Rare Book Monthly

Articles - July - 2003 Issue

Walking Tour Of New York’s Antiquarian Book Sellers Part II: Manhattan’s Upper East Side

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Dealer Address & Contact Info. Dealer Specialties and Additional Details
Bruce J. Ramer/Experimenta Old & Rare Books
401 East 80th Street, Ste. 24-J
New York, NY 10021
Summer Hours: By Appointment
Telephone: (212) 772-6211 or 772-6212
Fax: (212) 650-9032
Email: bjramer@mindspring.com
Name of proprietor(s): Bruce J. Ramer
Specialties: Science, Medicine, Technology, Mathematics, Natural History, Early Printed Books, Early Illustrated Books, Early Continental Books, Occult and Alchemy, Related Bibliography and Manuscripts, from the 15th to 20th Centuries. We also carry some Juvenile Material, Voyages and Travels, Americana, Photography and some Ephemeral Material.

Additional Details: “In the 23 years I've been in business,” says Proprietor Bruce J. Ramer, “I've handled some extremely important and rare items, including a manuscript herbal ca. 1390, one of the less than 20 copies of Gregor Mendels offprint of his famous article on hereditary characteristics, another copy of which was in the Sotheby's sale of the Library of Meyer Friedman, M.D., in November 2001, and sold for $300,000, plus the buyer's premium. I sold my copy in 1990 for a then record price for this item, but a little more than 10% of the Sotheby's price. This gives you an idea of the increase in the value of books on science, medicine and related subjects. The sale of Haskell Norman, M.D., at Christies several years ago, and a few other sales have indicated that this subject area, often neglected by other dealers concentrating on modern first editions, literature, etc., is gaining in popularity, and the important books are increasing exponentially.

Most non-specialist dealers know only the "high spots" in this field, or the famous names, which are in the lists such as Printing and the Mind of Man, Dibner and Horblitt, Milestones of Science and Garisson & Morton (the bibliography of important books in the history of medicine). Specialists such as I am are more aware of interesting books which have been left out of such bibliographies and lists. Please come and visit sometime so that I may show you some of the ways to authenticate books in my areas of specialty, using hundreds of books in my extensive reference library.”
Richard C. Ramer
225 East 70th Street
New York, NY 10021
Summer Hours: By Appointment
Telephone: (212) 737-0222 or 737-0223
Email: rcramer@livoraro.com
Name of proprietor(s): Richard C. Ramer
Specialties: Luso-Braziliana, Spain & Latin America, Brazil, Early Americana, Natural Science, Voyages & Travels
Kenneth W. Rendell, Inc.
989 Madison Avenue (77th Street)
New York, NY 10021
Summer Hours: Mon.-Fri., 10-6
Telephone: (212) 717-1776 or (800) 376-1776
Email: gallery@kwrendell.com
Web: www.kwrendell.com
Name of proprietor(s): Kenneth W. Rendell
Specialties: History, Americana, Presidential, Classical Composers, Authors

Additional Details: “We are the preeminent dealer in letters and rare documents, and have been in this business for over 40 years,” commented Mr. Rendell, Proprietor.
Paulette Rose, Fine & Rare Books
Summer Hours: By Appointment
Email: prose326@aol.com
Specialties: Literary Women, Women’s Studies & Feminism, English, French, & American Literature

Rare Book Monthly

  • ALDE, Apr. 8: GUEVARA (ANTONIO DE). Histoire de Marc-Aurèle, Empereur Romain, vray miroir et horloge des Princes. Paris, Pierre et Galliot du Pré, frères, 1565. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: HEURES DE LA VIERGE. Horæ in laudem beatissimæ virginis Mariæ ad usum Romanum. Paris, Charles L'Angelier, 1556. €4,000 to €5,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: MONTAIGNE (MICHEL DE). Les Essais. Édition nouvelle, trouvée après le deceds de l'autheur… Paris, Abel L'Angelier, 1595. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [ROJAS (FERNANDO DE)]. Celestina, tragicomedia di Calisto et Melibea, tradotta de lingua castigliana in italiano idioma… Venise, 1531. €2,000 to €3,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CAMÕES (LUÍS DE). Os Lusiadas. Lisbonne, Pedro Crasbeeck, 1613. €2,000 to €3,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Bruxelles, Roger Velpius & Huberto Antonio, 1611. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: LA FONTAINE (JEAN DE). Fables choisies, mises en vers. Paris, Denys Thierry et Claude Barbin, 1678-1694. €6,000 to €8,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: CERVANTES (MIGUEL DE). El Ingenioso hidalgo Don Quixote de la Mancha. Madrid, Joaquin Ibarra, 1780. €3,000 to €4,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: DIDEROT (DENIS) ET JEAN LE ROND D'ALEMBERT. Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers. Paris, 1751-1765. €15,000 to €20,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. LAMARTINE (Alphonse de). Les Laboureurs. Poème tiré de Jocelyn… Lyon, J. A. Henry, 1883. €8,000 to €10,000.
    ALDE, Apr. 8: [LIVRE TISSÉ]. Livre de prières tissé d'après les enluminures des manuscrits du XIVe au XVIe siècle. Lyon, [A. Roux], 1886. €5,000 to €6,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Books, Manuscripts & Objects from Three Important Collections
    Open for Bidding 2-17 April
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: [Guillaume de Lorris and Jean de Meun]. Le Roman de la Rose, [Geneva or Lyons, c.1481], first printed edition of the most important medieval French vernacular poem. £200,000 to £300,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Castiglione. Il libro del cortegiano. [Venice], April 1528, first edition, in a magnificent binding by Jean Picard for Jean Grolier. £100,000 to £150,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Jacobus de Cessolis. Schachzabelbuch, Strasbourg, 1483, von der Lasa copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: World Championship, 1972. A collection of 84 press photographs of the famed match between Spassky and Fischer. £2,000 to £3,000.
    Sotheby’s, Apr. 2-17: Ben Franklin. Autograph letter signed, to Lord Shelburne, British Prime Minister, during peace negotiations, November 1782. £15,000 to £20,000.

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