HvW1886g

1886 Memoiren einer arabischen Prinzessin 1886 by Emily Ruete
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By pricness Emily Ruete and owned by Emily's daughter Antonie

Memoiren einer Arabischen Prinzessin (with the Said Ruete Ex Libris!!) First edition third issue 1886. Author / Publisher:  Princess Emily Ruete ; Salima bint Said Al Bu Said ; Bibi Salme. Published by Friedrich Luckhardt in Berlin.  The name of the author is printed in calligraphic Arabic on the tile page.  The third issue held by the Said Ruete Library in Leiden University has blue coloured covers. However, copies held in other libraries have also a brown binding.

Memoiren eienr arabischen prinzessin by Emily Ruete

This copy also has the unusual blue covers and also belonged to the Ruete family, i.e. Emily's daughter Antonie (Brandeis)

Memoiren eiener arabischen prinzessin owned by Emily's daughter Antonie Brandeis Ruete

 This book has manuscript name of "Antonie Brandeis geb Ruete". Antonie lived with her mother Emily Ruete in Beirut. Antonie was married in 1898 to Eugen Brandeis who became governor of the Marshall islands from 1898 until 1906 when he was removed from office for cruelty (flogging) and the Marshall islands were joined to German New Guinea. On Eugen Brandeis see  Dirk H.N. Spennemann "An officer, Yes, but a gentleman?  A biographical sketch of Eugen Brandeis military advisor, imperial judge and administrator in the German colonial service in the south pacific (Sydney centre for south pacific studies) In the early 1920's Antonie separated from her husband and lived in Hamburg.

In 1901 Antonie (with her daughter) went back to Beirut and subsequently to Berlin to attend the wedding of her brother Rudolph

Memoiren einer arabischen prinzessin Emily Ruete

Volume 2 also contains a reference by Antonie to "Hamburger Nachrichten 7.3.24", the article has been removed but we have been able to find locate that article regarding the death of Emily a few weeks earlier in 1924  (see below).  Antonie published herself a popular cooking-book for ex-pat ladies in the tropics.

Newspaper death Emily Ruete 1924

                    Newspaper death Emily Ruete
                                              Newspaper article death Emily Ruete 1924
 

 Book details:  Very rare German third issue (tritte auflage) of the first edition.

These first edition issues in an original cloth binding are all extremely rare.  The buildings on the cover bear close resemblance to the palace buildings and clock-tower in Zanzibar. As the architecture of the buildings looks a bit Western the artist has probably added some tropical plants and trees in front.

The first German editions are much higher quality books than the English editions: beautiful paper and fine printing. Bibi Salme wrote the book in German so the text is also more authentic than the English translations. On the title page is the printed signature of Bibi Salme (in Arabic) Content 196, 190 p; Title in Gold print.

References:
  1. G.J. Kolff, De gedenkschriften eener Arabische prinses, long summary with comments of Emily's Memoirs in De Gids Jaargang 61 (1897) deel 3 p 85-106. This paper has not been quoted / referenced in any of the standard works discussing the Memoirs.
  2. An Arabian Princess between two worlds by E. van Donzel published by Brill  Leiden 1993 
  3. 2015 Only the " Outward Appearance"  of a harem? Reading the memoirs of an Arabian princess as Material text by Kate Roy 13/1/2015 in Distinctions That Matter / Fictions Economiques  Belphegor literature populaire et culture  Comment: Interesting but not sure if all the conclusions make sense. Again no full analysis of the different  German and English first edition issues (with different covers)
  4. G.J. Kolff, De gedenkschriften eener Arabische prinses, long summary with comments of Emily's Memoirs in De Gids Jaargang 61 (1897) deel 3 p 85-106. This paper has not been quoted / referenced in any of the standard works discussing the Memoirs.
  5. Hielke van der Wijk, Het leven van Salme (1844-1924) prinses van Oman en Zanzibar, en de vroege uitgaven van haar memoires.(Jaarboek van het  Nederlands genootschap van Bibliofielen (pages 183-205) 2017
  6. Jos Damen, Boekenwereld tijdschrift voor boek en prent, van Tilt 25e jaargang nr 3 (Maart 2009) page 231 "waarom een prinses uit Zanzibar trouwde met een Duitse koopman En Hoe haar bibliotheek in Leiden terecht kwam"
  7. Antonie Brandeis geb. Ruete; Kochbuch für die Tropen. Nach langjährigen Erfahrungen in den Tropen und Subtropen; Berlin Dietrich Reimer (Ernst Vohsen)