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<center><b>Christie’s<br>Charlie Watts: Literature and Jazz<br>London and online auction<br>15–29 September</b><b>Christie’s, Explore now:</b><br>F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896–1940). <i>The Great Gatsby.</i> New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1925. £100,000–150,000<b>Christie’s, Explore now:</b><br>Arthur Conan Doyle (1859–1930). </i>The Hound of the Baskervilles: Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes.</b> London: George Newnes, 1902. £70,000–100,000<b>Christie’s, Explore now:</b><br>Agatha Christie (1890–1976). <i>The Thirteen Problems.</i> London: for the Crime Club Ltd. by W. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd., 1932. £40,000–60,000<b>Christie’s, Explore now:</b><br>Dashiell Hammett (1894–1961). <i>The Maltese Falcon.</i> New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1930. £30,000–50,000
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<b><center>CONSIGN NOW</b><b>Ketterer Rare Books, Preview:</b></br> H. Scherer, <i>Atlas novus exhibens orbem terraqueum,</i> 1702-10.<br>Est: € 15,000<b>Ketterer Rare Books, Preview:</b></br> L. de Varthema, <i>Die Ritterlich und lobwirdig rayß,</i> 1515.<br>Est: € 60,000<b>Ketterer Rare Books, Preview:</b></br> G. Heym, <i>Umbra vitae,</i> 1924.<br>Est: € 8,000<b>Ketterer Rare Books, Preview:</b></br>F. de Wit, <i>Orbis maritimus ofte Zee Atlas,</i> around 1680.<br>Est: € 15,000
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<center><b>Gonnelli: Auction 46 Books<br>Autographs & Manuscripts<br>Oct 3rd-5th 2023</b><b>Gonnelli:</b> Tilson - Zanotto, Il vero tema. 2011. Starting price 150 €<b>Gonnelli:</b> Munari, Storia di un filo. Starting price 400 €<b>Gonnelli:</b> Debord, Contre le cinéma. 1964. Starting price 150 €<b>Gonnelli:</b> Futurism books and ephemera<b>Gonnelli:</b> Travel books<b>Gonnelli:</b> Medicine books<b>Gonnelli:</b> Levaillant, Histoire naturelle des perroquets. 1801-1805. Starting price 52.000 €<b>Gonnelli:</b> Carrera, Il gioco de gli scacchi. 1617. Starting price 3200 €<b>Gonnelli:</b> Vergilius, Opera. 1515. Starting price 800 €
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<b><center>Forum Auctions<br>Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins<br>26th September 2023</b><b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Alken (Henry), Thomas Egerton et al. <i>The Melange of Humour,</i> first collected edition, Printed by W. Lewis, [c.1835]. £2,000 to £3,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> [Cheny (John) and Thomas Butler, publishers]. <i>[Horses & Their Pedigrees],</i> Cheny & Butler, 1740-1746 or 1751-1753. £4,000 to £6,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Dikenman (R.) Voyage en Suisse, Zurich, [c.1830]. £2,000 to £3,000.<b><center>Forum Auctions<br>Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins<br>26th September 2023</b><b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Eckert (H.A.) Monten (Dietrich) and F. Schlever. <i>Das K.K. Russische Militair aus dem grossen Werke Saemmtliche Truppen von Europa,</i> first edition, Wuerzburg, 1840 [but c.1842]. £4,000 to £6,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Havell, Junior (Robert). <I>Costa Scena, or a Cruise along the Southern Coast of Kent,</I> hand-coloured aquatint panorama with original boxwood drum, 1823. £3,000 to £4,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Heideloff (Victor). <i>Ansichten des Herzoglich Württembergischen Landsitzes Hohenheim,</i> first edition in original 6 parts, Nuremberg, 1795-1800. £4,000 to £6,000.<b><center>Forum Auctions<br>Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins<br>26th September 2023</b><b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Jones (Owen) and Jules Goury. <i>Views on the Nile: from Cairo to the Second Cataract,</i> first edition, Graves and Warmsley, 1843. £3,000 to £4,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Meyer (Johann Heinrich). <i>Der Rigiberg in Zeichnungen nach der Natur,</i> Zurich, Fuessli, 1807. £3,000 to £4,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Nichol (Andrew). <i>Five Views of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway,</i> first edition, Dublin, William Frederick Wakeman, 1834. £5,000 to £7,000.<b><center>Forum Auctions<br>Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins<br>26th September 2023</b><b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Schetky (J. C.) A series of four sketches, illustrative of various situations of His Majesty's Ship Pique, Portsea, Trives & Maynard, 1835. £4,000 to £6,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Stackelberg (Otto Magnus von). <i>Costumes et Usages des Peuples de la Grece Moderne,</i> first edition, Rome, 1825. £20,000 to £30,000.<b>Forum, Sep. 26:</b> Stucchi (Stanislao). <i>Raccolta di Scene Teatrali eseguite o disegnate dai più celebri Pittori Scenici in Milano,</i> 3 vol., Milan, 1817. £6,000 to £8,000.
Rare Book Monthly
Articles - February - 2008 Issue
<i>Hell at the Library</i> -- Where Hell = Sex

The French National Library is lit up like a big "X" to mark its exhibit of erotic "art."
By Michael Stillman
Leave it to the French to employ reverse psychology to bring visitors back to the library. An exhibition is currently open at the French National Library entitled Hell at the Library. The devil is in the details. Amidst the living Hell of stacks upon stacks of dull, erudite tomes traditionally associated with a library, this collection is a brief glimpse of heaven. However, for over two centuries the library kept the heavenly bodies in this collection far from the leering eyes of its depraved patrons. It was open only to the responsible librarians, mature and intellectual enough to view it only for educational purposes.
This, of course, is an exhibition of books, prints, images, recordings, even old movies that can be classified as either art or pornography, depending on your level of honesty. "Hell" was the name librarians gave to the area that housed this collection over a century and a half ago. Evidently, they either believed that this was the appropriate place for such material, or where those who looked at it would go. Nonetheless, they seemed unable to discard the stuff either. We aren't sure why it all ended up in the library in the first place, though some reportedly came there after confiscation by the police. Still, it would be intriguing to know why it was kept for so long even though not made available to the public. I have a theory.
Among the items on display is a manuscript written by that pillar of high society and good taste, the Marquis de Sade. Marie Antoinette is pilloried by being displayed in various undignified poses, a reflection of the then brewing revolution which would leave her in the even less dignified pose of having one's head separated from her body. The clergy was granted no more quarter than royalty. A pamphlet from the same era contains a list of the names of priests who consorted with women of the night, including the names and addresses of those fine ladies. This, presumably, was for those who wanted to confirm the accuracy of these claims, rather than provide the ladies with additional business. In an aside to good taste and class, the pamphlet even describes the type of activities in which the priests and their women friends allegedly engaged.
A century later, they were still compiling lists of these businesswomen, though this time the report was prepared by the police. This accounting even contains a price list. Other items include inappropriate images behind peep show style paper doors, recorded readings of once banned poetry (wow, that sounds exciting) and some grainy old movies from the 1920s.
Frankly, it doesn't sound like any of this horse-and-buggy pornography would shock anyone today, but surprisingly enough, the French, who normally aren't upset by anything, are prohibiting anyone under age 16 from attending. My guess is this is not because the young would be shocked but because they would be disappointed. They have undoubtedly seen much better. This exhibit will be open until March 22 for those wishing to revisit that good old-time pornography.