Recent Acquisitions of Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books
Recent Acquisitions by Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books.
By Michael Stillman
A short while ago, Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books mailed out a pamphlet of "Recent Acquisitions." While an occasional newer book may slip through, most of what you will find in a Shapero catalogue is very old. Most were published in the period from the 16th through the 18th centuries, and while there are some items for collectors of Americana, they tend to be earlier European Americana. Here are a few samples of Shapero's "recent acquisitions."
America was not the only place fireworks were being set off in the year 1776. That was the year Sir William Hamilton published his Campi Phlegraei. Observations on the Volcanoes of the Two Sicilies as they have been communicated to the Royal Society of London. Over the preceding four years, Hamilton climbed Vesuvius 22 times, often at great risk, and with the help of the artist Fabris, produced a series of drawings of volcanic eruptions. Item 32. Priced at £75,000 (British pounds).
If volcanoes are not your preferred type of calamity, how about earthquakes? Item 25 is a group of five pamphlets from 1756-1781 which describe 18th century European earthquakes. One covers a particularly destructive earthquake which struck Constantinople in May 1766. £1,500.
Item 36, Vom Tantzenn obs Gott... is a 1545 defense of dancing. Author Jacob Ratz engaged in a debate with Melchior Ambach over whether the Bible permitted dancing. Ratz was the more liberal one who felt God permitted the activity. Ultimately, Ratz' position became the more widely accepted, which is why we have disco today. £1,750.
There were also some more serious theological debates taking place around this time. Item 4, Ain schoener Dialogus... by an anonymous writer is a supposed debate between a monk and a peasant over the positions of Martin Luther. The book was written just as these opinions were starting to take hold, in 1525. £1,950.
The battles between the Islamic world and the Christian world are hardly anything new. Perhaps this is why they are so hard to resolve. In earlier times, the Christians generally did not fare so well, but the Battle of Lepanto was an exception. This was a naval battle off the coast of Greece in 1571 where the navies of various European states routed that of the Ottoman Empire, providing some temporary relief from Ottoman advances. Historia delle Cose Successe... by Pietro Contarini, published in Venice in 1572, retells the great success of the Venetian navy and its allies. Item 16. £1,850.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
