Rare Book Monthly Articles - March - 2017 Issue

The New York Book Fair March 9-12:  the Big Casino

The New York Book Fair March 9-12: the Big Casino

Once a year in the western world the stars align over New York for the New York Antiquarian Book Fair.  It always feels exciting and this year is no exception though a few book collectors may be absent because of this year’s change of schedule.  You are reading about this in the March issue of Rare Book Monthly because the fair is a month earlier due to scheduling conflicts with the Armory and the Fair’s strong preference to continue there rather than face moving to a new and possibly less appealing venue.   Now, with these plans and commitments in place it’s next up to the audience to jo...

Over $2 Million Worth of Rare Books Destined for California Book Fair Stolen from London Warehouse

Over $2 Million Worth of Rare Books Destined for California Book Fair Stolen from London Warehouse

In what must be the most audacious book theft since the Director of Italy's Girolamini Library stole thousands of antiquarian books under his care, thieves broke into a London warehouse on the nigh...

Lillian Cole:  a bookseller weathers changes and challenges

Lillian Cole: a bookseller weathers changes and challenges

By age 60 many dealers have lost a step and are on their second wind.  Lillian Cole was already 60 in 1985 when she stumbled into bookselling, driven by her love of books. Now, aged 92 and 32 years...

A Geezer’s Listicle: A Few Tips for Sellers from a Late Adopter

A Geezer’s Listicle: A Few Tips for Sellers from a Late Adopter

I confess, I’m old enough to remember the “Summer of Love” (and what’s more I was there). That makes me over 70 and counting. In the intervening 50 years the content of the antiquarian, rare and co...

An Auctioneer's Lot

An Auctioneer's Lot

In the Bay Area recently for the ABAA’s west coast show I met with Rupert Powell, Vice Chairman of Forum Auctions, and suggested he tell us his story, that is, his career in the book auction field ...

Caren Chooses Christie's, Cowans & Country

Caren Chooses Christie's, Cowans & Country

Eric Caren, the exceptional collector and sometime dealer, continues this month to explain his decisions about collecting and collections.  He’s recently decided to send some of his best material t...

The ABAA Fair at Oakland has now come and gone

The ABAA Fair at Oakland has now come and gone

One hundred and seventy three dealers in the books, manuscript, maps and ephemera categories gathered at the recent 3 day ABAA Fair in Oakland to exhibit and offer material to collectors, instituti...

The American Library Association States Its Opinions on Events in Washington

The American Library Association States Its Opinions on Events in Washington

The upheaval in Washington has reached into even the American Library Association. The ALA is not the staid organization one might think, a bunch of cliché librarians telling everyone to be silent....

Auctions in New York in March

Auctions in New York in March

Over the past decade auction houses have concentrated their April New York sales around the ABAA fair; creating an auction house – ABAA fair synergy that produced good results on both sides.  This ...

Arader Galleries Spring Auction March 25th

Arader Galleries Spring Auction March 25th

Arader Galleries Spring Auction March 25th – 1pm at 1016 Madison Avenue, New York The Arader Gallery is holding an important sale of rare books and images on March 25th.  The sale will be hosted ...

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World

    Men shall always comply with women’s desires... The power women have over men is not a negative thing; it’s a gift from Nature, it was meant for the happiness of mankind.   Jean-Jacques...

Mar. 9: Shakespeare, manuscripts, and more at Bonham's New York

Mar. 9: Shakespeare, manuscripts, and more at Bonham's New York

Normally when I write previews of upcoming auctions for Rare Book Monthly, I can key in on a few highlights that top the estimates, and also look at the other end of the spectrum for material that ...

The Greatest Private Library of Judaica has been Sold to the National Library of Israel

The Greatest Private Library of Judaica has been Sold to the National Library of Israel

What was believed to be the largest private collection of books of Judaica recently found a home after almost a decade of uncertainty. The problem was that the collection was too large and valuable...

A Busy Month for Forum Auctions

A Busy Month for Forum Auctions

As spring begins to push away the vestiges of the northern hemisphere’s winter outside, inside auction rooms around the world, things are beginning to heat up. For London-based Forum Auctions, Marc...

Amazon Bookstores to Spread Coast to Coast – Is This Good or Bad for Booksellers?

Amazon Bookstores to Spread Coast to Coast – Is This Good or Bad for Booksellers?

Amazon has announced the planned opening of four more traditional, bricks-and-mortar bookstores for later this year. They join three already open on the west coast, Seattle, Portland, and San Diego...

So You Think Your Library Has Problems...

So You Think Your Library Has Problems...

As libraries in the West fret over vexing issues such as funding limitations and changing usage patterns, it's sobering to remember how horrifically bad the situation can be in lands torn by war. I...

19 New Catalogues Reviewed This Month

19 New Catalogues Reviewed This Month

This month we review 19 new catalogues, many prepared for the recent California Antiquarian Book Fair. Donald Heald Rare Books features Americana, travels voyages, natural history and more. Dougla...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: DALVIMART, Octavien ou d’ALVIMAR(T). The Costume of Turkey
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: DALVIMART, Octavien ou d’ALVIMAR(T)]. CLARK. The Military Costume of Turkey
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: HOMMAIRE DE HELL, Ignace-Xavier. LAURENS, Jules. Voyage en Turquie et en Perse
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: POSTEL, Guillaume. De la République des Turc
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PREZIOSI, Amadeo. Stamboul. Souvenir d’Orient.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: COSTUMES. EMPIRE OTTOMAN.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PRISSE D'AVENNES, Achille Constant T. Emile. L'Art Arabe
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: PRISSE D'AVENNES. Histoire de l'art Egyptie
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: BESANCENOT, Jean. Costumes et types du Maroc.
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: COSTUMES OTTOMANS. Suite de figures ottomanes à l’aquarelle
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: LES MILLE ET UNE NUIT, contes arabes
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: SCHLEGEL, Hermann et A. H. VERSTER van WULVERHORST. Traité de Fauconnerie - Planches
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11: THEVENOT, Melchisédec. Relation de divers voyages curieux
    Gros & Delettrez, Feb. 11:
  • Sotheby's Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s: Balthus, Emily Brontë. Wuthering Heights, New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1993. 6,600 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. Complete Works, Philadelphia & London: J.B. Lippincott Company & Chapman & Hall, LD, 1850. Limited Edition set of 30 volumes. 7,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: John Lennon, Yoko Ono. Handwritten Letter from John Lennon and Yoko Ono to their Chauffer. 1971. 32,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Winston Churchill. First edition of War Speeches, Cassell and Company, Ltd., 1941. Set of 7 volumes. 5,500 USD.
    Sotheby’s: Andy Warhol, Julia Warhola. Holy Cats First Edition, Signed by Andy Warhol. 1954. 30,000 USD.
  • Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 11. Blaeu's Superb World Map on a Polar Projection (1695) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 36. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 49. One of the First Lunar Globes to Show the Far Side of the Moon (1963) Est. $1,000 - $1,300
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 5. The First World Map with Lavish Allegorical Vignettes of the Continents (1594) Est. $15,000 - $17,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 55. Anti-British Propaganda Map with Churchill as an Octopus (1942) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 197. One of the Most Influential Maps of Westward Expansion (1846) Est. $9,500 - $12,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 10. Scarce Pitt Edition of Carte-a-Figures Map of the World (1680) Est. $9,500 - $11,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 220. A Fine, Early Rendering of San Francisco (1874) Est. $2,200 - $2,500
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 707. Hand-Colored Image of the Presentation of Jesus with Gilt Highlights (1450) Est. $1,600 - $1,900
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 80. One of the Most Important Maps Perpetuating the Myth of the Island of California (1680) Est. $3,250 - $4,000
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 725. Homann's Atlas Featuring 26 Folio-Sized Maps in Original Color (1715) Est. $4,500 - $5,500
    Old World Auctions (Feb 11):
    Lot 169. One of the Earliest Maps to Show Philadelphia (1695) Est. $4,750 - $6,000

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