Rare Book Monthly Reviews - December - 2003 Issue

Catalogue Review – Oak Knoll Catalogue 251

Catalogue Review – Oak Knoll Catalogue 251

By Mike Stillman

Oak Knoll Books is noted for selling “books about books,” and this latest catalogue is no exception. However, rather than breaking its offerings into many categories as usual, they have used just two this time: books about books and bibliography. And, while Oak Knoll always offers a healthy selection of bibliographies, they’ve outdone themselves this time with over 500 listings. There seem to be bibliographies of just about any kind of book you could dream of collecting.

There are numerous state bibliographies, and not just for California or Texas, but for smaller s...

Catalogue Review – Travel Books From Bernard J. Shapero

Catalogue Review – Travel Books From Bernard J. Shapero

By Mike Stillman

Mb>Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books has just released their latest catalogue, “Travel Books – Recent Acquisitions 2003.” Shapero is a London bookseller and most of the material re...

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Catalogue Review &#150;  South Americana<br>From Flo Silver Books

Catalogue Review &#150; South Americana<br>From Flo Silver Books

By Mike Stillman

Flo Silver’s catalogue titles, like old book titles, are very descriptive and very long. Her latest catalogue is titled “Catalogue 68: Mexico, Central, and South America: Archa...

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Catalogue Review:<br>James Cummins Bookseller

Catalogue Review:<br>James Cummins Bookseller

By Mike Stillman

James Cummins Bookseller has recently issued his “Catalogue 87.” It is a varied collection of 76 items and what they have in common is that each is uncommon.

An example of ...

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Catalogue Review: Color-Plate<br>Books from Heritage Book Shop

Catalogue Review: Color-Plate<br>Books from Heritage Book Shop

By Mike Stillman

It’s not very often that a catalogue comes along about which very little can be said. After all, books are themselves filled with words. So, here’s a catalogue that leaves me s...

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Catalogue Review: Periodicals<br>From William Reese Company

Catalogue Review: Periodicals<br>From William Reese Company

By Mike Stillman

Catalogue 228 is an unusual venture for the William Reese Company. Noted for handling many of the most important books and manuscripts of American history for the past quarter ...

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Rare Book Monthly

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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.
  • 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.

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