title page, contents & list of illustrations (roman numeral pages) all following the advertisements.

My Dec. 1907 issue is an original, however, and it has the index, as numbered pages, before the advertisements which were then followed by the title page, contents & list of illustrations.

Tom

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Thanks Tom!

In fact, I've decided to write another eBay guide on the "annual index" produced from 1891 through 2010. I've got the outline written, but am concentrating on revising "A Guide to Selling...et. al.," then putting the finishing touches on a grading standard guide, then flushing out my annual index guide.

Buxbaum didn't really appreciate the annual guide and tried to convince the NGS to stop publishing them, which they did in 2010 several decades after he passed away. He wrote virtually nothing on this production.

Nathan listed the 1900 and 1905 "annual index" as being produced as a separate "on demand by members" pamphlet. Of course, most people know the NGS no longer included the index, etc., in the December issue beginning with the Dec 1910 issues preferring to issue separate pamphlets instead.

However, I've discovered, as you confirmed with your reprint copy (which was copied from an original Dec 1905 magazine) that at least some Dec 1905 issues were distributed with the index (and all the other items mentioned above) in it and some were distributed without the index, etc.

To confuse the issue a little bit (as seems to be the norm with the NGS) - there are pamphlets "in the original" for these same documents for the years 1898 and 1899 - but Nathan indicated these were published as part of the Dec issue for those years. I have seen copies of these months and years that show no sign of page removal and are otherwise intact and they do NOT include the index, etc.

The short of it is, the Dec 1900 issue is truly the only Dec issue that did not have the index, etc., published in it - ever, period, stop, end of statement.

Of course, we all know, as soon as someone says "period," it's proven it ain't so...

[George Thomas Wilson]

I find it a little ironic that 1900 is the only year whose covers look eerily similar to the title page for the indexes in both the bound in December issues and, after 1910, pamphlet indexes until they switched to the oak leaf design.

Anyway, looking forward to your eBay index guide.

Tom

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

It is strange isn't it Tom? You can almost follow the thought process (almost) going on for ten years or so back in those days.

Follow-up:

I only have the bound reprints, but perhaps the individual issues are the same. Anyway, the bound 1900 volume has the Title Page and other material usually found in the front - but it does not have the index in the back of the December issue - where it would normally be located in a bound volume.

I secured an "extra" 1900 index pamphlet to complete my bound reprint collection, as well as pamphlets for my bound and loose original collections from Nicholas Koopman several years ago. He also had all three of the other years we've been talking about.

He's listed in the dealer's directory at the top left of the main page if you or anyone else is interested in checking in with him.

Mel