At Christie's: The Nebenzahl Collection - Remnants of a Golden Age
- by Bruce E. McKinney
Ken and Jossy Nebenzahl at the first Streeter sale in 1966
The book business is a tough racket and the proof of this statement everywhere. Many people try their hands and most make some money. A few make a career of it, a very few make it to the top. Ken Nebenzahl is one of the few who has made it both as dealer and collector and continues to ride the high surf all the way into his eighties. The clock and responsible judgment lead him a year ago to plan his exit and retirement and he then entered into a contract with Christie’s to handle the dispersal of his and his wife Jossy’s personal collection of important atlases and high points from their remaining inventory. On April 10th, in New York, in what can only be described as a gaudy event, Christie’s will conduct an evening sale to send his material on to the next generation of collectors. Mr. N, at this for going on sixty years and a member of the Grolier for fifty-five, will labor on, his mind sharp but know that the dispersal has been handled properly. It turns out, as it should, that his love of and regard for family trumps his passion for the material.
His sale will almost certainly be the most important book and map sale of the year and may well rank among the very important sales of the decade. It will not be the largest, as measured by lots, but will include many exceptional examples, the type of which is rarely offered for sale. Mr. Nebenzahl, it turns out has acquired not only the exceptionally rare but often the exceptional copy. In this he shared a connoisseur’s perspective with another renowned bookman, H. P. Kraus and in this sale his judgment will be on clear display. Lest anyone think this means more of this level of material will magically soon appear, it’s most unlikely. The best examples of books and maps are beyond rare, something the elite and experienced understand. Inevitably this will be their sale and the opportunity to acquire material that performs differently from mainstream rarities in the years ahead. Great examples invariably do well, the exceptional with a great provenance even better.
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RareBookBuyer.com Specialized in Purchasing
Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
RareBookBuyer.com We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide
RareBookBuyer.com Specialized in Purchasing
Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
RareBookBuyer.com We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide
RareBookBuyer.com Specialized in Purchasing
Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
RareBookBuyer.com We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare. The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
Sotheby’s: William Golding. Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
Sotheby’s: John Milton. Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Ellis Smith Prints unsigned. 20” by 16”.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: United typothetae of America presidents. Pictures of 37 UTA presidents 46th annual convention United typothetae of America Cincinnati 1932.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec signed Paper Impressionism Art Prints. MayMilton 9 1/2” by 13” Reine de Joie 9 1/2” by 13”.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Puss ‘n Boots. 1994 Charles Perrult All four are signed by Andreas Deja
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Specimen book of type faces. Job composition department, Philadelphia gazette publishing company .
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur Court By Mark Twain 1889.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: The American printer, July 1910.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
