Rare Book Monthly Reviews - December - 2016 Issue

The Civil War from the George S. MacManus Company

The Civil War from the George S. MacManus Company

The George S. MacManus Company has released their latest selection of Civil War material, Catalogue 417 Civil War Part III. MacManus has a large collection of material from America's terrible internal struggle. This group of almost 500 books and pamphlets covers only authors with names ranging from Crocker to Farber. We can anticipate several more catalogues to come. There are many items from each side's point of view (perhaps a few more Southern), and numerous regimental histories from both sides of the border. Here are a few samples from this latest selection.
 
The election of Abr...

Books on Many Things from Raptis Rare Books

Books on Many Things from Raptis Rare Books

Raptis Rare Books, now of Palm Beach, Florida, recently released a new catalogue of books. It does not have a discernible title, but the table of contents sums up what sort of material is to be fou...

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Rare Accounts of Western America from Old West Books

Rare Accounts of Western America from Old West Books

Old West Books has published their Catalog 40 December 2016. It's not hard to guess what type of material they handle, but just in case, it's "rare, out of print books on the American West." While ...

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The Fifth Catalogue from Honey & Wax Booksellers

The Fifth Catalogue from Honey & Wax Booksellers

Honey & Wax Booksellers has released their catalogue No. 5. Honey & Wax specializes in.... something. It's hard to explain. There is literature, art, special editions, some serious intellec...

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A Varied Autumn Catalogue from the Antiquariaat Forum and Asher Rare Books

A Varied Autumn Catalogue from the Antiquariaat Forum and Asher Rare Books

The Antiquariaat Forum and Asher Rare Books have published their Autumn Catalogue 2016. There is no overall description of the material as it varies. However, there are some general parameters. The...

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North America Travel & Emigration from Patrick McGahern Books

North America Travel & Emigration from Patrick McGahern Books

Patrick McGahern Books recently published a catalogue of Rare, Scarce and Interesting Early North America Travel & Emigration, including many autographed and association copies from the collect...

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52 Years for The Pages of Yesteryear

52 Years for The Pages of Yesteryear

The Pages of Yesteryear has issued a catalogue whose title is simply two digits – 52. This is not so much a catalogue number as a celebratory number. It recognizes owner John Renjilian's 52 y...

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The Law from Serious to Sensational at the Lawbook Exchange

The Law from Serious to Sensational at the Lawbook Exchange

The Lawbook Exchange has issued Catalogue 84, Recently Acquired Books, Manuscripts & Ephemera. Naturally, the material in some way involves the law, but within the field it varies widely. There...

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A Millennium of Jewish Culture from Shapero Rare Books

A Millennium of Jewish Culture from Shapero Rare Books

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Medicine from James Tait Goodrich

Medicine from James Tait Goodrich

James Tait Goodrich has issued his Fall 2016 Catalogue X-78, History of Medicine and Science, Pre-Columbian Artifacts, Medical Instruments and Antiques. The old medical instruments a...

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An "Intermezzo" from Erasmushaus

An "Intermezzo" from Erasmushaus

Swiss bookseller Erasmushaus has issued a new catalogue, Intermezzo 52. An intermezzo, in music, is a shorter section between the major parts of a work. We imagine that applies to this catalogue, p...

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Views of London from Daniel Crouch Rare Books

Views of London from Daniel Crouch Rare Books

Daniel Crouch Rare Books has published their Catalogue VIII – Views of London. There are 150 illustrated London scenes offered. Some go back to the 16th century, others as recent as the 19th ...

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Economics, Politics and Philosophy from Peter Harrington

Economics, Politics and Philosophy from Peter Harrington

Peter Harrington recently issued a catalogue of Economics, Politics & Philosophy. There is much thought-provoking material here. This is serious stuff. There is no fiction, at least not intenti...

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Antiquariat Kainbacher Presents the 19th Century Diary and Photographs of  Seaman Gustav Riemer

Antiquariat Kainbacher Presents the 19th Century Diary and Photographs of Seaman Gustav Riemer

This month we review Katalog IX from Austrian bookseller Antiquariat Kainbacher. The title is Tagesbuchs-Auszug betreffend die Reise S.M.S. 'Hertha' nach Ost-Asien und den Südsee-Inseln 1874-1...

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Rare Book Monthly

  • 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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  • 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.

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