A Collector’s Collection:The Rosenbach Museum & Library
The historic Rosenbach Museum & Library in Philadelphia, PA is the former home of A.S.W. and Philip Rosenbach.
By Abby Tallmer
The Rosenbach Museum & Library is the former home of Dr. A.S.W. Rosenbach and his brother Philip, international dealers in books, manuscripts, and works of art during the first half of the twentieth century. Their elegant 1865 Center City [Philadelphia] townhouse preserves a world-renowned collection of 330,000 books and manuscripts amid choice English and American furnishings and fine and decorative art. A collectors’ collection -- left as a legacy for us and future generations of museum members, students, and visitors.
---From “Meet Me At The Rosenbach!” promotional membership brochure, n.d.
It is impossible to approach The Rosenbach Museum & Library without appreciating the significance of A.S.W. Rosenbach and his brother Philip amongst the world of collectors, and without acknowledging A.S.W. Rosenbach’s role as perhaps the most influential book collector and dealer of his time. To quote from one of the Museum’s own pamphlets, “From 1903 to 1953, the Rosenbach Company achieved international fame as the preeminent source for rare books and manuscripts.”
As a means of honoring the Rosenbach brothers’ legacy, we at AE are proud to announce that as of today, some nearly 8200 records of the Rosenbach Company’s catalogues are now available in AE’s Bibliographic Database. They are a tremendous resource in terms of book history and bibliography. To specifically access them, AE subscribers must use the Advanced Search mode and put in “Rosenbach” as the Source field.
To say that A.S.W. Rosenbach was one of the most influential book dealers of the early twentieth century is no understatement. Dr. Rosenbach, as he was affectionately referred to, dealt with literally everyone who was anyone in American society during the height of their business. During the first half of the twentieth century, many of the greatest and most valuable books and manuscripts in the world passed through A.S.W. Rosenbach’s hands, and A.S.W. Rosenbach virtually single-handedly curated collections that would become the backbone of some of the country’s leading research libraries (Harvard’s Widener Library; The Folger; The Huntington).
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
