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The Basque Library By Jon Bilbao In 1961 the Desert Research Institute of the University of Nevada, Reno resolved to initiate the Basque Studies Program. At that time it was recognized that if such a program were to be meaningful one of the first priorities had to be the acquisition of a basic Basque library. However, since most Basque books are out of print and extremely rare, it was not simply a matter of going to the book market. Nor was it possible to acquire a basic book collection from an active Basque scholar since scholars need their books. In 1962 Philippe Veyrin, noted French painter and student of the Basques, died. Mr. Veyrin was a friend of Mr. Robert Laxalt of the University of Nevada, Reno and consequently, was aware of Nevada’s interest in establishing a Basque Studies Program. He had expressed the wish that after his death Nevada be allowed to purchase his private library, a wish that was respected by his widow. Thus, despite the fact that other French and American institutions, as well as private book dealers, bidded on the Veyrin collection, Madame Veyrin decided to sell the books to the University of Nevada, Reno. It was not until 1967 that the Basque Studies Program at Nevada became a reality. The Veyrin collection was a very good basis upon which to build a comprehensive Basque library, but it was both small and deficient in many areas of scholarship. It was also “dated” in that it contained nothing published after 1962. Consequently, the organizers of the Program contacted book sellers in Europe. In this fashion the Program acquired several hundred additional books and journals. Governmental agencies and academic institutions in the Basque Country also took an interest in the Nevada collection and donated several hundred volumes, including some extremely rare and costly journals. Finally, a number of Basques in the American West donated private papers, books, diaries, etc. to the rapidly expanding collection. As a result, the collection today consists of over three thousand items. As such it is in the process of becoming the most comprehensive library in this country for a wide range of Basque subjects. There are a number of items in our collection which are particularly worthy of mention. The Veyrin library includes some extremely rare items such as the first edition of Larramendi’s Latin-Basque-Spanish dictionary. The Veyrin collection also contains complete sets of the journals Revue Internationale des Etudes Basques (1907–1936), Gure Herria (1921–1962), the Bulletin du Musee Basque de Bayonne (1924–1943), the Bulletin de la Societe des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Bayonne (1917–1962), Eusko Jakintza (1947–1952) and Ikuska (1946–1951). Included among the donation from the Diputación de Vizcaya are the journals Euskal Erria (1880–1918), Euskal Esnalea (1911–1931), Euskalerriaren Alde (1911–1931) and Euskera (1919–1936). It is very difficult to calculate in terms of dollars the value of these items. For example, a set of the Revue Internationale des Etudes Basques sold recently for more than one thousand dollars. The Euskal Erria has never appeared in a bookseller’s catalog. Finally, we might mention a peculiarity of some of the books in the Veyrin collection. Veyrin used to send his best Basque books to the bindery with the request that they be bound in white parchment. Then, being a noted artist, he would decorate the bindings with popular Basque motifs. This can be regarded as the first attempt to develop a Basque book art. It has not been commercialized subsequently. The library of the Musee Basque of Bayonne possesses some of Veyrin’s decorated books, as does Mr. Martin Elso of Ainhoa who was Veyrin’s friend and colleague. However, so far as I know, Veyrin never exhibited his book decorations. The first such exhibition was held last April in the Getchell Library of the University of Nevada, Reno. |
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