So you think you know the Rosenbach? How many of these tough Rosen-trivia questions can you answer?
1) Philip and A.S.W. Rosenbach were two out of a family of eight children. How many of the other children can you name? (Give yourself an extra pat on the back if you know the name of their sister who died at age three)
2) According to a Ben Franklin tale whose manuscript is at the Rosenbach, what toy did the seven-year-old Franklin purchase, only to regret having wasted his money?
3) Which one of Dr. Rosenbach’s early clients went down with the Titanic? For extra credit, what was the book he supposedly had in his jacket pocket when he died?
4) What science textbook contains Maurice Sendak’s first published illustrations?
5) Much of the interior appearance of 2010 Delancey is due to the family who owned it immediately before the Rosenbachs–they hired architects to redo the interior with the Georgian detailing we know and love today. Who were these previous owners?
6) According to his working notes, Bram Stoker originally had another location in mind for his vampire story, before deciding on Transylvania. What was the original home of the Count?
7) Mamusse Wunteetupanatamwe Up-Biblum God Naneeswe Nukkone Testament Kah Wonk Wusku Testament is a rather unwieldy title. What is this important 1663 book better known as?
8) The Rosenbach owns the manuscript of a Joseph Conrad novel that was later adapted into an Alfred Hitchcock movie. What are the titles of the book and the movie?
9) In the Bass Otis painting, Stephen Girard is positioned to hide his blind eye. Which eye was the problem?
10) Why would Dr. Rosenbach keep a First Folio in Strathmere, New Jersey, rather than in Philadelphia?
Answers will be cheerfully supplied in our next post.