Antiquarian Auctions

Auction #122 begins on 03 Apr 2025

Marais (Eugene)

DIE SIEL VAN DIE MEER

Published: Pretoria, J.L. van Schaik, 1934

Edition: First Edition

Reserve: $100

Approximately:

Estimate: $130/160

Bidding opens: 3 Apr 16:30 GMT

Bidding closes: 10 Apr 16:30 GMT

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First Edition: 182 page, frontispiece and 3 plates, 12 sketches in the text, original brown cloth with a vignette on  the upper cover and titling in green on the spine, top edge dyed brick red, signature of a previous owner on the front free endpaper, dust jacket frayed and stained and now preserved in a Brodart protector, a very good copy. 

(https://www.uj.ac.za/library/information-resources/special-collections/online-exhibitions/eugene-marais/06-eugene-marais-theft-of-his-work/), 'Since Eugène Marais was known for his writings about termites and ants, in 1927 after an episode about Maurice Maeterlinck was aired, Eugène accused him of using the concept of the organic unity of the termitary, the concept which was explained in Marais’s 1926 book titled, The Life of the White Ant. Maurice had kept bees and written a book based on first-hand experience, But he had never done any termite research. It was found that Maurice, who was a Belgian Nobel Prize winner, included Marais’s theories in his book titled La vie des termites without acknowledging him. Marais sought justice with the support of his Afrikaner Nationalist friends through promoting his side of the story in the South African press and also attempted an international lawsuit. This proved to be financially impossible and the case was not pursued. Marais, however, through this learnt and researched more about plagiarism and gained a measure of fame as the aggrieved party.' 

  • Size: 8vo (205 x 145 mm)


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