Rare Book Monthly Articles - April - 2023 Issue

8d79afd2-1be8-49ff-98d3-049de57bb1c2

The Codex Sassoon: a seismic moment in the auction rooms

Paying serious money when collecting invariably involves passion, confidence and madness.  It sometimes affects single collectors and once in a great while a category of bidders.  Codex Sassoon is the perfect candidate for a bidding storm.  Categories and subjects of books and collectible paper have been periodically subject to intense desire.  It turns out Hebraica is having its moment in the sun.
 
Paramount among obtainable Judaica, the exceptionally important Codex Sassoon, an ancient bound, handwritten Hebrew Bible, will be sold at Sotheby’s New York on...

Read More
4e52d04f-6495-4cd5-b33e-3e15834184ea

Mary Queen of Scots' Long Lost Prison Letters Discovered and Deciphered

It's been around 440 years since anyone understood these letters. No wonder. They were written from 1578-1584 in cipher. For some number of years they have been sitting in the National Library of F...

Read More
Be6bf003-1e46-4991-a268-63a40de6da36

The 63rd Annual ABAA New York Antiquarian Book Fair: We’re back to business

The premier Book Fair in the world is soon to be staged in New York April 27-30 at the Park Avenue Armory at 643 Park Avenue between 66/67 Streets.
 
180 dealers from 17 countries will take ...

Read More
Eeeffb15-1b40-4747-b908-e6b1e4c05b42

Roald Dahl and Censorship

We have written recently about library censorship, school libraries in particular, where angry people, or worse yet, the government has stepped in to censor books. The major topics that have led to...

Read More
38498098-53e3-4ef1-8b80-feaf9008b248

Richard Davies at Abebooks, Moves On

Richard Davies who worked at Abebooks for 18 years, recently retired to pursue new adventures. Most recently our interactions with him were Abe’s reports of their most expensive books sold bu...

Read More
15fa8d7c-a50d-441a-b3ec-07e35345cb2d

Books For The Living, or the Pedantic Habit of Wearing White Gloves

The New York Times made it clear in a recent article: “For Rare Book Librarians, It’s Gloves Off. Seriously.” This old debate whether librarians should handle old books with white...

Read More
F05fcabb-6ced-4177-a576-33c8041d137b

Recent Trends & Issues in U.S. Christian Publishing

In the United States Christian inflected movements are playing an increasingly important role in the world of books, whether it be what can be circulated in libraries, defining curriculum such as w...

Read More
57d20933-3f73-4706-a4c1-99458f4bffe5

Fighting, Another New Use for Libraries

“The Downtown Central Library will be closing temporarily at 3 p.m. weekdays until further notice.” That was the brief message on the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library website. T...

Read More
28979118-0c59-41bb-984c-55d80aa1b1ca

The New York City Shadow Fair: alive and well on April 29th

For years the Flamingo Eventz has been a mainstay for the collectible paper field.  One of their events is annually scheduled to coincide with the ABAA’s New York International Antiquari...

Read More
6488bcff-7f53-4d7a-869b-6ae702d117c7

Book Fairs in New York, in person and online

Book fairs have long been a part of a book dealer’s selling options.  Covid changed the world in 2020 and stimulated fresh thinking about how shows could be experienced from afar.  ...

Read More
6fb5cba1-cf15-4894-8590-db32743e2f96

Rose City Book & Paper Fair Returns to Portland, OR, June 16-17

The Rose City Book & Paper Fair is coming back to the “Rose City” (Portland, Oregon) on June 16-17 this year. Once again, it will be held at the Doubletree by Hilton, 1000 Northeast...

Read More
061164eb-bb7c-4a48-adf3-649fda8bb06b

New Jersey Supreme Court Rules Against the Sale of a Town Library

In a strange case, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled against a sale of the old library by the community of West Orange. After fending off the challenge in two lower courts, their approval was over...

Read More
F2eb1593-1755-4b72-817f-44b26c2b9287

Four New Bookseller Catalogues Reviewed

This month we review four new bookseller catalogues. Zephyr Used & Rare Books celebrates the open road with a collection of automobile dealer catalogues. Shapero Rare Books has published a...

Read More

Rare Book Monthly

  • Ab20b219-49a2-4a3a-9943-edbf5def77d6 89768517-f5d5-4455-ac14-1063ffbc8fdf B899f151-89b0-47b1-bd5d-21913bc5be55 Fe0a67a5-3263-4bc4-a7b4-4a891425f12b 66410631-ba33-4d0a-b92a-d72b62557c90 0088a27e-87ca-47eb-8e92-46c1e0cad471 Adebe4a8-224e-4d16-b707-fa862ad4b030 6b310622-04a3-4a9e-bf1d-f1c85c06cb8d F025ee2c-66e5-4610-a736-b057449951e8 0fe9d287-1290-4dce-8b83-d4baa9b8c859
    <b><center>Sotheby's<br>The Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman Collection<br>26 May - 12 June</b>
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> "Cool Hand Luke" | Paul Newman Academy Award® Nomination Plaque. USD$2500 - $3500
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> "Hud" | Bound presentation script incorporating photographic stills. USD$1000 - $1500
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> "The Long, Hot Summer" | Movie Poster. USD$1000 - $1500
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> Joseph Heller | "Catch-22," inscribed to Woodward & Newman by author. USD$500 - $800
    <b><center>Sotheby's<br>The Joanne Woodward & Paul Newman Collection<br>26 May - 12 June</b>
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> George H. W. Bush | Typed Letter Signed, Issuing a "Pardon" to Paul Newman. USD$1500 - $2000
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> William Jefferson Clinton | Inscribed Color Photograph. USD$1000 - $1500
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> Ken Kesey | Typed letter to “Paulnewman,” asking for further compensation for "Sometimes a Great Notion". USD$1000 - $1500
    <b>Sotheby’s, May 26 – Jun. 12:</b> "They Might Be Giants" | Costume sketches by Edith Head. USD$1000 - $2000
  • 56428ae0-1745-4587-b0aa-0d45e4478e92 4de0ef05-034e-448d-983e-9cf1b2702840 Bb11ab13-b866-4a9f-9989-e587993188e9 8d95269d-ebd9-4d43-a4ad-0fc990ba0091 48ceed29-f1e5-4fa9-8037-c9d495c6959f 3f58d964-1280-4428-8a91-1e00dccf6cbc
    <b><center>Swann Auction Galleries<br>Focus On Women:<br>At Auction June 1, 2023</b>
    <b>Swann June 1:</b> Sojourner Truth, <i>Narrative of Sojourner Truth, a Northern Slave,</i> first edition, Boston, 1850. $10,000 to $15,000.
    <b>Swann June 1:</b> Jane Austen, <i>Pride and Prejudice,</i> London, 1817. $6,000 to $8,000.
    <b>Swann June 1:</b> Cindy Sherman, <i>Secretary,</i> gelatin silver print, 1978; printed 1993. $6,000 to $8,000.
    <b>Swann June 1:</b> Fanny Stevenson, Archive of Photographs & Letters, 1866-1904. $4,000 to $6,000.
    <b>Swann June 1:</b> Charlotte Perkins Gilman, <i>The Forerunner,</i> Volumes I-VII; Family Association Set; Four Volumes Signed or Inscribed by the Author, New York, 1909-16. $3,000 to $5,000.
  • 8097415b-f0d7-4785-a2d1-c96ebcec0afd 7feeab64-c87a-4c2f-8e3f-05177122a5a1 A0e04b8b-55a3-4d2c-89de-842f3b3baecd 41df7c9c-07dd-4b10-9777-c1ba833bc02c 9be1beb0-0514-47b0-8ea3-e32feabe2857 6b1004ab-a4b2-4ce8-a5c2-d3e9a71df1b9 6d1eb9c6-96b3-4348-87f2-5da81718b595 786bd9d3-8e69-42f6-a0e0-683862b41fc0 1c16fcb2-e863-47c7-b0b0-ba5abfa9b772 B7b3ca9e-5bf7-4013-bd51-acd74aac711f Ae0ed207-187d-49bf-84f5-c3406a00c922 22e37927-12f8-4aec-b13e-961c14ccc183 59b534be-01aa-41e9-8c76-8034ae53027b 00defecb-22d0-4f5b-8ae3-82e2b451fad8 441ccb72-0e33-4652-9bcb-c5e4b41d6c6f 659ac0e3-25d3-41c8-8037-8c7b676f80ff
    <center><b>Fonsie Mealy’s<br>Rare Book & Collectors’ Sale<br>May 30th and 31st, 2023</b>
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> The West Indies, C. 1792, by Sir William Young. Colonial Watercolours, etc. A highly important group of original watercolours now on the market for the first time in approx. 230 years. €10,000 to €15,000.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Gould (John). <i>The Birds of Great Britain,</i> 5 vols. lg. atlas folio, Lond. (Taylor & Francis) 1873. First Edition, with 363 hand-coloured plates. €9,000 to €15,000.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Joyce (James). <i>Ulysses,</i> thick 4to, L. (John Lane, The Bodley Head) 1936, Signed Limited Edition No. 20 (100) Copies. €8,000 to €12,000.
    <center><b>Fonsie Mealy’s<br>Rare Book & Collectors’ Sale<br>May 30th and 31st, 2023</b>
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Rackham (Arthur) illus. <i>The Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm,</i> Lg. 4to Lond. (Constable & Co.) 1909. Lim. Edition No. 128 of 750 Copies, Signed by Author. €2,000 to €3,000.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Arctic Travel: Hearne (Samuel). <i>A Journey from Prince of Wales Fort in Hudson's Bay…</i> Thick 8vo Dublin, 1796. First Dublin Edition. €1,250 to €1,750.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Hand-Coloured Plates: Maw (George). <i>A Monograph of The Genus Crocus,</i> Lg. 4to Lond. (Culau & Co.) 1886. First Edn. €1,200 to €1,500.
    <center><b>Fonsie Mealy’s<br>Rare Book & Collectors’ Sale<br>May 30th and 31st, 2023</b>
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Holinshed (Raphael) & Stanyhurst (R.) <i>The Historie of Ireland from the First Inhabitation thereof, unto the Yeare 1509…</i> Folio, London, 1577, First Edn. €1,000 to €1,500.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Fine Hand-Coloured Plates: [Dalvimart (Octavien.)] <i>The Costume of Turkey, ... with Descriptions in English and French,</i> Folio Lond. (for Wm. Miller by Wm. Bulmer) 1804. First Edn. €750 to €1,250.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Astronomy: Nasmyth (James) & Carpenter (James). <i>The Moon: Considered as a Planet, a World, and a Satellite.</i> Lg. 4to Lond. 1874. First Edn. €700 to €1,000.
    <center><b>Fonsie Mealy’s<br>Rare Book & Collectors’ Sale<br>May 30th and 31st, 2023</b>
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Binding: Tennyson - <i>The Works of Lord Tennyson Poet Laureate,</i> 8vo Lond. (Macmillan & Co.) 1900. €700 to €1,000.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Manuscript: Green (E.) <i>Chronology and Geography by E. Green,</i> Folio manuscript, no date but c. 1800. €400 to €600.
    <b>Fonsie Mealy’s, May 30 & 31:</b> Alexander (James Edward). <i>Sketches in Portugal,</i> During The Civil War of 1834. 8vo Lond. (J. Cochrane) 1835. First Edition. €300 to €400.

Article Search

Archived Articles

Ask Questions