This month we review our first catalogue from Dragon Books of Bel Air (Los Angeles), California. It is their "first complete catalogue," though oddly named Catalogue 7. Dragon was founded by Jay Penske, a lifelong collector who from age 7 determined he one day wanted to run a bookstore. The shop's name is derived from the first book he ever read, Dragon, Dragon, by John Gardner (it's a good thing the first book Mr. Penske read was not Here come the Teletubbies). Their specialty is "15th to 20th century literary works, as well as canons of poetry, philosophy, art, sci...
We recently received a magnificent catalogue from the Antiquariaat Forum of the Netherlands, entitled Europe and the Far East. Normally we do not comment on the art of the c...
Recently received from Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books of London is a most unusual and fascinating new catalogue. When is the last time you received a catalogue that was less ...
This is our first review of a catalogue from The Book Collector of Fort Worth, Texas, and it can certainly be described as serving a book collecting niche: Antiquarian Ches...
The Manhattan Rare Book Company has issued a remarkable catalogue to open the new year. I have searched in vain for a title for this catalogue or even a number. I find none ...
We recently received Catalogue 63 of Canadiana -- North American Travel, from David Ewens Books. As the title suggests, these are primarily works relating to travel and expl...
Recently off the press is Catalogue 53 of Law and Legal History from the Lawbook Exchange. Most items in the catalogue fit the category of "antiquarian and scholarly," thoug...
It is not often we see catalogues that are 8 x 11 1/2 and a quarter of an inch thick. When we receive one of this size that contains only 32 items, you can be confident that...
The Veatchs Arts of the Book has issued their Catalogue 59 -- Printing History and Technique. There are 144 items pertaining to printing, including many antique specimen boo...
Recently arrived is Old and Rare Books 2008 from Frits Knuf Antiquarian Books of Paris. Knuf is a specialist in the "books about books" field, with a focus on European and E...
Libreria de Antano of Buenos Aires has issued a catalogue of Recientes Adquisiciones (Recent Acquisitions). As the title implies, this catalogue is in Spanish, which is appr...
Samuel Gedge Ltd. Has just issued their Catalogue III of rare books. There are a great many London imprints, as befitting a British bookseller, but then again there are item...
Just out is the latest catalogue, number 146 of Modern Literature from Ken Lopez Bookseller. Offered are primarily first and prepublication editions of works published from ...
The latest catalogue from Forest Books of Redmile, Nottinghamshire, England, is their Miscellany Three. A "miscellany" is hard to describe, since it can contain just about a...
John Michael Lang Fine Books has released a new list of books available, Recent Acquisitions List 24. These are not long lists, but nonetheless include a wide range of mater...
We recently received Catalogue 135 from David Schulson Autographs. Offered are autographs from a diverse group of well-known personalities - artists, musicians, actors, poli...
The latest catalogue from James Cummins Bookseller is succinctly titled Literature. Perhaps that's a bit too succinct, as while the main focus is literature, there are also ...
Catalogue 168 from James Pepper Rare Books presents a new collection within their field: Literary First Editions, Mystery and Detective Fiction, Rare Cinema Material, and A...
Waverly Books has issued its List 151 of books and ephemeral items, 150 in all. Most would fall under the topics of novels or literature, but there are also books of photogr...
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.")
