Walter Klinefelter (1899–1987)

A decent account of the Fortsas affair, with a translated version of the catalog. A bit stilted and dated in its language. Includes a bibliography of the catalog. An interesting story, as always. A lovingly exquisite book, with thick paper, deckle-edged, map on the endpapers, nice brown cloth cover, no dust-jacket.

Walter Klinefelter's The Fortsas Bibliohoax was first printed in 1941 for the Carteret Book Club, and revised and expanded in 1986 by the Press of Ward Schori in a lovely edition of 378 copies. It includes a translated, annotated version of the original Fortsas catalogue from 1840, plus introductory and concluding essays by Klinefelter and a bibliographical discussion of the Fortsas publications by Weber DeVore.

This is by far the best examination and discussion of the Fortsas Hoax in show more English, and is a must-read for any students of this, one of the greatest literary practical jokes of all time.

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This 1973 Yearbook of the Pennsylvania German Society contains three articles:

1. The A B C Books of the Pennsylvania Germans, by Walter Klinefelter.

2. Abraham Harley Cassel, Nineteenth Century Pennsylvania German American Book Collector, by Marlin L. Heckman

3. Marriages performed at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity, 1748-1767 [Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania], by Fritz Braun and Frederick S. Weiser.