Rare Book Monthly Articles - November - 2013 Issue

The Bay Psalm Book at Auction: Estimated $15 to $30 million

More words have been written about this book than there are words in the book.  It had a courageous start as The Whole Booke of Psalms Faithfully Translated into English Metre.  Over time, while its moniker shortened to The Bay Psalm Book, its reputation and stature increased.  Within the rarified world of the exceptionally important it is for early American books what “the Babe” is for baseball aficionados:  mythical, mystical.  This is the first book printed in British North America.      Here is how the Library of Congress describes it.  “Known as The Bay Psalm Book, but really titled ...

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A Chance to Own a Piece of Turkey Day (and American) History

Growing up, the story I heard—and I imagine you’ve all heard—about Thanksgiving had to do with pilgrims and Native Americans coming together to share a feast in the early 17th century. As it turns ...

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How One Book Collector's Crusade Succeeded in Changing a Law

Sometimes when you really believe in something, believe in it to the extent some might think it an obsession, you can achieve things few would have thought possible. This is the story of Richard Ho...

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Serendipity Books: The Final, Final, Final, Farewell Sale - Berkeley Nov. 9 – Dec. 15, 2013

Move over Texas and load up the wagons Mother……here comes another really BIG book sale and at really LOW prices. This one is certain to generate a feeding frenzy. As the clock ticks down prices wil...

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Library Director Resigns Over Attempt to Sell Shakespeare Folios

The Director of the Senate House Libraries at the University of London has resigned over an aborted plan to sell four of the library's Shakespeare folios at auction. Director Christopher Pressler t...

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Le Rat du Châtelet, Of Rats and Men

 Just the other day, I came across an unusual book: 51 pages only, complete though incomplete, almost unknown but enjoying a certain popularity among a circle of connoisseurs and, last but not leas...

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Old World Auctions – A Cartography Specialist with an Online Auction This Month

The latest event from Old World Auctions will open for bidding on November 6. Old World Auctions, owned and operated by Jon and Eliane Dotson of Glen Allen, Virginia, runs its auctions strictly onl...

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Free Speech in the Electronic World

The world of books and printed matter has been at the heart of America's First Amendment free speech rights as long as there has been a First Amendment. Those who have opposed the words that were w...

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Christie's in Paris: A Sale for Many Niches

In keeping with its tradition of covering some of the best and most prestigious material in the world, Christie’s in Paris hosts a sale on Wednesday, November 6th, of Important Old Books, Artists’ ...

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A Passion for Books Gone Wrong

This is the story of a librarian who loved books too much. We see no need to name names as it seems more a tragic misdirection of passion than a desire to make money at someone else's expense. It's...

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Graham Arader: Defining the space between auction and retail

The Arader Galleries this month continue to explore the relationship between the retailing of important images in their shops and their selling of them at auction.  The entire category of collectib...

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Auctions in November

151 auction event days are scheduled for November.  For the entire month a sale begins, on average, every 4:46.  It’s simply busy.  Big books and small coexist with interesting material in some cas...

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Apple Inc. to Appeal Ebook Price-Fixing Verdict

Apple, Inc., has officially notified the U. S. Court of Appeals that it intends to appeal the judgment against it in the recent ebook price fixing case. Apple, along with five publishers, was accus...

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A Loss for Internet Sales Tax Collectors

Another wrench was thrown in the works of those who are attempting to force internet retailers to collect out-of-state sales tax. Two years ago, Illinois attempted to force out-of-state retailers w...

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Monday in San Francisco: An opportunity to discuss the future of rare books

  Based on following AE over the years, you might know that a rapidly growing auction market where prices are determined by competitive bidding is competing with the dealer-centric fixed-price mar...

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Eight New Catalogues Reviewed This Month

Eight new catalogues have arrived for November. Michael Vinson has a catalogue of Americana that features an extraordinary selection of fundamental Mormon works. The William Reese Company also offe...

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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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