Rare Book Monthly Articles - December - 2025 Issue

Convergence, or is it Divergence?

Convergence, or is it Divergence?

The book market has long bubbled along with the underlying economy. Rivers were our first highways, advances in transportation made it possible to bring food and fuel to support cities. With population concentration, universal education was needed to facilitate inventions and manufacturing advances.  Step by step the printed word became the connective tissue to build societies. Books, which had been the property of the well to do, were now finding their place with the emerging green sprouts of what would become the middle class.   As both printing and papermaking became more efficient and...

Lost Kerouac Short Story Discovered in Deceased Mafia Boss' Artifacts

Lost Kerouac Short Story Discovered in Deceased Mafia Boss' Artifacts

A lost, or unknown short story by Jack Kerouac was recently discovered among the artifacts of a Mafia crime boss who died 40 years ago. Too bad Kerouac isn't here to write this story as he could ha...

MatchMaker Saves Time and avoids Missed Opportunities

MatchMaker Saves Time and avoids Missed Opportunities

MatchMaker Saves Time and avoids Missed Opportunities   Buying and Selling online has been quickly evolving.   These days the number of auctions continues to increase. Ninety a month is common....

TYPE PUNCH MATRIX - An update from Brian Cassidy in Silver Spring, MD, A quirky partnership in the antiquarian book trade with something for everyone

TYPE PUNCH MATRIX - An update from Brian Cassidy in Silver Spring, MD, A quirky partnership in the antiquarian book trade with something for everyone

It seems like Brian Cassidy, 53, has been on my radar forever. Sure enough, when I looked in the files I found emails going back to 2010. In those days he was Brian Cassidy Bookseller, his own firm...

Almost Entire College Library's 40,000+ Books Destroyed by Water Leakage

Almost Entire College Library's 40,000+ Books Destroyed by Water Leakage

Fire isn't the only thing that doesn't mix with water. As any librarian will tell you, another is books. No one wants a leaky roof, but librarians are particularly averse. This issue has come to th...

eCatalogues on Rare Book Hub: Are they part of your future?

eCatalogues on Rare Book Hub: Are they part of your future?

eCatalogues on Rare Book Hub: Are they part of your future?   Rare Book Hub is used to follow the world-wide collectible paper auction market. As a sidebar, we now provide a side-by-side eCatalog...

Today's Weekly Auction Update, has piggy-backed with today's Rare Book Monthly

Today's Weekly Auction Update, has piggy-backed with today's Rare Book Monthly

When the last day of the month is a Sunday, we include a brief announcement in Rare Book Monthly about our just to be released Weekly Auction Update. Today is one of those occasions.   This week’...

Collector Loses $3 Million on Baseball Card

Collector Loses $3 Million on Baseball Card

A 1914 Babe Ruth rookie baseball card sold a few weeks ago for an astronomical price of $4,026,000. You might think the seller was very happy with that, but probably not. That price represented a $...

Record Price of $9.2 Million Achieved for a Comic Book

Record Price of $9.2 Million Achieved for a Comic Book

It was preordained this one was going to break all records. If there was a surprise, it was by just how much. Comic books are highly collectible items, with prices in recent years reaching astronom...

A Landmark for Women’s History: 10th-Century Gospel to Sell at Christie’s

A Landmark for Women’s History: 10th-Century Gospel to Sell at Christie’s

Fewer than ten Latin Gospels of the 10th century or earlier have been offered at auction in the past hundred years—and none have been connected to a women’s scriptorium. That changes this December,...

Sotheby's: Important Events as the year ends.

Sotheby's: Important Events as the year ends.

Amidst a very busy December schedule for Sotheby’s global Books and Manuscripts Department, “The Library of Bary Yampol: A First Selection” stands out as the highlight of the month. Barry Yampol (1...

Cartouche 1799, The Journal of a Serial Lover

Cartouche 1799, The Journal of a Serial Lover

Portrait of a misdated political book that portrays a fake and bigger than life bandit!   Les Amours de Cartouche...   Louis-Dominique Cartouche was the 1st French public enemy. The rich feare...

News & Features

News & Features

One Bookstore, 3 Sisters and 100 Years A Midtown Manhattan anomaly, the Argosy Book Store continues to thrive thanks to the dedication of the three women who have presided over it for decades. A p...

The Farmers' Almanac Ceases Publication After 208 Continuous Years

The Farmers' Almanac Ceases Publication After 208 Continuous Years

When a periodical closes down, it's generally not sufficiently newsworthy to mention. A lot of newspapers have closed down recently. But, how about when one that has been in continuous publication ...

Guilty Plea in $216,000 Rare Manuscript Theft at UCLA Library

Guilty Plea in $216,000 Rare Manuscript Theft at UCLA Library

Jeffrey Ying of Fremont, California, has pleaded guilty to a charge of stealing a historical Chinese document from the East Asian Library at UCLA (University of California Los Angeles). Actually, h...

Three New Catalogues Reviewed This Month

Three New Catalogues Reviewed This Month

For December, we have reviewed three new dealer catalogues. Kenston Rare Books presents a selection of books on Texas and the American West. The Kelmscott Bookshop features artists' books, private ...

Rare Book Monthly

  • 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
  • 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.

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