Rare Book Monthly

Articles - February - 2023 Issue

Spencer W. Stuart, his recent book endorsed

Spencer W. Stuart

Spencer W. Stuart

Mr. Stuart, author of Contemporary Issues in Rare Book & Manuscript Collecting:  A Handbook for Collectors and the Trade has been widely endorsed.

 

Book collectors are known to read books and a few write them.  Spencer Stuart is one of the writers and enjoys a wide following among both experienced collectors as well as the nascent generation that is skateboarding into their collecting futures.

 

What they say:

 

Educators, Appraisers, Librarians and Collectors agree

 

Once in a long while a book comes along that causes all parts of the bibliophilic worlds to agree on its value and impact. In fact, they see it to be so useful and informative that they wished they could have had it at their disposal years before.  Contemporary Issues in Rare Book and Manuscript Collecting (Contemporary Issues) may be one of these books: https://spencerwstuart.myshopify.com/products/contemporary-issues-in-rare-book-manuscript-collection-a-handbook-for-collectors-and-the-trade

 

Below, four early readers of Contemporary Issues share their views on this first book by Collections Advisor, Author and Public Speaker Spencer W Stuart. www.spencerwstuart.ca

 

A Bookseller

 

Johan Kugelberg, Owner & Curator of Boo-Hooray, and a Rare Book School Faculty said,  “This is an excellent and most useful book: in my capacity as faculty at Rare Book School, I find the work of Spencer Stuart a dream: a student that takes the content of our course and expands on it in a manner perpetually useful: student outdoes teacher and all that.”

 

An Appraiser

 

From the Appraisal Business Courtney Ahlstrom Christy, Ahlstrom Appraisals LLC had this to say:  "Contemporary Issues is thought-provoking and should be read by those in the book trade who wish to adapt to ongoing changes in the industry deftly." Courtney is a Valuer of Fine Art, Rare Books & Material Culture Certified Member, International Society of Appraisers and Accredited Member, Appraisers Association of America.

 

A Librarian

 

Gary E. Strong, UCLA University Librarian Emeritus and collector commented as follows, "Contemporary Issues in Rare Book & Manuscript Collecting is a welcome read.  While I have been collecting for many years, I wish this handbook had been available when I started to build my collections. I particularly like the down-to-earth writing style and clear and reasoned approach to the issues. I continue to learn about aspects of the book trade that are relevant to my own situation."

 

A Collector

 

Larry Rafferty, 1st edition book collector and founder of hit & run press summed up wide spread feelings about the just released book extremely well:  "As I read Contemporary Issues, every few pages I came across some information or an insight that I had spent years sorting out.  How I wish I had this book fifty years ago when I was starting out as a collector!"

 

To order Contemporary Issues for you or a collecting friend go to https://spencerwstuart.myshopify.com/products/contemporary-issues-in-rare-book-manuscript-collection-a-handbook-for-collectors-and-the-trade or contact Spencer: spencerwstuart@gmail.com

 

Spencer will be delivering an in-person talk Thursday, February 16th at 6pm hosted by Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum

 

https://www.folioseattle.org/event-details/book-launch-contemporary-issues-in-rare-book-and-manuscript-collecting-by-spencer-w-stuart

 

If unable to attend, another talk for the Manuscript Society is available: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0O1adhsjCI

Rare Book Monthly

  • Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
    25 March 2026
    Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.
    Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.
  • ALDE, Mar. 11: AUGUSTIN (Saint). De civitate Dei. Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. [Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes… Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: TRITHÈME (JEAN). Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique. Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: CAUS (SALOMON DE). La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs. Londres, John Norton, 1612.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: VONTET (JACQUES). L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits… S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques. Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). Les Chats de Gachet (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes… Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). Le Café-concert. Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000.
    ALDE, Mar. 11: [TERRY (EMILIO)]. Projet de fontaine. Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.

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