Kloß, Georg Franz Burkhard
Owner Id00013021
TypePerson
GenderMale
Biographical dates - Period of existence1787-1854
Other InformationBorn at Frankfurt am Main (see ADB XVI 227-8), physician, collector of manuscripts and incunables. The major sale or his collection was at Sotheby's in 1835, after which he specialised in freemasonry and masonic bibliography.
Bookplate : "Georgius Kloß, M.D. Francfurti ad Moenum."
Catalogue of the Library of Dr Kloss, of Franckfort a M., Professor (London: Sotheby & Son, 7 May 1835); Catalogue of the Remaining portions of the libraries of Dr Rich and Dr Kloss (London, Sotheby, 27 November 1835). There was an earlier sale at Hodgson's, Catalogue of an excellent collection of books and manuscripts, 20 October 1828, and a later sale at Lewis's, Catalogue of the library of a gentleman, 18 June 1841. Copies of all the catalogues are held at the British Library.
Many of his books (as at the Bodleian) are bound in a characteristic 'Kloß' binding of half calf with pasteboards covered with green and blue marbled paper, and with a red and a green label on the spine, each inscribed in gilt. Books were also apparently rebound by Sotheby's in half calf over pasteboards covered with green cloth (see Bod-inc J-253, on which the spine is detached, revealing paper underneath with text in English, which would suggest an English binding).
The main attraction of the collection, according to Sotheby, were autographs of Philipp Melanchthon. Sotheby claimed that hundreds of the books in the sale had Melanchthon’s notes, they in fact did not, and Kloss himself vigorously disputed Sotheby’s claims. Those claims still cause misrepresentation in booksellers' catalogues.
On the manuscripts of Kloss, see Ulrich-Dieter Oppitz, 'Georg Kloss und seine Handschriftensammlung', Wolfenbütteler Notizen zur Buchgeschichte, 22/1 (1997), 1-47.
[J. Lancaster; Bod-inc; A. Panzanelli; J. Goldfinch]
Variant NamesKloss, Georg Franz Burkhard
Kloss, Georg
Kloss, Johann G.
Kloss, Johann Georg Burkhard Franz
Kloß, Georg Franz Burghard
Klosz, Georgius
Other Identifierhttps://lccn.loc.gov/n93038985
Activity
Start (year)1787
End (year)1835
MARC Area Codee-gx
PlaceFrankfurt am Main (Geonames Id: 2925533)
Profession / Type of InstitutionPhysician
CharacterisationNo characterisation/lay
Activity
Start (year)1835
End (year)1841
MARC Area Codee-gx
PlaceFrankfurt am Main (Geonames Id: 2925533)
Profession / Type of InstitutionPhysician
CharacterisationNo characterisation/lay
Last Edit2025-01-12 19:39:07