A Collector’s Collection:The Rosenbach Museum & Library
Pages from the original manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses, [1916-1922]. Copyright is reserved by the literary trustees of the James Joyce Estate.
I will do my best to try and relay some essence of this excitement through the selective paraphrase of my conversation with Michael Barsanti that follows. As usual, MB will stand for Michael Barsanti; AT, for this author.
AT: Can I ask you to introduce yourself and tell me a bit about your background and title at The Rosenbach Museum & Library?
MB: Sure. I have a Ph.D. in English, with an emphasis on twentieth century British authors. I started at the Rosenbach as a researcher, while I was working on my doctorate. Eventually I came on staff. Most recently my title was Associate Curator. I just got promoted to be Director of Special Projects, whatever that means.
AT: Can we start this conversation with a description of the mission or goals of The Rosenbach Museum & Library?
MB: Certainly. The Museum [Editor’s Note: as we will refer to it --- capitalized as a proper noun, as it is part of the name of the institution -- from hereon in for brevity’s sake] has basically three simultaneous missions or goals. First, it is a house museum. Through furniture, armchairs, tables, fine arts, decorative arts, and antiques, we portray the world in which the Rosenbachs lived as well as the material that Philip bought and sold. Second, it is a research library. And third, it is a museum with a changing schedule of exhibitions for which we create brochures. We have won the Leab Award [a prestigious award given for the best exhibition catalogues in a specific year by the Rare Books and Manuscripts Society division of the American Library Association] three times.
Right now, visitors walk in the door to 2008 DeLancey Place. But once our renovation is completed, Museum visitors will be ushered directly into 2010 [the adjoining building], where there will be a new orientation gallery that will feature an exhibition – perhaps a videotape -- about the Rosenbach brothers as collectors. For us, the Rosenbachs are important not as examples of wealth or taste but because these people were collectors. We aim to get people thinking about collecting as a creative act from the start of their visit here. The house is important because it functioned as a showcase for them as dealers. We’d also like to get visitors thinking from the start of their tour about their own collections, or potential collections.
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.
![Pages from the original manuscript of James Joyce's Ulysses, [1916-1922]. Copyright is reserved by the literary trustees of the James Joyce Estate.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/ArticleImages/Rose6.jpg)
![<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.")
