Rare Book Monthly Articles - August - 2023 Issue

Old Maps.com becomes part of our family

Old Maps.com becomes part of our family

Rare Book Hub is simply the latest effort to aggregate bibliographic and transactional history of collectible books and paper.  Such efforts have long been necessary to focus and update the field’s understanding about books, manuscripts, maps and ephemera.  Old Maps, for more than forty years, has provided perspective about collectible maps and Curt and Marti Griggs has accepted our offer to have their history and scholarship added to ours.   One hundred and seventy-five years ago the world of collectible paper took wing when advances in literacy, printing, and papermaking turned random e...

OldMaps.com:  We have exciting news!

OldMaps.com: We have exciting news!

By Curt and Marti Griggs   We are retiring!  We began our love affair with antique maps nearly forty years ago.  Starting out as collectors, we transitioned into gallery owners, then acquired an ...

New Collective Biography of 14 Black Civil War Surgeons Expands Knowledge of US Racial, Medical and Military History

New Collective Biography of 14 Black Civil War Surgeons Expands Knowledge of US Racial, Medical and Military History

“Without Concealment, Without Compromise, The Courageous Lives of Black Civil War Surgeons” by independent historian Jill L. Newmark is an important contribution to our knowledge of racial, medical...

AbeBooks Releases List of the Highest Prices Paid for April-June 2023

AbeBooks Releases List of the Highest Prices Paid for April-June 2023

AbeBooks, the premier website for selling old and rare books, has released the list of the twelve most expensive items purchased on their website from April-June 2023. It consists of a mix of books...

Demographics in the Book Field Have Been Changing Rapidly

Demographics in the Book Field Have Been Changing Rapidly

The book trade is an old boys' network. Booksellers are males. Collectors are men, mostly old ones. At least, that is the way it was. It has been changing, though it would be hard to claim either d...

President Obama Writes Letter of Thanks to Librarians for Standing Up for Free Speech

President Obama Writes Letter of Thanks to Librarians for Standing Up for Free Speech

In a time of increasing censorship in libraries across America, America's librarians have been at the forefront of protecting our right to free speech. It is a moral if not legal responsibility for...

Charlotte Corday, Blood in a Brochure.

Charlotte Corday, Blood in a Brochure.

This is a small brochure entitled Charlotte Corday, beheaded in Paris on July 16, 1793, and published in Paris, year 4 (1795). Our particular copy was never cut nor bound, and there are water stain...

“Junky” Old Book Taken to Antiques Road Show Turns Out to be Worth $50,000

“Junky” Old Book Taken to Antiques Road Show Turns Out to be Worth $50,000

You never know. This story is a follow-up on an account from the Antiques Roadshow where a gentleman showed up with an old book by William Shakespeare. It was published in 1655, old but not extreme...

He Wrote 100 Books in Nine Months

He Wrote 100 Books in Nine Months

Tim Boucher is a Canadian writer who has been toiling in obscurity for a couple of decades before hitting the wires recently with an odd achievement. He wrote 100 books in about 9 months. Not even ...

Briefs – August Book Events - Some Fairs and Fests, Mostly Free, Large and Small

Briefs – August Book Events - Some Fairs and Fests, Mostly Free, Large and Small

From the Library of Congress National Book Festival to the Edinburgh Book Fair, August brings some events that book lovers in America, the UK and Canada will find enjoyable. Here are eight diverse ...

Morgan The Magnificent:  The Life of J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913)

Morgan The Magnificent: The Life of J. Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913)

In the present era book collectors can collect books as well manuscripts, maps and ephemera on their own.  In the receding past, while all those possibilities existed, knowledge and expertise were ...

A Website Owner with 150 Million Viewers in the U. S. Looks to Publish Books

A Website Owner with 150 Million Viewers in the U. S. Looks to Publish Books

The book publishing world may be on the cusp of another major change. We have seen a few in the past couple of decades. First there was online selling, Amazon leading the charge. Then came electron...

Missing 120 Years, A Library Book Finally Makes Its Way Home

Missing 120 Years, A Library Book Finally Makes Its Way Home

Another case of a long overdue library book being returned emerged last month, though this one was longer than most. It was returned over 119 years late. It's safe to say that the anonymous person ...

One New Catalogue Reviewed This Month

One New Catalogue Reviewed This Month

It is well known that August is a favorite month for vacations, particularly among those of greater means who get to choose their time. The result is the number of catalogues mailed at this time of...

Rare Book Monthly

  • One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: The Republican Court; Autographs of George Washington, (Signers) Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, John Dickinson, Charles Carroll of Carrollton and More!
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Nikola Tesla Signed Holograph Manuscript Page from "Tidal Wave to Make War Impossible," Describing the World's First Conceived Remotely Operated Weapon of Mass Naval Destruction.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Albert Einstein — Incredible possibly Unique Signed & Inscribed Einsteins hand “Relativitätstheorie / A. Einstein” Booklet: Relativitätstheorie, 10th Ed., 1920, Original Wrappers.
    One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Joyce Personal Copy of Finnegan's Wake (With Signature).
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Buster Keaton Flamingo Films / Kennedy Productions Archive Group, 1933–1937.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Extremely rare Josiah Henson (Uncle Tom) Signature & Harriet Beecher Stowe Cabinet Card.
    One of a Kind Auctions
    Tesla, Einstein & The American Presidency: Rare Historical Documents
    Ending April 30, 2026
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: William Livingston (Signer of DOI), the New Jersey State Convention had unanimously ratified the Federal Constitution.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: Complete 1927 Tunney-Dempsey "Long Count" Fight Ticket Signed by George Getz, with 1923 Dempsey-Firpo Dinner Card and Jack Dempsey Signed Photograph.
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: James Buchanan Cabinet Signed Autograph album
    One of a Kind Auctions, Apr. 30: CHARLES LINDBERGH SIGNS HIS NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL BANQUET INVITATION, JUNE 14, 1927 — THREE WEEKS AFTER THE TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT
  • Gros & Delettrez, May 5: APRÈS de MANNEVILLETTE, Jean-Baptiste d’- Le Neptune Oriental.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: DELISLE, Guillaume – Atlas françois,1725.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: HONTER. SOPHOCLE - Recueil composite réunissant deux ouvrages.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: PHÉROTÉE DE LA CROIX, A. - Algemeene weereld-beschryving.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: LA PÉROUSE, Jean-François de Galaup de - Voyage autour du monde.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BLAEU, Guillaume & Jean -Septième volume de la Géographie Blaviane.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: TATIKIAN, Boğos - Figures et costumes du Levant.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GIRAULT DE PRANGEY, Joseph-Philibert -Monument arabes et moresques de Cordoue, Séville et Grenade.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CHAMPOLLION le jeune. Monuments de l’Egypte et de la Nubie.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: CASSAS, Louis-François. - Voyage pittoresque de la Syrie, de la Phénicie, de la Palestine et de la Basse Egypte.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SONNERAT, Pierre. Voyage aux Indes orientales et à la Chine.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: GARNIER, Francis. Voyage d'exploration en Indo-Chine.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: SUBERBIE, Alix (E. SMITH). Dessins et aquarelles de Madagascar.
    Gros & Delettrez, May 5: BYRON -Viage del comandante Byron.
  • Sotheby’s
    Précieuses reliures d’une bibliophile
    Collection Georgette J. Salles
    Open for bidding 8-29 April
    Apr. 8-29: Delaunay, Sonia — Blaise Cendrars. La Prose du Transsibérien. 1913. €120,000 to €180,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Picasso, Pablo — Georges Hugnet. La Chèvre-feuille. 1943. €80,000 to €120,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Schmied, François-Louis ─ Joseph-Charles Mardrus. Cantique des cantiques. 1925. €30,000 to €50,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Bonnard, Pierre — Paul Verlaine. Parallèlement. 1900. €30,000 to €50,000.
    Apr. 8-29: Derain, André — Guillaume Apollinaire. L’Enchanteur pourrissant. 1909. €20,000 to €30,000.
  • Heritage, May 13: Isaac Asimov. I, Robot. The dedication copy, inscribed to John W. Campbell, Jr.
    Heritage, May 13: Aldous Huxley. Brave New World. A fine copy, in a brilliant dust jacket.
    Heritage, May 13: Ray Bradbury. Fahrenheit 451. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author.
    Heritage, May 13: Robert A. Heinlein. Stranger in a Strange Land. A fine copy, signed by the author.
    Heritage, May 13: Jules Verne. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Exceedingly rare true first American edition, first issue.
  • Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1481 ❧ THE FIRST VIEW OF VENICE. ROLEWINCK, WERNER. 1425-1502. $8,000 - $12,000.
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1496 ❧ GREEK INCUNABLE. MANUTIUS, ALDUS. 1449-1515. $15,000 - $25,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ THE SQUARING OF THE CIRCLE. FINÉ, ORONCE. 1494-1555. $4,000 - $6,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SCIENTIFIC BOOKS OF THE RENAISSANCE. $12,000 - $18,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1544 ❧ RENAISSANCE CYPHERS AND REBUSES. PALATINO, GIOVANNI BATTISTA. 1515-1575. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1588 ❧ "ONE OF THE MOST ELEGANTLY PRODUCED OF ALL TECHNOLOGICAL TREATISES." $15,000 - $25,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1618 ❧ THREE DUTCH EMBLEM BOOKS BY DANIEL HEINSIUS BOUND IN ONE. $5,000 - $8,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1710 ❧ A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED "PRINT BIBLE". BASNAGE, JAKOB. 1653-1723. $12,000 - $18,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1818 ❧ EARLY COLOR LITHOGRAPHY. BARTH, JOHANN AUGUST. 1765-1818. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1896 ❧ KELMSCOTT CHAUCER: THE FINEST BOOK SINCE THE GUTENBERG BIBLE. $60,000 - $90,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1903 ❧ DOVES PRESS MAGNUM OPUS: THE DOVES BIBLE. $10,000 - $15,000
    Bonhams, May 5 and Apr. 27 – May 6: 1680 ❧ FREIBERG FÊTE BOOKS FROM THE GOURARY COLLECTION. $1,000 - $1,500

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