Turnbull, Edward, 1861-1924

Edward Turnbull came to New York City as a young man and eventually worked as head of the catalog department of Anderson Company (later Anderson Auction Galleries) from 1900 to 1908. While at Anderson, Turnbull developed cataloging for the auction room into a distinctive profession and over the years became an authority on incunabula, early English literature and Americana while acquiring a reading knowledge of several European and eastern languages. He established his own auction business, Walpole Galleries, and from 1915 was associated in it with his wife, Lenore Young Turnbull. Four years after his death, Lenore Turnbull sold his refererence library and other collections at an auction held at the gallery, announcing in the sale catalog that this sale would mark the closing of the galleries. However, Walpole Galleries continued to issue catalogs and hold sales until 1931.