Rare Book Monthly Articles - December - 2007 Issue

What we can learn about value from history

By Bruce McKinney In the spring of 1944 the New York Historical Society consigned to Parke-Bernet 236 lots described as Rare Americana [Unstamped Duplicates]. The name, notwithstanding, not everything was rare. We know this by having recently conducted an item by item comparison of material offered in this auction to listings available on Abe. Why Abe? Their holdings are enormous and their advanced search effective for efficiently unearthing appropriate matches. On their site this is a practical study. As to whether "rare" was simply a convenient term for the auction promoters o...

Microsoft's Book Search Reflects Pitched Battle With Google

By Michael Stillman There is a huge battle for internet dominance going on behind the scenes, and while this is not generally a subject for an antiquarian book site, it is showing up even in o...

A Look at Bookselling with Anirvan Chatterjee of BookFinder.com

By Michael Stillman We recently interviewed Anirvan Chatterjee, founder of the leading meta-search site for books, BookFinder.com. Chatterjee is one of the true veterans of the online bookselli...

The AE Bookseller's Comet: Holidays Ideas on Paper

By Bruce McKinney The magic of the printed word is on display this holiday season in the personal selections of a group of our Books for Sale listing members. These are their ideas of w...

Connecting with the Mind's Eye: Adventures in the Audio World

By Renée Magriel Roberts A couple of weeks ago I was invited to participate in a morning call-in radio program on our local National Public Radio station, WCAI, along with Lucy Loomis, Director...

<i>In The News</i>: A Magna Carta, Declaration of Independence, and Elvis Museum For Sale

By Michael Stillman Auction sales for two of the most important documents in the history of human liberty top this month's stories In The News. A date has now been set for what auctioneer Soth...

An Exceptional Auction December 3rd

By Bruce McKinney On December 3rd, in New York, Christie's pays homage to the changing logic of the books, manuscripts and ephemera auction field with a two part sale that seeks to and succeeds...

<i>Exploring the Early Americas</i> on Exhibit at the Library of Congress

By Michael Stillman An absolutely spectacular exhibition for those interested in printed and written Americana will be opening at the Library of Congress this month. If you will be in Washingto...

AbeBooks' Charity Auction Includes Signed Harry Potter

By Michael Stillman Abebooks will be holding its third charity auction from December 6-11. This is a great opportunity to get a bid in on a wonderful gift, while aiding some worthy causes at t...

Sixteen New Catalogues Reviewed in Section Two

Sixteen new catalogues are reviewed in Section Two for December. Restoration Books presents some of the best books from the library of aviation pioneer William Boeing. The Arader Galleries offer so...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Summer Rare Book
    & Collectors’ Sale
    July 30-31, 2024
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: U.S. / European Shipping Archive 1800-1814. The Widow Bermingham & Sons Collection. €7,000 to €10,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Bunreacht na hÉireann. Constitution of Ireland. An important copy of the First Printing of De Valera’s new Constitution, approved in 1938. Signed by the Constitution Cabinet. €7,000 to €9,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: A Rare Complete Run of the Cuala Press Broadsides. €7,000 to €9,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Summer Rare Book
    & Collectors’ Sale
    July 30-31, 2024
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Grose (Francis). The Antiquities of Ireland, 2vols. folio London (for S. Hooper) 1791. Magnificent Hand-Coloured Copy - Only 25 Copies. €3,000 to €5,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Cantillon (Richard). Essai sur la Nature du Commerce en General, Traduit de l'Anglois, Sm. 8vo London (Fletcher Gyles) 1756. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Gregory, (Lady Augusta). Spreading the News: The Rising of the Moon: The Poorhouse (with Douglas Hyde). Being Vol. IX of the Abbey Theatre Series. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Summer Rare Book
    & Collectors’ Sale
    July 30-31, 2024
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Lavery (Lady Hazel). A moving series of three A.L.S. and a Telegram to Gen. Eoin O'Duffy, July-August 1927, expressing her grief at the death of Kevin O'Higgins. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Dampier (Wm.) Nouveau Voyage Autour du Monde, ou l'on descrit en particulier l'Isthme de l'Amerique…, 2 vols. in one, Amsterdam, 1698. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Howell (James). Instructions for Forreine Travel Shewing by what Cours, and in what Compasse of Time…, London, 1642. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Summer Rare Book
    & Collectors’ Sale
    July 30-31, 2024
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: Rowling (J.K.) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 8vo, L. (Bloomsbury) 1999, First Edn., First Printing of Deluxe Collectors Edn. Signed. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: James (Wm.) A Full and Correct Account of the Military Occurrences of The Late War Between Great Britain and The United States of America. 2 vols. Lond. 1818. €650 to €900.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, July 30-31: The Laws of the United States, Published by Authority, 3 vols. Philadelphia (Richard Folwell) 1796. €600 to €800.

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