The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair Will Be Held on December 8-10
- by Michael Stillman
Philadelphia's Trinity Memorial Church, site of the book fair.
The Philadelphia Rare Book Fair is set to take place Thursday, December 8, through Saturday, December 10. The Philadelphia fair has drawn 25 booksellers from across the eastern states to exhibit. Naturally, there are dealers from Pennsylvania and nearby New Jersey, but others will be coming from Maryland, Virginia, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York (city and state) and Washington D.C. Fine Book Fairs, manager of the Philadelphia fair, noted that all are welcome, browsers, seasoned book and manuscript collectors, or those looking to find a special gift for a special person.
The dates and times are as follows.
Thursday, December 8 is preview night. There is a $50 fee for the preview but that includes canapes, wine, beer, soft drinks, and “literary-themed cocktails.” You can reserve your tickets on the fair's website (link at bottom of this article). Hours are 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 9, 11:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Admission is free.
Saturday, December 10, 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Admission is free.
While not required, online reservations are requested for Friday and Saturday to help the organizers with planning.
The fair will be held at Trinity Memorial Church on Spruce Street. Detailed directions and a map, along with information about parking and public transportation, are also found on the website.
There will be a three-course dinner for exhibitors and guests at the Racquet Club of Philadelphia beginning at 6:30 on Friday night. As December 1 is the stated cut-off for reservations, there is no guarantee here, but if interested, you can reserve a ticket on the website and see if it is accepted. The cost is $125. If you are a student of American history it will be well worthwhile. The speaker will be Dr. Kermit Roosevelt, David Berger Professor of the Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey School of Law. He has written numerous books and articles on the law and Constitution and will be speaking on the thesis of a recent book. He traces American identity and values not from the founding and Revolution but from the Civil War and Reconstruction. America emerged from the Revolution basically upbeat and united, while the Civil War and its aftermath left America divided. Those divisions, largely over the same issues, tear at the seams of unity almost as much today as they did then. Dr. Roosevelt has a particularly strong relationship with American history as the great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt, and part of a family of enormous service to America.
On Saturday, December 10, from 2:00 – 4:00, David M. Szewczyk and Cynthia Davis Buffington will be on hand to appraise your books. Mr. Szewczyk and Ms. Buffington founded the Philadelphia Rare Books & Manuscripts Co. (PRB&M) in 1984. Mr. Szewczyk has been in the book business for over 40 years, holds a masters in history and Spanish, and is a Certified Member of the Appraisers Association of America, qualified for donors' IRS tax appraisals. Ms. Buffington has also been in the book trade for over 40 years and holds a Ph.D. in English. She has taught at several universities, most recently and longest at the University of Pennsylvania.
To learn more about the Philadelphia Rare Book Fair and make reservations, click on the following link: finefairs.com/philadelphia
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
