A Jewish Family Finds New Life in Australia After Miraculous Turn of Events: A family’s story is intertwined with the scandal surrounding Gabriel Wells’ desecration of the Gutenberg Bible, leading to their new life in Sydney.
The “Noble Fragments” Scandal
Wells’ desecration of the Gutenberg Bible sparked a scandal, with many outraged by his actions. However, it also enabled institutions and universities to acquire pages missing from their own editions of the Bible, including some donated by Wells himself.
Michael Visontay’s Discovery
Visontay’s discovery began with a mystery surrounding his grandfather’s second wife, Olga. He found her name in an old legal document demanding money, which led him to uncover the story of the Gutenberg Bible and its connection to his family’s new life in Australia.
The Desecration
Wells claimed that breaking up the Gutenberg Bible was a victory for egalitarianism, allowing anyone to own a piece of the world’s most valuable book. He sold the individual pages and some complete books of the Bible, marketing them as “noble fragments.” The connoisseurs were outraged, but the press and public were captivated.
A Chain of Events
The desecration of the Gutenberg Bible set off a chain of events that led to the Visontay family’s delicatessen in 1950s Sydney. Michael Visontay discovered that his grandfather, Pali, had been involved with Wells and had inherited a small fortune from him. This fortune enabled the Visontays to flee Hungary after it was confiscated for the second time under communist rule.
A New Life in Australia
The Visontays settled in Sydney, where they ran a thriving business selling exotic continental smallgoods at the Minerva deli. Michael Visontay’s family prospered quickly in Australia, and their story is one of resilience and determination.
Noble Fragments
Michael Visontay has written a book about his family’s history, titled “Noble Fragments.” The book tells the extraordinary tale of how the desecration of the Gutenberg Bible led to his family’s new life in Australia.
The History of the Gutenberg Bible
Only 45 copies of the original 180 printed Gutenbergs are believed to exist today, with only 20 remaining wholly intact. The iconic book was first made available in 1455 and is considered the holy grail of rare books.
The Desecration of the Gutenberg Bible
Gabriel Wells justified his actions by saying the book was already missing too many pages to sell it as a complete Bible. However, this was not true, and he used it as a marketing ploy to maximize returns. The connoisseurs were outraged, but the press and public were fascinated.
The Visontay Family’s Story
The Visontays were Hungarian Jews who suffered greatly during World War II. Pali and Sara Weiszmann, Visontay’s grandparents, and his father, Ivan, were rounded up and transported to concentration camps. Sara perished, but her husband and son survived, reuniting in Gyöngyös at the war’s end.
The Family’s New Life in Australia
After the war, the family fled Hungary and settled on Australia instead of the US. They arrived in Sydney in 1952 and before long were running a thriving business in the delicatessen trade. The Gutenberg Bible’s legacy played a significant role in their new life, providing them with financial stability and a chance to rebuild.
Gabriel Wells’ Background
Wells was a wealthy book collector who rubbed shoulders with the Rothschilds and Vanderbilts. He famously paid US$200,000 for the right to print a limited run of Mark Twain’s definitive writings and lost the world’s most expensive copy of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam while transporting it from Britain to the US on the Titanic’s maiden voyage.
