• Sotheby’s
    Fine Books & Manuscripts
    June 24-25
    Sotheby’s, June 25: Keats, John. The most significant collection of Keats’s love letters to come to market since 1885. $1,500,000 to $2,500,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: Chassériau, Benoît. The “Expedicion secreta” of the Free State of Cartagena de Indias against the forts of Portobelo (Panama). $50,000 to $70,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: (Hamilton, Alexander, James Madison, and John Jay). "One of the new nation's most important contributions to the theory of government”. $150,000 to $180,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 24: Benjamin Franklin. "the Day of the Declaration of Independence is everywhere annually celebrated". $80,000 to $120,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 24: (Johann Conrad Beissel). A Sammelband of two of Benjamin Franklin's rarest imprints. $70,000 to $100,000.
    Sotheby’s, June 25: [Pernambuco]. First printed work in favor of Brazilian Independence. $150,000 to $200,000.
  • June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Medical Incunabula: Petit (Jean)publisher & Kerver (Thielman)printer. Regimen Sanitatis Salernitanum, sm. 8vo, Paris [1498]
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Hugo (Victor) [Wraxall (Lascelles)]. Les Miserable, 3 vols., 8vo, L. (Hurst & Blackett) 1862, First Authorized English Translation (copyright).
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Shelley (Mary Wollstonecraft). Frankenstein: or The Modern Prometheus, 8vo, 2 vols. in one, L. (G. & W.B. Whittaker, Ave-Maria-Lane) 1823.
    June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Cuisine: Anon. Cookery, Pastry, and Sweet Meats in three Books, Alphabetically Digested, 8vo 1710.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Lambert (Aylmer Bourke). A Description of the Genus Pinus, with Directions Relative to the Cultivation…, 2 vols. Sm. folio L. (Messrs. Weddell) 1832.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Botany: Curtis (William). Flora Londinensis: or Plates and Descriptions of such Plants as Grow Wild in the Environs of London, 2 vols. folio, London (B. White) 1777 – 1798.
    June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Le Moire (J.M.) Maple Leaves, Canadian History and Quebec Scenery (Third Series) 8vo Quebec (Hunter, Rose & Co.) 1865. First Edn.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: The Earliest Extant Printed House Contents Sale Catalogue in Ireland: Baillie, Auctioneer, Abby Street. A Catalogue of the Goods and Stock of the late Edward Wingfield…
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: William III King of England. Autograph Letter Signed ("William R") to an unnamed correspondent [possibly Charles-Henri de Lorraine] discussing his strategy against the French forces during the siege of Namur.
    June 23rd, 24th & 25th 2026
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: [Austen (Jane) (1785-1817]. Pride and Prejudice, 3 vols. sm. 8vo, L. (T. Egerton) 1813.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Heaney (Seamus). Ugolino, sm. folio D. (Dolmen) 1979, Limited Edn. No. 78/125 Copies, Signed by Seamus Heaney, Louis le Brocquy, Liam Miller and Andrew Carpenter.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, June 23-25: Voltaire (F.M. Avouet de). Petits Ouvrages, attribues a M. de Voltaire, sm. folio manuscript, dated 1776, containing 9 works.
  • Bonhams, June 14-23: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presentation Gold Pocket Watch. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Presentation Copy of the First Issue of the Lincoln Douglas Debates Signed by Abraham Lincoln in Pencil to a Sangamon County Illinois Republican. Estimate: $150,000 - 250,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A Senate Resolution Signed in the Tense Days After the Union's Humiliating Defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Seven Passages to a Flight, an Artists Book with a Story Quilt by Faith Ringgold, the Publisher's Own Copy. Estimate: $80,000 - 120,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A New Charter for Virginia, A Response to the First Armed Rebellion in the American Colonies. Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Earliest obtainable printing of the Bill of Rights. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Edward Curtis Orotone. Estimate: $7,000 - 9,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Butter or Dessert Plate from FDR's State Dinner Service. Estimate: $3,000 - 5,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: An Early Large-Format Plan of the City of Washington. Estimate: $1,500 - 2,500
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Containing the First Map to Name the Hudson River. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: America's First Major Novelist, a Complete Chapter in Autograph Manuscript by James Fenimore Cooper. Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The Only Full-Length Book by Jefferson, with the Justly Famous Map. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
  • June 25, 2026
    Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
    Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
    Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
    Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
    June 25, 2026
    Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
    Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
    Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
    Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.

Rare Book Monthly Reviews - June - 2016 Issue

Archives and Manuscripts from the William Reese Company

Archives and Manuscripts from the William Reese Company

The William Reese Company has published a catalogue of Archives & Manuscripts. It contains hand-written material, from single documents to collections. Most, though not all, are American in origin. Chronologically, they range from a 1555 account of South America to a 1960 letter from Jacqueline Kennedy. However, most date from the period leading to the American Revolution through the 19th century. Much of what is described are historic events, some from notable participants, others from ordinary people, such as several archives of letters from Civil War soldiers. Other items may be more...

The Capitulations of Santa Fe from Stéphane Clavreuil Rare Books

The Capitulations of Santa Fe from Stéphane Clavreuil Rare Books

Stéphane Clavreuil Rare Books has issued a most unusual catalogue. It contains but one item, Capitulaciones de Santa Fe (Capitulations of Santa Fe). This is the sole surviving copy of the fi...

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A Miscellany from Maine by J & J Hanrahan

A Miscellany from Maine by J & J Hanrahan

J & J Hanrahan of Wells, Maine has released their List 63 – Miscellany - 2016. Being a miscellany, it's impossible to pinpoint what you may find here. Naturally, there are items from the ...

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The American West and Much More from Back of Beyond Books

The American West and Much More from Back of Beyond Books

Back of Beyond Books has published their Rare Book Catalogue 17. Back of Beyond is noted for their concentration on the American West, the Southwest in particular, the Four Corners region in even m...

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New Arrivals, Many Signed, from Quill and Brush

New Arrivals, Many Signed, from Quill and Brush

Quill and Brush, of Dickerson, Maryland, has published their List 202: Mostly New Arrivals, April 2016. We're slightly late on this, but printed catalogues don't travel at the speed of light. They ...

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Important Novels and More from Whitmore Rare Books

Important Novels and More from Whitmore Rare Books

Whitmore Rare Books has released their Catalogue 13. Mostly what you will find are novels, from the 18th-20th century, written by authors ranging from notable to great. You will know their names. A...

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Items Displayed at the Olympia Fair by Samuel Gedge Ltd.

Items Displayed at the Olympia Fair by Samuel Gedge Ltd.

Samuel Gedge Ltd. has printed a catalogue of Books, Manuscripts & Ephemera for the just completed Olympia Book Fair. This is not a typical fair list but a full, bound catalogue, with thorough d...

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Archives, Photo Albums, and Primary Material from Brian Cassidy, Bookseller

Archives, Photo Albums, and Primary Material from Brian Cassidy, Bookseller

Brian Cassidy, Bookseller has issued Catalogue Eleven, featuring archives, photographs, albums, manuscripts, scrapbooks, collections and other primary materials. You won't find many books or single...

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David M. Lesser's 150th Catalogue of Rare Americana

David M. Lesser's 150th Catalogue of Rare Americana

David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has issued a new catalogue of Rare Americana. This is their sesquicentennial - catalogue number 150. David Lesser regularly publishes selections of primarily ...

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Western Books, Famed and Obscure, from Old West Books

Western Books, Famed and Obscure, from Old West Books

Old West Books has issued their Catalog 39 June 2016 of Rare, Out of Print Books on the American West. Old West offers a selection of books geared toward the serious western collector. Along with s...

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Arctic & Canadiana from Bjarne Tokerud Bookseller

Arctic & Canadiana from Bjarne Tokerud Bookseller

Bjarne Tokerud Bookseller has released a catalogue of Arctic & Canadiana. The image on the cover, drawn by Walter William May on one of the many expeditions to find the lost ships of Sir John F...

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Exceptional Material from Raptis Rare Books

Exceptional Material from Raptis Rare Books

Raptis Rare Books has issued a Spring 2016 catalogue. They have described it as "from Darwin to Dalloway," but there are many works and authors not beginning with the letter "D." "Austen to Zhivago...

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More from the Book Arts from the Veatchs

More from the Book Arts from the Veatchs

The Veatchs Arts of the Book has issued Catalogue 84 Spring 2016. It features books that are works of art. Fine bindings, handmade paper, artistic drawings, high quality printing, specially designe...

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British Books and Owners from Antiquates Ltd.

British Books and Owners from Antiquates Ltd.

Antiquates Ltd. Fine & Rare Books has issued a catalogue of British Books and Owners. You just need those two names to understand what is offered herein. They are books written or owned by Brit...

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Sporting Books & Manuscripts from L & T Respess Books

Sporting Books & Manuscripts from L & T Respess Books

L & T Respess Books has produced their List 305: Sporting Books & Manuscripts. With the exception of a few early baseball items, these aren't pieces pertaining to team sports. They are outd...

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Fine Press Books from John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller

Fine Press Books from John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller

John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller has published a Short List 2. 27 Fine Press Books. This is a selection of excellent examples from the book arts. The fine press movement did not begin with Willia...

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Canadiana and Antiquarian Books from Patrick McGahern Books

Canadiana and Antiquarian Books from Patrick McGahern Books

Patrick McGahern Books has published a catalogue of Rare, Scarce and Interesting Canadiana & Antiquarian Books. That does sum up what you will find. Everything will qualify as antiquarian, and ...

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A Catalogue of Lewis Carroll from Peter Harrington

A Catalogue of Lewis Carroll from Peter Harrington

Peter Harrington has published a catalogue of Lewis Carroll (Charles L. Dodgson). A Selection from the Library of an English Bibliophile. Charles Lutwidge Dodgson was an unassuming mathematician an...

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A Spring Catalogue of Books about Books from Oak Knoll

A Spring Catalogue of Books about Books from Oak Knoll

Oak Knoll Books has published their Catalogue 310 A Spring Catalogue of Books about Books. The catalogue is broken into separate sections, which gives a good idea of what you will find in a catalog...

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More Children's Books from Aleph-Bet Books

More Children's Books from Aleph-Bet Books

Aleph-Bet Books has released their Catalogue 113 of Children's Books & Illustrated Books. It follows their typical format – almost 600 books and ephemeral items, most all both for childre...

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Rare Book Monthly

  • Bonhams, June 14-23: Palm-reading, astrology, and more. Estimate: $2,000 - 3,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Benjamin Franklin. Sammelband of 45 papers on electricity. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The basis for the whole modern electric-power industry. Estimate: $4,000 - 6,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Edgar Allen Poe. Poe on Mesmerism. Estimate: $2,500 - 3,500
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Reformation - The Architect of Lutheranism on Church Unity and Dissent. Estimate: $100,000 - 150,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: The Rare 3-Paper Offprint Identifying the Double Helix Structure of DNA, Signed by Crick, Wilkins, Wilson, Stokes and Gosling. Estimate: $40,000 - 60,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph book and Report from the Thirtieth Indian National Congress, featuring the signatures of Mahatma Gandhi, Rabindranath Tagore, and Dadabhai Naoroji. Estimate: $6,000 - 8,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: An Illustrated Miniature Hebrew Prayerbook Manuscript. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Autograph Working Draft of Arthur Conan Doyle's The Death Voyage. Estimate: $30,000 - 50,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: "Perhaps the most celebrated and most beautiful herbal ever published." Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: Izaak Walton. The Compleat Angler or the Contemplative man's Recreation. Being a Discourse of Fish and Fishing. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
    Bonhams, June 14-23: A rare product of the Jaquard loom. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
  • Freeman’s, June 30. Thomas Jefferson’s “Birth of the New Nation” letter, carried to Paris with the Treaty of Peace, by a Jewish patriot. $100,000-200,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. “The rockets’ red glare.” A British midshipman’s log recording the bombardment of Fort McHenry. $60,000-80,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The Critical Promotion of a Naval Hero, Oliver Hazard Perry Commission signed by James Madison, 1812. $40,000-60,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Born in the USA: First Day of Printing in the United States, July 4, 1776. $15,000-25,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. One of the Earliest Printed Announcements of American Independence, in the Exceedingly Rare Original Wrappers, 1776. $10,000-15,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. "The Two Big Guns of the N.Y. Yanks": A Striking Type 1 Press Photograph of Lou Gehrig's Hands. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Unique Contemporary Manuscript Account of Joseph Smith's Final Words to His Followers, the Day Before his Violent Death. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. The State of Minnesota Officially Certifies the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution Of the United States. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Extraordinarily Large Manuscript Petition Signed by a Who's Who of Colonial New York to Queen Anne from the Colony of New York. $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Mickey Mantle's First Cover: The Earliest Front-Page Newspaper Image of Mickey Mantle, "Something Good from Joplin". $8,000-12,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. A Call to Arms in the Months Following the Declaration of Independence: An Early Continental Army Recruitment Poster. $6,000-9,000.
    Freeman’s, June 30. Samuel Jones, the Statesman Behind the Newly Discovered "Jones Declaration": His Annotated Set Used in His Working Law Library. $6,000-9,000.

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