• Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
    Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
    Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
    Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
    Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum Auctions
    The Private Library:
    Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
    July 9, 2026
    Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
    Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
    Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
  • Bonhams, June 14-23: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presentation Gold Pocket Watch. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Presentation Copy of the First Issue of the Lincoln Douglas Debates Signed by Abraham Lincoln in Pencil to a Sangamon County Illinois Republican. Estimate: $150,000 - 250,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A Senate Resolution Signed in the Tense Days After the Union's Humiliating Defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Seven Passages to a Flight, an Artists Book with a Story Quilt by Faith Ringgold, the Publisher's Own Copy. Estimate: $80,000 - 120,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A New Charter for Virginia, A Response to the First Armed Rebellion in the American Colonies. Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Earliest obtainable printing of the Bill of Rights. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Edward Curtis Orotone. Estimate: $7,000 - 9,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Butter or Dessert Plate from FDR's State Dinner Service. Estimate: $3,000 - 5,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: An Early Large-Format Plan of the City of Washington. Estimate: $1,500 - 2,500
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Containing the First Map to Name the Hudson River. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: America's First Major Novelist, a Complete Chapter in Autograph Manuscript by James Fenimore Cooper. Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The Only Full-Length Book by Jefferson, with the Justly Famous Map. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
  • June 25, 2026
    Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
    Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
    Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
    June 25, 2026
    Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
    Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
    Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
    Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
  • Bonhams, June 14-23: Palm-reading, astrology, and more. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Benjamin Franklin. Sammelband of 45 papers on electricity. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The basis for the whole modern electric-power industry. Estimate: $4,000 - 6,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Edgar Allen Poe. Poe on Mesmerism. Estimate: $2,500 - 3,500
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Reformation - The Architect of Lutheranism on Church Unity and Dissent. Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The Rare 3-Paper Offprint Identifying the Double Helix Structure of DNA, Signed by Crick, Wilkins, Wilson, Stokes and Gosling. Estimate: $40,000 - 60,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph book and Report from the Thirtieth Indian National Congress, featuring the signatures of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Dadabhai Naoroji. Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: An Illustrated Miniature Hebrew Prayerbook Manuscript. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph Working Draft of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Death Voyage. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: "Perhaps the most celebrated and most beautiful herbal ever published." Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Izaak Walton. The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative man's Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A rare product of the Jaquard loom. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000

Rare Book Monthly

Articles - September - 2016 Issue

Sep 9-11: The Third Annual Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair brings books and more to NYC

This month, the third annual Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair will be holding court from Friday, September 9th through Sunday, September 11th. With almost 100 dealers exhibiting a wide array of collectible and rare books and ephemera, as well as a busy agenda including interactive performances, a vintage photography exhibit, book signings, and workshops, the fair promises to be an exciting event.

Here’s a breakdown of the special events going on during the fair:

Opening Preview Night Celebration to Benefit 826NYC

The fair opens with a bang on Friday, September 9th with a preview event to benefit 826NYC, a local organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6-18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.  From 6:00pm-9:00pm guests will have first dibs on the event’s 25,000 items on offer while enjoying locally sourced refreshments including treats from Jessy's Pastries.  Jessy’s is known for their home-made, fresh empanadas and alfajores, Peruvian cookies which the Huffington Post calls “the best cookie you've never heard of.” And, as a special thank you, each preview guest will receive a free limited edition fair poster. 

The Haiku Lounge

The Haiku Guys & Gals and Pop Productions will present “The Haiku Lounge,” an immersive, poetic hideaway featuring interactive performances, artful food and drink selections, curiosities, crafts, and other analog and antiquarian delights.  These remarkable Haikuists will be authoring free, one-of-a-kind, poems and spreading the syllable love through their unique blend of performance, audience interaction, and humor. 

Book Shots and Photography Expert Panel Discussion

Stacy Waldman, from House of Mirth, will present a lovingly curated, exclusive exhibit of vintage snapshots featuring books, readers, libraries, and other literary themes.  In addition, Stacy will be moderating an expert panel discussion entitled Lost Souls Found Photos: Obsessive New Yorkers Talk About The Insanity Of Collecting Snapshots.   This conversation will focus on the collection of vintage photographs, those “everyday” shots we all took with our Kodak and Polaroid cameras of our friends and relatives at family gatherings, at the beach, or wherever our camera happened to be. What was it in these collectors' lives that prompted them to start collecting vintage photos of people they have never met and what is the thought process which goes into assembling their collections?    Participants in this discussion include: WM Hunt, Brian Wallis, Jane Hammond, Billy Parrott, and Barbara Levine, all well-known experts in the field of vintage photography. 

Book Signing

Rebecca Rego Barry, the editor of Fine Books & Collections, will be greeting visitors and signing her newest book, Rare Books Uncovered: True Stories of Fantastic Finds in Unlikely Places, on Saturday, September 10th from noon to 3:00 pm.  This book recounts extraordinary discoveries from the world of book collecting, like a stash of vintage comic books worth $3.5 million long forgotten in a basement closet or a first edition of To Kill a Mockingbird purchased at a Philadelphia flea market for a few dollars.  The Washington Post called Rego Barry’s book "…a welcome gift for a passionate reader or collector.”

Free Drop-in Family Make-a-Book Workshop

Book author and artist Esther K. Smith of Purgatory Press will present her latest book, Making Books with Kids: 25 Paper Projects to Fold, Sew, Paste, Pop, and Draw, and will give a hands-on demonstration of simple pop-ups and movable books on Saturday, September 10th from 3:00pm to 5:00pm. Smith’s publications have been on display at the Metropolitan and the Victoria & Albert museums, and are in international collections including the MoMA, Whitney, Tate, Cooper Hewitt, and The National Gallery of Art, among many others.

Special Exhibit by The Center for Book Arts

Visitors will be treated to a remarkable display of artist books highlighting a variety of form and content from the permanent collection of this esteemed Manhattan based contemporary arts organization.  The Center for Book Arts, the first not-for-profit organization of its kind in the nation, was founded in 1974 and the only location in New York City where visitors can view book arts exhibitions in the context of an active, working studio.  The exhibit, which will on display throughout the three day event, will highlight works by Tadasha Mitsui, Shana Agid, and others. 

 

The third annual Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair will be held at the Brooklyn Expo Center, on Friday, September 9th from 6-9pm; Saturday, September 10th from 11am-7pm; and Sunday, September 11th from 11am-5pm.  A variety of ticketing options are available ranging from $7 for a Sunday only ticket to $25 for the preview opening benefit; for more information and to purchase tickets please click here.  The Brooklyn Antiquarian Book Fair is sponsored by AbeBooks and brought to you by Book and Paper Fairs

 

Rare Book Monthly

  • Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    Bøker & Manuskripter
    Fine Books & Manuscripts
    June 24, 2026
    SD Auctions, June 24: [HENRIK IBSEN] BRYNJOLF BJARME: «Catilina», 1850. Originalt hvitt omslag.
    SD Auctions, June 24: PAULUS OROSIUS + Pseudo SENACA: «Historiae adversus paganos...», 1491. CIRCULAR WORLD MAP, SHIRLEY NUMBER 15.
    SD Auctions, June 24: OLAUS MAGNUS: «Historia Delle Genti Et Della Natura [...].», 1565.
    Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions
    Bøker & Manuskripter
    Fine Books & Manuscripts
    June 24, 2026
    SD Auctions, June 24: AXEL HEIBERG: Pengekiste, 17-1800-tall.
    SD Auctions, June 24: HENRIK IBSEN: Teaterplakater 2 stk. «FRU INGER TIL ØSTRÅT» 1895-1896.
    SD Auctions, June 24: HENRIK WERGELAND: Stort manuskript, signert + dedikasjonseksemplar, 1845.
  • Freeman’s, June 30. Thomas Jefferson’s “Birth of the New Nation” letter, carried to Paris with the Treaty of Peace, by a Jewish patriot. $100,000-200,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. “The rockets’ red glare.” A British midshipman’s log recording the bombardment of Fort McHenry. $60,000-80,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry Commission signed by James Madison, 1812. $40,000-60,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776. $15,000-25,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. One of the Earliest Printed Announcements of American Independence, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. "The Two Big Guns of the N.Y. Yanks": A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Unique Contemporary Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words to His Followers, the Day Before his Violent Death. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The State of Minnesota Officially Certifies the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of the United States. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York to Queen Anne from the Colony of New York. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Call to Arms in the Months Following the Declaration of Independence: An Early Continental Army Recruitment Poster. $6,000-9,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Samuel Jones, the Statesman Behind the Newly Discovered "Jones Declaration": His Annotated Set Used in His Working Law Library. $6,000-9,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Fine Books & Manuscripts
    June 24-25
    Sotheby’s, June 25: Keats, John. The most significant collection of Keats’s love letters to come to market since 1885. $1,500,000 to $2,500,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: Chassériau, Benoît. The “Expedicion secreta” of the Free State of Cartagena de Indias against the forts of Portobelo (Panama). $50,000 to $70,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: (Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay). "One of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government”. $150,000 to $180,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin. "the Day of the Declaration of Independence is everywhere annually celebrated". $80,000 to $120,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 24: (Johann Conrad Beissel). A Sammelband of two of Benjamin Franklin's rarest imprints. $70,000 to $100,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: [Pernambuco]. First printed work in favor of Brazilian Independence. $150,000 to $200,000.

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