A look back into the history of the ILAB Breslauer Prize: 1964 - the first Award

Triennal Prize for Bibliography 1964

"It has been decided, unanimously, not to award the triennal prize in bibliography 1964. Certain works, although noteworthy, do not quite stand up to the tests for the award of a prize."

Georges A. Deny

President’s Report

A look back into the history of the ILAB Breslauer Prize, and into the work of the Jury: “The meeting opens at exactly 15.00 hrs. under the chairmanship of Mr. G.A. Deny, League President. The jury, made up of Messrs. De La Fontaine Verwey, Lelièvre, Nixon and Frauendorfer, meets in full. The President, after a few words of welcome to members of the jury and having thanked them for the work they have done in the previous 13 months asks Mr. Nixon to open.

Mr. Nixon: Having read the 20 works submitted I consider that it would be a pity to award the three-yearly prize of the I.L.A.B., an amount of $ 750, to any work which could not be regarded as fully worthy of this honour. Certain items are worthy of interest, but no more, as each of them presents one or several defects, e.g.: errors in descriptions, or important gaps in them, lack of tables, faulty chronology, etc.

Mr. De la Fontaine Verwey is of the same opinion and seconds Mr. Nixon.

Mr. Lelièvre considers that two or three works are noteworthy und deserve some mention by the Jury …

Mr. Fauendorfer had decided to award the prize to one work, but, after an exchange of views which Messrs. Nixon and de la Fontaine Verwey, in respect of this work, adopts the opinion of the majority and decides to join in their views.

Mr. Deny has also noted the poor quality of the items offered but, as this is the inaugural manifestation of an initiative intended to encourage bibliographical research, he would like to see the prize awarded. After long discussions it is finally decided unanimously not to award the prize for this triennium and the following resolution is adopted:

It has been decided, unanimously, not to award the triennial prize on bibliography. Certain works, although noteworthy, do not quite stand up to the tests for the award of a prize. The following works, in the order mentioned, have more specially attracted the attention of the Jury:

Oldenbourg, (C.). Die Buchholzschnitte des Hans Baldung Grien. Baden-Baden, Heitz Verlag, 1962

Flocon, (A.). L`univers des livres. Paris, Hermann, 1961

Himmelstrup, (J.). Søren Kierkegaard international bibliografi. Kobenhavn, A. Busck. 1962

After some amendments to the rules for the following and second three-yearly prize in bibliography, the rules are adopted unanimously. They will be circulated in October.

Dateline for receiving entries is fixed at 30th September 1965. An organizing session for the Jury is expected in June 1965; a meeting to decide the award will take place in April 1967.
The meeting closes at 17.30 hrs."

The President’s Report was published in the ILAB Newsletter 13 (1964).