Rare Books Collection
The Orkney Books of John Davie Manson Robertson CBE, DL, FRSA
Rare Book collector John Davie Manson Robertson CBE, DL, FRSA (6 November 1929 - 2 November 2015) was born to Orcadian parents, and moved to the islands as a teenager in 1943. He was passionate about his heritage and his comprehensive collection of Orkney and Shetland books, due to be offered in our forthcoming Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs auction on 14 February (lots 1 to 76), testifies to this.
By profession, John Robertson was a law graduate and joint owner of the S & J D Robertson Group, Orkney oil distributors. However, his roles in the local community were highly varied. He was Chairman of a range of organisations: the Orkney and Highland Health Boards, the Scottish Health Management Efficiency Group, the North of Scotland Water Authority and the Lloyds TSB Foundation for Scotland. Outwith these positions, Robertson was Honorary Sheriff for the Grampian Highland and Islands area and a Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of Sutherland.
Lot 6 | Barry, George
The History of the Orkney Islands. Edinburgh: Archibald Constable, 1805. First edition, 4to, frontispiece, folding map, 10 plates
£150-200 + fees
Described as having a “passion for art”, John Robertson also took a great interest in Scottish artists, his collection ranging from the works of Arthur Melville to Stanley Cursiter, another son of Kirkwall. As evidenced by his book collection, he was also an avid reader.
The earliest book from the collection is Reverend James Wallace’s A Description of the Isles of Orkney, published posthumously in 1693 (see lot 73). Wallace was minister in Kirkwall from 1672-1688, and is rumoured to have inspired William Baikie to donate his library to the town. Founded in 1683, The Bibliotheck of Kirkwall is said to be Scotland’s oldest public library. Wallace, in fact, kept Baikie’s donation of 150 books at his residence, before they were moved to St Magnus Cathedral.
Lot 71 | Torfaeus, Thormodus
Orcades seu Rerum Orcadensium Historiae... Copenhagen: Justin Hög, 1697. 4to
£1,500-2,500 + fees
Reflecting Orkney’s Nordic past, the Icelandic historian Thormodus Torfaeuus’s work, Orcades seu Rerum Orcadensium Historiae, published in Copenhagen in 1697, also features (see lot 77). The book was translated into English in 1866, and opens with the rather uncomplimentary line: “Orkney was of old a nest of pyrates … until they were at last expatriated by Harold the Fair…”
Lot 66 | Stafford, Lady [Elizabeth Levison Gower]
Views in Orkney and on the North-Eastern Coast of Scotland. [London:] 1807. Folio, [120 copies printed], portrait, 28 engraved plates, inscribed to the verso of the front free endpaper:
Given to Lady Holland by Elizabeth Marchioness of Stafford, Countess of Sutherland, 1812
£600-800 + fees
Published in 1807, Elizabeth, the Duchess of Sutherland’s book, Views in Orkney and on the Northeastern Coast of Scotland gives a far more romantic view of the islands (see lot 66). The engravings of scenery and standing stones perhaps reflect why people are drawn to Orkney: for the beauty of the landscape, the ancient archaeological sites and the stories of Vikings which help to form a rich historical tapestry.
Lot 13 | Daniell, William
A Voyage Round the North and North-West Coast of Scotland... London: W. Lewis, [1818-1820]. Folio, 40 (of 42) hand-coloured plates (lacking two plates); [Idem] A Voyage Round Great Britain...volume v. London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1821. Folio, 6 plates only (with title-page, dedication and 34pp. of corresponding text), all showing Orkney scenes, hand-coloured (2)
£1,000-2,000 + fees
John Robertson’s collection of Orkney and Shetland books reflects the history and culture of these islands. However, it is also a legacy of a book collector and highly respected member of Orkney society, who invested deeply in his heritage.
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