With the coming of fall, or if you live in Australia the coming of spring, more dealers send out catalogues, shops remain open longer, shows and fairs throw open their doors and auctions pick up their pace. It is October, the perennially important month that often sets expectations for the final two months.
As we speak, antiquarians are gathering in Santa Fe for a two-day affair. On the second and third, the North Texas Book and Paper Show convenes in Fort Worth. Over the same two days, the Great Eastern U. S. Antique Book, Paper & Advertising Show in Allentown, Pennsylvania is running. Over the second weekend, the Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair takes over one of the exhibition halls on the grounds of the 1962 Seattle World's Fair. The following weekend, two hundred miles north in Vancouver, Canadians and guests will participate in the Vancouver Antiquarian Book Fair. On Sunday, the 17th, the Pioneer Valley Book and Ephemera Fair in Northampton, Massachusetts affords bibliophiles the chance to see new material and old friends. On the 24th, the Golden Gate Park Book Fair offers northern Californians a day in the park and a chance to buy printed material. Over the 29th to the 31st, the ever-important Toronto International Antiquarian Book Fair gives eastern Canadians their chance to buy. Fairs have long been one of the best ways for dealers, institutions and collectors to look at material that simply is better understood in person. There is always much to see.
Of all the fairs the Seattle Fair is particularly important. While not an ABAA fair it attracts substantial ABAA support and a large public following.
The auction calendar is also full. Almost every day has at least one event. In total 56 events are in the queue. In the Internet age, auctions are proliferating, though the major houses continue to dominate the action. To look for material of interest run searches in the upcoming auctions search. Many, even most houses accept absentee and electronic bids. Within search results on our site, we always provide links to the applicable auction houses.
If viewing this article after October 5th, the Book Fairs and Events and Upcoming Auctions calendars will be displayed in a different way. Across the top of the page, the Upcoming Auctions link brings up the auction calendar [also accessible from the homepage] and the twenty-five most recent individual auction reports. Clicking next to the right of the auction reports will cycle you through the reports. Auction related links are located in the right column under Quick Links. On almost every page on the site there are Quick Link options related to the subject displayed to the left.
The Book Fairs link is listed across the main toolbar under "more" with Book Clubs, Events Calendar, Links and ISBD Search.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
