Michael Brown Rare Books: Debates, Resolutions and other Proceedings of the Convention...1788
NEW REVIEW ANNOUNCEMENT: From now on AE Monthly will print reviews of recent catalogues and/or websites produced by noted Americana dealers. This feature is an open one in that we invite submissions of online or printed catalogues or website citations from any Americana dealer, so long as he or she is signed up as a subscriber to AE’s services. Any dealer who wishes to pursue having their catalogues or websites reviewed by us simply needs to drop a line to AE Monthly’s Managing Editor Abby Tallmer at atallmer@americanaexchange.com. Please remember that we publish on a monthly schedule and that we’d like to have your catalogue in hand or viewable online approximately one month before our next issue goes to press at the first of the month.
This month we have the opportunity to review the following three catalogues and one website. We’ll start with the website review and then, in the interests of fairness, we’ll arrange these reviews in alphabetical order by the dealer firm name.
Website Review
This month we received a request from L.A. Chernier, proprietor of The Book Shop, which is according to the website “…located in Hamilton, Ontario. We select only the best books (in topics and condition) for our stock and have a wide range of titles for all interests & I have been in the book business 32 years.” Their specialties are listed as “Childrens, Poetry, New Age, Canadiana, Comics, Literature, Collectors, Cookbooks, & Mystery”.
The Book Shop, located in Hamilton, Ontario is a very interesting business. L.A. Chenier, its proprietor, is energetic with a capital E. He’s been buying and selling books for 32 years. His business is electronic and his market world-wide. He specializes in 20th century non-fiction and is a great resource for off-beat material. Befitting his eclectic approach to book selling he’s also an eclectic collector... of pop-up books. So far he has about 300 examples.
On his site today you’ll find about 6,700 books and in his warehouse another 25,000 or so titles waiting for their turn at the plate. He explains his business this way. “My customers are people who look for books that will tell them things.”
His material can be found on Amazon, Alibris and ABE. He works hard to maintain the highest ratings with the various selling sites he uses. So if it's non-fiction and 20th century you’ll want click here: www.abebooks.com/home/lchenir . He’ll be trying hard to satisfy you.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
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Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
