Rare Book Monthly Articles - April - 2016 Issue

New York:  Rare Books Everywhere [for 4 days]

New York: Rare Books Everywhere [for 4 days]

If it is April it is again time for the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, this the largest such event in the book collecting world.  This year’s four day fair at the Park Avenue Armory, that features more than 200 American and international dealers, begins on Thursday April 7th and continues through Sunday the 10th.  For they who are active as dealers or who buy primarily from dealers this is the single best moment in the year, four days of viewing, discussion and negotiation.  Many dealers bring fresh inventory and every year a fresh attitude about price and negotiation.  The market changes ...

Meet me in New York

Meet me in New York

Meet Me in New York   I’ll be in New York at the Plaza Athenee during Rare Book Week.  If you would like to talk about books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera drop me a line at   bmckinney@rarebo...

Aubrey McClendon:  An Extraordinary American Collector

Aubrey McClendon: An Extraordinary American Collector

I contacted Graham Arader, the map dealer, for his perspective on Aubrey McClendon, the man and the collector.  He knew him well and sold him important maps for over a decade.   About him Graham ...

South Chicago’s Woodson Library scheduled for long needed structural repairs; Regional Library & Afro-American Harsh Collection will close while improvements made

South Chicago’s Woodson Library scheduled for long needed structural repairs; Regional Library & Afro-American Harsh Collection will close while improvements made

The Woodson Library is one of two major regional libraries in the Chicago Public Library system. It is located on the South Side of the city at 95th and Halsted. The Woodson is also home to one of ...

Bob Dylan's Archive to be Housed in Oklahoma

Bob Dylan's Archive to be Housed in Oklahoma

An archive representing the creative genius of a man who was the voice of a generation has come out of the shadows, to be accessible to scholars in an institutional setting. That voice of the baby ...

There Will Always be Collectors

There Will Always be Collectors

Not so long ago books were essential to learning.  They were long embraced for their content and visual appeal.  They were the basic tool for learning to read, one third of the essential threesome ...

The Caren Archive  II,  How History Unfolds on Paper - at Bonhams in New York on April 11th

The Caren Archive II, How History Unfolds on Paper - at Bonhams in New York on April 11th

On April 11th Bonhams in New York will sell the 5th installment of rare and historical works on paper including printed, manuscript and photographic materials for Eric Caren, the exceptional collec...

The Oddest Book Titles

The Oddest Book Titles

The Bookseller, Britain's longstanding trade publication, has announced its annual Diagram Prize for the Oddest Book Title of the Year. Each year, they conduct a vote on strange titles of real book...

Doyle New York:  Old Books and Manuscripts on the 13th

Doyle New York: Old Books and Manuscripts on the 13th

I spoke recently with Ted Ripley-Duggan, Vice-President of Rare Books and Manuscripts at Doyle New York, and he offered to prepare a basic text about their upcoming auction and quickly did so.  And...

Potomack Auctions:  an expanding footprint in collectible paper

Potomack Auctions: an expanding footprint in collectible paper

The Potomack Company of Alexandria, Virginia is expanding their auction business in the books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera fields and to do so has hired Kathryn Coldiron who for the past six yea...

Antoine-Francois Desrues, (Not) Just Another Villain

Antoine-Francois Desrues, (Not) Just Another Villain

Nobody knows about Antoine-Francois Desrues (1744-1777) nowadays. Yet, he once stood among the most notorious French villains. The story of his life even made it to the peddling books—some small an...

Another Book Thief Off to Prison

Another Book Thief Off to Prison

Rumors of their death notwithstanding, we constantly are reminded that printed books are still a valuable commodity in the worst possible way. People steal them. An Illinois man was recently senten...

Supreme Court Finally Puts an End to Long Running Apple-Amazon Price-Fixing Case

Supreme Court Finally Puts an End to Long Running Apple-Amazon Price-Fixing Case

After almost half a decade in court, the price-fixing case against Apple concerning cheap e-book prices has finally come to a conclusion. Apple is guilty as charged, they have to pay all settlement...

Prada Offers a Handbag Inspired by Books

Prada Offers a Handbag Inspired by Books

Books have long inspired great thinkers – scholars, scientists, political leaders and such, for their text. The physical beauty of the finest books has similarly inspired many great artists. Now, b...

Eight Catalogues Reviewed This Month

Eight Catalogues Reviewed This Month

This month we have eight new book catalogues to review. If you like seriously old books, Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books has an amazing 35 items of incunabula to offer, along with over 200 other book...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Sotheby’s
    Year in Review
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: A Rare Hebrew Bible with Micrographic Masorah. Sold: 1,514,000 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: "The Freedman's Primer.” Sold: 241,300 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Smith, William. "The Map that Changed the World." Sold: 139,700 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Psalter, C13th. Illuminated Psalter. Sold: 330,200 GBP
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Lincoln, Abraham. The abolition of slavery. Sold: 13,697,500 USD
    Sotheby’s Year in Review: Vergilius. Opera, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, 1501. Sold: 1,041,400 USD
  • Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1775 Map of Virginia, Fry and Jefferson, ex-John Tyler. $6,000 to $8,000.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Albrecht Durer Engraving, The Peasant Couple at Market. $3,400 to $3,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1777 Map: Wm. Faden, British Colonies in N. America, ex. John Tyler. $2,000 to $2,400.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 30 Vols. George Eliot 1st Editions; Mill on the Floss, Silas Marner, Deronda, etc. $1,400 to $1,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Celestial Floor Globe c. 1800. $1,400 to $1,800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Lewis Carroll: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, 1866 London MacMillan. $900 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: President Andrew Jackson Signed Patent, 1831. $1,000 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Civil War Tintype of Calvin “Old Ballie” Walker, CSA 3rd TN Infantry, KIA, plus 3 Union Images. $800 to $1,000.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: 1855 Georgia Pocket Map, W. G. Bonner. $800 to $1,000.
    Case Antiques
    2026 Winter Fine Art & Antiques
    January 31 and February 1, 2026
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Audubon c. 1835 Birds of America Common Cormorant, Havell Edition. $800 to $900.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: George Eliot, Middlemarch, 1st Edition in 8 Volumes. $600 to $800.
    Case Antiques, Jan. 31-Feb. 1: Four NASA Moon Survey Photos; 144M, 148M, 149M, 149H1. $400 to $600.

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