Whew, what a year! While you were sweating inflation, the cost of living and the tight election we were posting monthly articles from the world of rare books including auctions, dealers, social media, censorship, and upmarket antiquarian prices. All that plus general news of the trade including collectors, libraries, archives and special collections.
You are forgiven if you didn’t read them all, but just in case you missed something interesting or useful here’s a quick recap of 2024 as reported by RBH (now in our 22nd year). Click the individual month to see the complete line up for that period, or click on individual article links for topics we think are likely to be of interest:
Started the year with one of the most detailed compilations of recent auction prices for books and collectible paper, click the link for article about Top 500 Prices Paid at Auction in 2023. https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3519
Here’s the actual List from RBH files: https://www.rarebookhub.com/top500_auctions?year=2023 (This link connects to full list, however must be a subscriber to see specific details of individual auctions).
Topping the list were #1 earliest most complete Hebrew Bible at $38M, followed by #2 Mickey Mantle baseball card for $4.5M,and #3 a 1493 Christopher Columbus letter for $3.9M. Top three at Sotheby's, Heritage, and Christie’s respectively.
British Library Continues to Recover from Cyber Attack https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3516
Auction Sales Up and Down in 2023
https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3545
Steamboat Willie (Mickey Mouse) Finally Free (out of copyright) https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3539
Sotheby's Lowers Buyer’s Premium https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3575 features links to many of Sotheby’s high value book auctions including the sale of Freddie Mercury manuscript material. Most notably his classic Bohemian Rhapsody lyrics had a hammer price over $1.7M.
Solid attendance at the ABAA San Francisco Book Fair. This event at new waterfront venue pulled a big younger crowd. https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3563
Les Bouquinistes of Paris Stay Put for the Olympics (Paris Book stalls on Seine did not have to move for the recent Paris Olympics). https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3564
ABE Books Top Ten Prices for 2023 https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3574
Criminal penalties proposed for librarians and threats to free speech continue in multiple states. American Library Association (ALA) frequently attacked. https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3578
A Florida School District Removes 1,600 books in Response to Recent Legislation https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3583
Euro Thief with a Taste for Rare Pushkin https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3577
States Seek to Limit what Publishers can Charge Libraries for eBooks https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3598
So you want to be an Antiquarian Bookseller? (CABS) https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3594
27 Lost Books from Brothers. Grimm Library Discovered https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3628
Deaccessioning Library Books Goes to Court
https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3650
Barnes & Noble Rescues Denver’s Tattered Cover Bookstore from Bankruptcy https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3639
Three stories on Censorship and Book Banning in July issue
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Ohio proposes legislation to make librarians felons https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3643
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Court splits the difference on banning books https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3649
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A few states ban book banning
https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3644
Don Henley of Eagles Band sues for return of stolen Hotel California Lyrics https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3666
ABE Books list of 10 most expensive books sold in 2nd quarter 2024 https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3665
Book Dump at Florida’s New College Part of a Bigger Picture https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3675
Elton John Donates Collection of Photography Books to Emory https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3679
Another Theory to Explain the Voynich Manuscript https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3733
Internet Archive loses legal appeal; 500,000 books will no longer be available free to the public https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3727
Three fingered Jack, the terror of Jamaica! Curious antique ephemera featured: https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3713
Belle da Costa Greene exhibit at Morgan spotlights life of extraordinary librarian https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3738
Susan Heller, A Life with Books https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3739
Giving Big: Glen and Cathy Miranker make Two Multi-million Dollar Donations https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3755
Larry McMurtry’s Legendary “Booked Up” to be Reborn as a Literary Center https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/3760
The link to the most recent Rare Book Hub Monthly articles is at https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles The link to the monthly archives is in a pulldown menu at the far right margin about half way down the page.
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Plato. [<i>Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera</i>], 2 parts in 2 vol., editio princeps of Plato's works in the original Greek, Venice, House of Aldus, 1513. £8,000-12,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/df7dd9ac-f0d0-4cb3-a44d-2731758530e4.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Plato. [<i>Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera</i>], 2 parts in 2 vol., editio princeps of Plato's works in the original Greek, Venice, House of Aldus, 1513. £8,000-12,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Book of Hours, Use of Rome, In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [Southern Netherlands (probably Bruges), c.1460]. £6,000-8,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/c40bad29-8cb5-4347-a0fd-5361d39e84a5.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Book of Hours, Use of Rome, In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [Southern Netherlands (probably Bruges), c.1460]. £6,000-8,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Powell (Anthony). [<i>A Dance to the Music of Time</i>], 12 vol., first editions, each with a signed presentation inscription from the author to Osbert Lancaster, 1951-75. £6,000-8,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/b7fdee12-4803-4d32-9330-a5729091cb92.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Powell (Anthony). [<i>A Dance to the Music of Time</i>], 12 vol., first editions, each with a signed presentation inscription from the author to Osbert Lancaster, 1951-75. £6,000-8,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Herschel (Sir John F. W.) Collection of 69 offprints, extracts and separate publications by Herschel, bound for his son, William James Herschel, 3 vol., [1813-50]. £15,000-20,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/a06cc0dd-7619-45e9-b155-5ad75ed7b2e5.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Herschel (Sir John F. W.) Collection of 69 offprints, extracts and separate publications by Herschel, bound for his son, William James Herschel, 3 vol., [1813-50]. £15,000-20,000")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9d2762bc-9f26-47ef-96de-1c28070e19f6.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.")