The New York Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Armory
- by Bruce E. McKinney
The World's Largest and Most Important Antiquarian Book Fair
The New York Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the Armory on Park Avenue at 67th Street, New York City over the weekend of March 7-10. This fair is perennially the most important rare book event in the world and, as such, attracts participation from every continent except Antarctica. For book collectors with a heartbeat this is your digitalis.
The four day event opens at 5:00 pm on Thursday the 7th. Experienced attendees tend to visit the event on opening night before the hundreds of shelves of important and collectible material have begun to be picked clean. That said, so much material will be available that even, on the last day, appealing opportunities will remain.
On Friday the fair opens at noon and continues into the evening to 8:00 pm. On Saturday the hours are noon to 7:00 pm and on Sunday noon to 5:00 pm.
On Saturday the two nearby symbiotic book fairs, the New York City Book and Ephemera Fair, and the Manhattan Vintage Book Fair, will see their audiences surge early as the morning on Saturday is free before the main show opens at noon.
On Saturday many events are scheduled and it’s suggested you reserve seats. Here are the events:
1:00 p.m.
Books, Estates, & Deaccession: Finding Your Library's Next Home
Presented by Allan Stypeck, Second Story Books (ABAA member)
hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ABAA
2:00 p.m.
Voices from the Rare Book and Manuscript Section (RBMS): A Special Collections Roundtable
Dr. Jesse Ryan Erickson, Coordinator of Special Collections; Assistant Professor, English; Associate Director, Interdisciplinary Humanities Research Center, University of Delaware Peter Kruty, Peter Kruty Editions, Brooklyn Karin Suni, Curator of the Theatre Collection, Free Library of Philadelphia
Moderated and introduced by Diane Dias De Fazio, The New York Public Library
hosted by RBMS
3:15 p.m.
Expect the Unexpected: Uncovering & Appreciating Manuscript Diaries
Rick Stattler, Book Department Director & Americana Specialist, Swann Auction Galleries Holly Mengel, Manuscripts Cataloging Librarian, Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Penn Libraries
Kenneth Gloss, Second Generation Bookseller and Proprietor of the Brattle Book Shop (ABAA Member)
hosted by the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the ABAA
5:15 p.m.
An Introduction to Poster House, A New Museum in New York
Alphonse Mucha and Cyan
Presented by Julia Knight, Director, Poster House
hosted by Poster House
It’s good idea to see where the dealers are located that you particularly want to see. The show is both large and it’s easy to get lost. That will make your time employed for useful.
The show has a very good website. Here’s a link to it.
Forum Auctions Online: India Ends 19th February 2026
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 40 Ramasvami (Kavali Venkata). A Digest of the Different Castes of India, 83 charming hand-coloured lithographed plates, Madras, 1837. £5,000-7,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 50 Watson (John Forbes) & John William Kaye. The People of India: A Series of Photographic Illustrations...of the Races and Tribes of Hindustan, 8 vol., 480 mounted albumen prints, 1868-75. £4,000-6,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 53 Afghanistan.- Elphinstone (Hon. Mountstuart). An Account of the Kingdom of Caubul, first edition, hand-coloured aquatint plates, a fine copy, 1815. £2,000-3,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 57 [Album and Treatise on Hinduism], manuscript treatise on Hinduism in French, 31 watercolours of Hindu deities, Pondicherry, 1865. £3,000-4,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 62 Allan (Capt. Alexander). Views in the Mysore Country,
[1794]. £2,000-3,000
Forum Auctions Online: India Ends 19th February 2026
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 76 Bird (James). Historical Researches on the Origin and Principles of the Bauddha and Jaina Religions..., first edition, lithographed plates, Bombay, American Mission Press, 1847. £3,000-4,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 100 Ceylon.- Daniell (Samuel). A Picturesque Illustration of the scenery, animals, and native inhabitants, of the Island of Ceylon: in twelve plates, 1808. £5,000-7,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 123 D'Oyly (Charles). Behar Amateur Lithographic Scrap Book, lithographed throughout with title and 55 plates mounted on 43 paper leaves, [Patna], [1828]. £3,000-5,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 139 Gandhi (known as Mahatma Gandhi,) Fine Autograph Letter signed to Jawaharlal Nehru, Sevagram, Wardha, 1942, emphasising the importance of education in rural communities. £10,000-15,000
Forum Auctions Online: India Ends 19th February 2026
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 140 Gantz (John). Indian Microcosm, first edition, Madras, John Gantz & Son, 1827. £10,000-15,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 146 Grierson (Sir George Abraham). Linguistic Survey of India, 11 vol. in 20, folding maps, original cloth, Calcutta, Superintendent Government Printing, 1903-28. £2,000-3,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 195 Madras.- Fort St. George Gazette (The), No.276-331, pp.493-936 and Index to all of 1834 at end, modern half calf, Madras, 2nd July - 31st December 1834. £2,000-3,000
Forum, Feb. 19: Lot 205 Marshall (Sir John) and Alfred Foucher. The Monuments of Sanchi, 3 vol., first edition, 141 plates, most photogravure, [Calcutta], [1940]. £3,000-4,000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: HAMILTON, Sir William (1730-1803) - Campi Phlegraei. Napoli: [Pietro Fabris], 1776, 1779. € 30.000 - 50.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: [MORTIER] - BLAEU, Joannes (1596-1673) - Het Nieuw Stede Boek van Italie. Amsterdam: Pieter Mortier, 1704-1705. € 15.000 - 25.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: TULLIO D'ALBISOLA (1899-1971) - Bruno MUNARI (1907-1998) - L'Anguria lirica (lungo poema passionale). Roma e Savona: Edizioni Futuriste di Poesia, senza data [ma 1933?]. € 20.000 - 30.000
Il Ponte, Feb. 25-26: IL MANOSCRITTO RITROVATO DI IPPOLITA MARIA SFORZA. TITO LIVIO - Ab Urbe Condita. Prima Decade. Manoscritto miniato su pergamena, metà XV secolo. € 280.000 - 350.000
Sotheby's Fine Books & Manuscripts Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Balthus, Emily Brontë. Wuthering Heights, New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1993. 6,600 USD.
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. Complete Works, Philadelphia & London: J.B. Lippincott Company & Chapman & Hall, LD, 1850. Limited Edition set of 30 volumes. 7,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Handwritten Letter from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to their Chauffer. 1971. 32,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: Winston Churchill. First edition of War Speeches, Cassell and Company, Ltd., 1941. Set of 7 volumes. 5,500 USD.
Sotheby’s: Andy Warhol, Julia Warhola. Holy Cats First Edition, Signed by Andy Warhol. 1954. 30,000 USD.