Rare Book Monthly Articles - March - 2020 Issue

The 60th Annual New York International Antiquarian Book Fair March 5-8, 2020

The 60th Annual New York International Antiquarian Book Fair March 5-8, 2020

This fair is at the rare confluence of three exceptional book, manuscript, map and ephemera fairs that annually occur over a single March weekend in the splendid city of New York.  This year the dates are March 5-8, defined as the most concentrated opportunities to experience the collectible paper field first hand.   The principal event is:   The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair:  60 Years 1960 – 2020   220 dealers that are members of the ABAA and non-US dealer organizations will snugly fit into the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue between 66th and 67th Avenues.  Thes...

The 7th Annual NYC Book and Ephemera Fair at the Church of St. Ignatius.  980 Park Avenue, NYC.

The 7th Annual NYC Book and Ephemera Fair at the Church of St. Ignatius. 980 Park Avenue, NYC.

New York, NY—On March 6-7, 2020, the NYC Book and Ephemera Fair returns to Wallace Hall in the Church of St. Ignatius (Park Ave. at 83rd Street) for its seventh straight year during NY Rare Book We...

Another Stolen Columbus Letter Returned from America to its Rightful European Owner

Another Stolen Columbus Letter Returned from America to its Rightful European Owner

In what seems to have become a distressingly common occurrence, yet another stolen Columbus Letter has made the journey over and back from Europe to America in recent years. This is the fourth time...

Tips,Tool & Terms: The Three Minute Guide to Graphics Arts

Tips,Tool & Terms: The Three Minute Guide to Graphics Arts

You can spend a lifetime learning the fine points of graphics, whether they are original works of art, or parts of books such as illustrations, maps or in some cases photos. I got my degree in prin...

Auctions add Glamour, Excitement and Collecting Success

Auctions add Glamour, Excitement and Collecting Success

What makes the upcoming Rare Book Week in Manhattan doubly exciting are both the three 1, 2 and 4 day shows as well the steady drumbeat of rare book, manuscript, map and ephemera auctions that, at ...

Books in Weird Places

Books in Weird Places

Tell me where you were printed, I’ll tell you what kind of book you are. When printing required a “privilege from the King”, it wasn’t easy to print sulphurous works about politics or loose morals....

The 53rd International Antiquarian Book Fair at Pasadena

The 53rd International Antiquarian Book Fair at Pasadena

The California Book Fair is a rite of passage for collectors on the west coast and as always, the event was very professional, well lighted and spaciously laid out in the Pasadena Convention Center...

A Survey about Book Fairs

A Survey about Book Fairs

Many thousands of our members are frequent guests at book, manuscript, map and ephemera fairs.  Such events are time-old traditions that increasingly seem to be a step behind the many changes that ...

The Pasadena Shadow Fair

The Pasadena Shadow Fair

At the ABAA’s annual west coast Fair on Saturday 8 February this year we also had the symbiotic Shadow Fair at the Pasadena Masonic Temple just a few steps away from the Pasadena Convention Center ...

Forum Auctions presents The Birmingham Assay Office Library

Forum Auctions presents The Birmingham Assay Office Library

This month, Forum Auctions in London will be offering the rare book collection of the Birmingham Assay Office on Thursday, 26th March. Founded in 1773, thanks to the drive and persistence of local ...

Marie Kondo Told Us to De-Clutter Our Homes by Disposing of Books. So Why is She Now Selling Us More Clutter?

Marie Kondo Told Us to De-Clutter Our Homes by Disposing of Books. So Why is She Now Selling Us More Clutter?

Last spring, we wrote about the mess tidying-up expert Marie Kondo got herself in when she recommended getting rid of unnecessary books, that is, those that don't “spark joy.” To some, the idea of ...

Preserving the Scent of Old Books

Preserving the Scent of Old Books

It has been the mission for centuries of rare book and other libraries, along with various other institutions, to preserve old books. So much of humanity's heritage and history resides within them....

Major Collector, Benefactor of Institutional Literary Collections, and Brother, Frederick R. Koch Dies

Major Collector, Benefactor of Institutional Literary Collections, and Brother, Frederick R. Koch Dies

He was an obscure collector in the fields of literature, music and art, and also a major benefactor of collections at several notable institutions. Those contributions were substantial, and yet the...

How the ‘King of Manuscripts’ Became the Madoff of ‘France’

How the ‘King of Manuscripts’ Became the Madoff of ‘France’

It’s an uncommon occurrence that rare books and manuscripts dominate the news in an issue of the New York Sunday Times.  Nevertheless it occurred on February 23rd, 2020.  Even more surprisingly it’...

Five Canadian University Libraries Band Together for Extra Storage

Five Canadian University Libraries Band Together for Extra Storage

Five Canadian universities have banded together to deal with an issue many libraries face – growing collections of books few if any people ever read. Storage space is limited, particularly as stude...

10 Varied Catalogues Reviewed This Month

10 Varied Catalogues Reviewed This Month

A wide range of subjects is covered by the bookseller catalogues we review this month. Ursus Rare Books features illustrated books. Antiquariat Kainbacher targets the history of electricity. Antiqu...

Rare Book Monthly

  • Forum Auctions
    The Library of Barry Humphries
    26th March 2025
    Forum, Mar. 26: Beckford (William) [Vathek] An Arabian Tale, first (but unauthorised) edition, Lady Caroline Lamb's copy with her signature and notes, 1786. £2,000 to £3,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Baudelaire (Charles) Les Fleurs du Mal, first edition containing the 6 suppressed poems, first issue, contemporary half black morocco, Paris, 1857. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Beardsley (Aubrey).- Pope (Alexander) The Rape of the Lock, one of 25 copies on Japanese vellum, Leonard Smithers, 1896. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Douglas (Lord Alfred) Sonnets, first edition, the dedication copy, with signed presentation inscription from the author to his wife Olive Custance, The Academy, 1909. £2,000 to £3,000.
    Forum Auctions
    The Library of Barry Humphries
    26th March 2025
    Forum, Mar. 26: Crowley (Aleister) The Works..., 3 vol. in 1 (as issued)"Essay Competition" issue on India paper, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1905-07. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Rodin (Auguste).- Mirbeau (Octave) Le Jardin des Supplices, one of 30 copies on chine with an additional suite, bound in dark purple goatskin, Paris, 1902. £3,000 to £4,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Pellar (Hans) Eight original book illustrations for 'Der verliebte Flamingo' [together with] a published copy of the first edition of the book, 1923. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum, Mar. 26: Cretté (Georges, binder).- Louÿs (Pierre) Les Aventures du Roi Pausole, 2 vol., one of 99 copies, with 2 original drawings, superbly bound in blue goatskin, gilt, Paris, 1930. £3,000 to £4,000.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR
  • Koller, Mar. 26: Wit, Frederick de. Atlas. Amsterdam, de Wit, [1680]. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Merian, Maria Sibylla. Der Raupen wunderbare Verwandelung, und sonderbare Blumennahrung. Nürnberg, 1679; Frankfurt a. M. und Leipzig, 1683. CHF 20,000 to 30,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: GOETHE, JOHANN WOLFGANG VON. Faust. Ein Fragment. Von Goethe. Ächte Ausgabe. Leipzig, G. J. Göschen, 1790. CHF 7,000 to 10,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: Hieronymus. [Das hochwirdig leben der außerwoelten freünde gotes der heiligen altuaeter]. Augsburg, Johann Schönsperger d. Ä., 9. Juni 1497. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
    Koller, Mar. 26: BIBLIA GERMANICA - Neunte deutsche Bibel. Nürnberg, A. Koberger, 17. Feb. 1483. CHF 40,000 to 60,000
    Koller, Mar. 26: HORAE B.M.V. - Stundenbuch. Lateinische Handschrift auf Pergament, Kalendarium französisch. Nordfrankreich (Rouen?). CHF 25,000 to 40,000
  • Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    27th March 2025
    Forum, Mar. 27: Dürer (Albrecht) Hierin sind begriffen vier bücher von menschlicher Proportion, 4 parts in 1, first edition, Nuremberg, Hieronymus Andreae for Agnes Dürer, 1528. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: Book of Hours, Use of Rome, illuminated manuscript in Latin, on vellum, 26 fine hand-painted miniatures, 17th century dark brown morocco, [Lyon], [c. 1475 and later c. 1490-1500]. £25,000 to £35,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: Brontë (Emily) The North Wind, watercolour, [1842]. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: Titanic.- Mudd (Thomas Cupper, one of the youngest victims of the sinking of the Titanic, 1895-1912) Autograph Letter signed on board RMS Titanic to his mother, April 11th 1912. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    27th March 2025
    Forum, Mar. 27: [Austen (Jane)] Emma: A Novel, 3 vol., first edition, for John Murray, 1816. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: Picasso (Pablo).- Ovid. Les Metamorphoses, one of 95 copies, signed by the artist, Lausanne, Albert Skira, 1931. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: America.- Ogilby (John) America: Being the Latest, and Most Accurate Description of the New World..., all maps with vibrant hand-colouring in outline, probably by an early hand, 1671. £15,000 to £25,000.
    Forum, Mar. 27: Iceland.- Geological exploration.- Bright (Dr. Richard )and Edward Bird. Collection of twenty original drawings from travels in Iceland with Henry Holland and George Mackenzie, watercolours, [1810]. £20,000 to £30,000.

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