Capital Rare Book Fair to be Held in Washington May 3-5
- by Michael Stillman
The University Club.
The Capital Rare Book Fair will take place on Saturday and Sunday May 4-5, plus there will be a special preview on the Friday evening before. Booksellers from Virginia to Maine, and as far west as Chicago, will be displaying their books and related collectibles. There are also speakers presenting interesting topics attending the fair.
The fair will be held at the historic University Club at 1135 Sixteenth Street NW in Washington, D.C. That's about three blocks from the White House. The club was founded in 1904 by future President William Howard Taft, and has been both a residence and social gathering point for many of Washington's political figures over the years.
Hours are:
Saturday, May 4: 11:00 am – 6:00 pm.
Sunday, May 5: 11:00 am – 5:00 pm.
The cost of admission is $15 or $10 for students. Young people under the age of 16 are admitted free. This covers admission for both days.
Topics and speakers during the fair are as follows:
Preserving Printed History with Tamar Evangelistia-Dogherty, 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm, Saturday, May 4th.
Tamar Evangelistia-Dogherty is the Director of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives. The libraries contain nearly 3 million volumes and 44,000 cubic feet of archives. She oversees 137 employees and a national advisory board of 15 members. She is an obvious choice to speak on preserving printed history.
Seven Decades in Journalism with Marvin Kalb, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Saturday, May 4th.
Marvin Kalb is an emeritus professor at and a founding director of the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy. However, his name is most likely familiar to you from the 30 years he brought the news into your home as a correspondent for CBS and NBC news, including serving as the anchor for Meet the Press.
Book Bans in Modern America with Kermit Roosevelt, 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm, Saturday, May 4th.
Kermit Roosevelt is a professor of the administration of justice at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He specializes in constitutional law and conflict of laws. He comes with a family background in politics and the laws of the land being the great-great grandson of President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Monarchy Today with Hugo Vickers, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, Sunday, May 5th.
Hugh Vickers is a Royal biographer and broadcaster. The Financial Times described him as “the most knowledgeable royal biographer on the planet.”
The Preview will take place Friday evening, May 3, from 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm. In addition to first access to the books being offered at the fair, the Preview provides wine, beer, literary-themed cocktails, canapes, and musical entertainment. It will benefit the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, which provides awards for literary accomplishments and brings books and authors to under-resourced schools in the Washington area. Tickets to the Preview are $50, which includes Saturday and Sunday access to the fair. They may be purchased at eventbrite.com/e/capital-rare-book-fair-preview-night-tickets-822978309277. Tickets to the fair may be purchased in advance or at the door.
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.")
