From the William Reese Company: A Collection of Papers: Containing the Declaration of the Independence...1783
Their website is one that is typical of abe.com’s premade webpages and is available and accessible. You can also reach them at:
c/o L. A. Chenier
1964 Main Street West, Suite 1509
Hamilton, ON Canada L8S 1J5 Phone 905-525-2095 Fax 905-525-8852
We at AE can expect to review many more such sites – this is just one of the first such reviews.
A Bouillabaisse of Catalogues
A very interesting catalogue crossed my desk a few days ago. It is Catalogue 29 RECENT ACQUISITIONS from Michael Brown Rare Books of Philadelphia. It is a very interesting catalogue for several reasons. The descriptions are very complete as are the bibliographical references. Someone reading this catalogue will learn not only a great deal about each item (89) offered but also gain a sense of the relevance of each item to various collecting realms, an essential ingredient both for dealers to build their business and for collectors to build their collections.
This catalogue is a mixture of books and documents. The least expensive item is an autograph quotation from Bayard Taylor signed New York, 1850 who the same year published Eldorado; or Adventures in the Path of Empire:... which is no. 73 of the Zamorano 80. There is a good, but not perfect, copy of William Darby’s A Tour from the City of New-York, to Detroit,...” printed in Brooklyn in 1819 for $500 and a letter to the future President of the United States, Franklin Pierce, dated 1832 for $450. The thoroughness of the presentation does not preclude reasonable prices. Forty-four of the 89 items offered are priced at $500 or less. Americana collectors will want to see this catalogue and to receive Mr. Brown’s future presentations. It’s simply interesting. His email address: mbamericana@mindspring.com.
The William Reese Company recently released Catalogue 219, American State Papers 1763 – 1861. The Reese Company takes their research seriously. This catalogue comprises 108 lots arranged in date order, mostly books, but also including some politically significant ephemera. Here are a few of the lots. No. 1. is The Definitive Treaty of Peace and Friendship... ending the French and Indian War, 1763. No. 2 is the Authentic Account of the Proceedings of the Congress..., the first British edition of Congress’ response to the Stamp Act, 1767. No. 8 is the Olive Branch Petition, “the last concerted effort to reconcile with Great Britain and prevent war.” No. 9 is an early, enlarged edition of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense..., 1776. No. 23 is The Pennsylvania Packet or The General Advertiser: Thursday, April 10, 1783
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.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
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.
![<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.")
