Recently we were asked for help to find a record in the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database. This record was for a piece of manuscript ephemera, a signed bill for the sale of four slaves. The signor was Charles Carroll who, in addition to signing this document, also signed the Declaration of Independence. When you know what you are looking for such searches are straightforward, typically taking a small fraction of a second. But you have to be specific because we are providing more than seven million full text records and this research member was looking not only for any records of the item but also a specific auction appearance. The item was in a Parke-Bernet sale but that was all that was known.
A précised description was provided but it turned out to be somewhat different than the printed auction record. The brief description provided with the lot included some of the details for researching it but others were missing; in particular the year, date, and realized price. The name of the principal referenced in the document was Charles Carroll, which it turned out was also different from how the actual auction record expressed it:
Carroll of Carollton, Charles. Signer [of the Declaration of Independence] from Maryland. A portion of the description was included but not enough to identify this specific lot.
Why? Nowhere in the original record does the term ‘Charles Carroll’ appear. A search for Charles Carroll did recently find 10,966 RBH records. Charles Carroll in quotes found 623 lots but nothing for this particular lot.
So then we looked within the 14,070 Parke-Bernet records [in the Advanced Search] we are currently providing, while being mindful that 2017 is the year we are adding a complete run of PB records [estimated at 400,000]. Do we have this record? In our off-line inventory we certainly have it but already posted? It seemed unlikely.
But how to find out?
Because we use the precise language that appears in auction records we knew that putting a portion of the description in quotes in the keyword search could find it.
So, then using the Advanced search to look for Carroll specifically in Parke-Bernet records we found 10 records, none of which matched this item.
We then used a five word sequence from the printed description in quotes [Bill for four slaves with] and a single record came up. Bingo.
I’m telling this story because the RBH Transaction Database is immense and requires some skill to track down all related references. It can be easy to dismiss an item as “not found” but because the research was thorough we did find it.
Such experiences are relatively rare as most of the data is straightforward. But if you experience similar questions simply call us. It’s what we do. We try to resolve questions.
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.")
