Forgotten treasures rediscovered at county library
While the Tuscarawas County Public Library System’s Main Library in New Philadelphia has been closed during the month of May due to the extensive renovation and expansion project, the staff has been busy inside the building moving into new spaces, sorting and storing the collection, and organizing spaces in preparation for the next phase of construction.
“You never know what you may uncover during a move or renovation,” assistant director Andrea Legg said. “There is always a cabinet or nook that hasn’t been cleaned out in some time.”
The Main Library building was originally constructed in 1936 with the last major renovation of the building taking place in the early 1990s.
One of the items unearthed is a 1947 limited-edition copy of "Essays of Michel De Montaigne." The book has blue binding and a gold-leafed insignia on the front. When staff opened the pages, they discovered a hand-written note from a former librarian. It read, “In my weeding today, I came across this book, which was an edition limited to 1,000 copies and signed by the artist.”
The illustrator of this book was Salvador Dali, the famous Spanish surrealist painter.
“We were all really shocked when we discovered this book, signed by Salvador Dali, that had been stowed away in the bottom of a cabinet,” Legg said. “The craziest part about the book is that at one time it had been part of the library’s collection. Customers were able to check it out and take it home like any other book in the library.”
The book was published in 1947 by Doubleday & Company Inc. and is number 928 of 1,000 copies. It features essays from French philosopher Montaigne that were selected by Dali, who then created accompanying illustrations for each essay.
Across the library in another closet, staff found a collection of unframed artwork by James Harrison “Hal” Donahey, political cartoonist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer from 1900-49. Hal was a New Philadelphia native, and some of his folksy-style artwork reflects on his time spent in Tuscarawas County. The prints feature scenes from different towns throughout Ohio including New Philadelphia, Dover and Tuscarawas County.
While planning for the renovation project, the library also has gathered surplus items that will no longer be used after the renovation. Some of these items include vintage solid-wood tables, chairs, bookshelves, local history items, vintage newspapers, Life magazines, office equipment and more.
“Most items will be in a public auction organized by Don R. Wallick Auctions while the more unique items, like the signed Dali book, will be sold online,” director Michelle McMorrow Ramsell said. “We anticipate that many library lovers may want to take home a beloved piece of history while others may have an interest in the surplus office equipment.”
The public auction is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. on Friday, June 21 at the Main Library, 121 Fair Ave. NW, New Philadelphia, with a preview of items starting at 8 a.m. A complete listing of items available at the public auction can be found on the library's website.
According to Ramsell, the Main Library will open only for auctiongoers from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Programs scheduled outside the building will still take place that morning, and all four branches of the county library will operate with normal business hours.
For more information about the auction, visit www.tusclibrary.org or call 330-364-4474.Construction is scheduled to be completed in late 2019.