Rare Book Monthly
The Buoys of Summer
During the same week Sotheby's hosts an exhibition of the Frank Benevento Map Collection that they will sell in London on May 6th.
These auctions and the book fairs together will make New York the epicenter of the collectible works on paper market for a solid week and provide substantial evidence of the state of the market. The auction offerings and realizations will be in public view, the state of the dealer market evident in the scale of negotiation. If you aren't booking a flight, clearing your schedule or making hotel and dinner reservations place your right hand over your left wrist to see if your heart is still beating. If you are a collector this is what you live for. The world changes. It's one thing to live through the Revolution and another thing entirely to be at Bunker Hill.
Still not decided? For those in need of a Button Gwinnet autograph to complete your collection of signers of the Declaration of Independence you have the opportunity to trade two Ivy League 4 year educations for the opening bid at Sotheby's on April 14th. It's lot 189 in the James S. Copley Library sale and also the subject of a separate catalogue.
By Friday the 16th we'll have enough data to decide if the beverage of choice to commemorate these events is beer or champagne. If the pattern holds the best material will sell and sell well, the less important material not so well or not at all.
For collectors in New York who would like to meet I'm in town from the 8th through the 14th. Reach me by email at bmckinney@americanaexchange.com or by phone at 415.823.6678.
Events
The ABAA New York Book Fair April 8th [preview] and 9th to 11th.
The Benevento Collection: Important Maps & Atlases. An exhibition at Sotheby's in New York of highlights April 8th - 13th. The auction takes place in London May 6th.
The Otto Penzler Collection of British Espionage and Thriller Fiction at Swann April 8th.
Early Printed Books at Swann April 12th.
Photographs [N08624] at Sothebys on April 13th.
The Space History Sale at Bonhams April 13th.
The James S. Copley Library: Magnificent American Historical Documents: [N08653] April 14th.
Photographs from the Collection of Patricia McCabe [2397] at Christie's April 14th.
Photographs at Christie's April 15th.
Selection from the Baio Collection of Photography [2407] at Christie's April 15th. http://www.americanaexchange.com/NewAE/auction/auctiondetail.asp?m=4&aid=3672
Photographs sold to Benefit Friends in Deed [2409] at Christie's April 15th.
Rare Book Monthly
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Books & Autographs
Wednesday 25 MarchKoller, Mar. 25: KAFKA, FRANZ, SCHRIFTSTELLER. Eigenh. Brief mit Unterschrift. Prag, 20. Oktober [19]15. CHF 30,000-40,000.Koller, Mar. 25: EINSTEIN, ALBERT. Zwei eigenhändige Briefe an Ernst Gabor Straus, unterschrieben "A.E" bzw. "A. Einstein". [Princeton], [19]45. und [1950]. CHF 30,000-40,000.Koller, Mar. 25: HORTENSE DE BEAUHARNAIS, MUTTER VON NAPOLEON III. Album aus ihrem Besitz mit 69 Aquarellen und Pinselzeichnungen in Sepia oder Grau… CHF 14,000-18,000.Koller, Mar. 25: ZOOLOGIE - ORNITHOLOGIE - Seligmann, Johann Michael. Verzameling van uitlandsche en zeldzaame Vogelen. Teile 1-8 (von 9) in 2 Bänden. Mit 421 prächtig altkolorierten Kupfertafeln. CHF 14,000-20,000Koller, Mar. 25: BOTANIK - Berlèse, Lorenzo und Johann Jakob Jung. Iconographie du genre camellia... 3 Bände. Mit 300 Farbstichtafeln "a la poupée.” Paris, [1839-]1841-1843. CHF 12,000-18,000. -
Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000. -
