• Sotheby’s
    Important Modern Literature from the Library of an American Filmmaker
    8 December 2023
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Kerouac, Jack. Typescript scroll of The Dharma Bums. Typed by Kerouac in Orlando, Florida, 1957, published by Viking in 1958. 300,000 - 500,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Hemingway, Ernest. The autograph manuscript of "The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber." [Key West, finished April 1936]. 300,000 - 500,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Miller, Henry. Typescript of The Last Book, a working title for Tropic of Cancer, written circa 1931–1932. 100,000 - 150,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Ruscha, Ed. Twentysix Gasoline Stations, with a lengthy inscription to Joe Goode. 40,000 - 60,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Hemingway, Ernest. in our time, first edition of Hemingway’s second book. 30,000 - 50,000 USD
  • Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Saint Jerome penitent, woodcut with contemporary hand-colouring and letterpress text beneath, [Augsburg], [Johann Froschauer], [c.1498]. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Elimithar (Elluchasem) "Ibn Butlan". Tacuini sanitatis, first edition, Strasbourg, Johann Schott, 1531. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: [Missale Romanum], Latin, Incipit ordo missalis secundum consuetudinem Curiae Romani, manuscript in Latin, on vellum, 234ff. [c. 1400]. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Foyle copy.- [Shakespeare (William)]. Macbeth. A Tragedy: With all the Alterations, Amendments, Additions, and New Songs. As it is now Acted at the Theatre Royal, for Hen. Herringman, 1687. £5,000 to £7,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Dickens (Charles). A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, first edition, first impression, first issue, Chapman & Hall, 1843. £12,000 to £18,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Lawrence (T.E.) Revolt in the Desert, working draft typescript, 1927. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Hampstead Bindery.- Phillips (Stephen). Marpessa, exquisitely bound by The Hampstead Bindery, almost certainly P.A. Savoldelli, 1900. £6,000 to £8,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Matisse (Henri).- Joyce (James). Ulysses, one of 1500 copies, this one of 250 signed by the author and artist, New York, The Limited Editions Club, 1935. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Burroughs (Edgar Rice). Tarzan at the Earth's Core, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author to his son, New York, 1930. £5,000 to £7,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    30th November, 2023
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Fitzgerald (F. Scott). Tender is the Night, first edition, first printing, signed by the author, New York, 1934. £15,000 to £20,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: Fleming (Ian).- Hooks (Mitchell) and David Chasman. Dr. No, British film poster, Stafford & Co Ltd, [1962]. £10,000 to £15,000.
    Forum Auctions, Nov. 30: America.- California.- Palou (Francisco). Relacion Historica de la Vida Y Apostolicas Tareas delVenerable Padre Fray Junipero Serra..., first edition, second issue, 1787. £6,000 to £8,000.
  • CHRISTIE’S
    Valuable Books and Manuscripts
    London auction
    13 December
    Find out more
    Christie’s, Explore now
    TREW, Christoph Jacob (1695–1769). Plantae Selectae quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini in hortus curiosorum. [Nuremberg: 1750–1773]. £30,000–40,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    VERBIEST, Ferdinand (1623–88). Liber Organicus Astronomiae Europaeae apud Sinas restituate. [Beijing: Board of Astronomy, 1674]. £250,000–350,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF ALICE & NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT. Master of Jean Rolin (active 1445–65). Book of Hours, use of Paris, in Latin and French, [Paris, c.1450–1460]. £120,000–180,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    A SILVER MICROSCOPE. Probably by Antoni van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723), c.1700. £150,000–250,000
    Christie’s, Explore now
    AN ENGLISH HORARY QUADRANT
    C.1311. £100,000–150,000
  • Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: Samuel Augustus Mitchell, A New Map of Texas, Oregon and California with the Regions Adjoining, Philadelphia, 1846. $3,500 to $5,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: 17th–19th-century case maps of various locations. $1,500 to $2,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Andreas Cellarius, Haemisphaerium Stellatum Boreale Cum Subiecto Haemisphaerio Terrestri, celestial chart, Amsterdam, 1708. $2,500 to $3,500.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: Vincenzo Coronelli, Set of engraved gores for Coronelli’s monumental 42-inch terrestrial globe, Venice, circa 1688–97. $18,000 to $22,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Lucas Janszoon Waghenaer, group of four navigational charts, Antwerp, 1580s. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Thomas Bros, Block Book of Berkeley, Oakland, 1920s. $800 to $1,200.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Nieuhoff & John Ogilby, An Embassy from the East-India Company of the United Provinces, map of China, plan of Canton, London, 1673. $1,200 to $1,800.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Frederick Sander, Reichenbachia, St. Albans, 1888-1894. $5,000 to $7,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Two early illustrated works on horsemanship and breeding, Nuremberg, early 18th century. $700 to $800.
    Swann
    Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
    December 7, 2023
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Gould, A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans. Supplement to the First Edition, London, 1834; 1855. $40,000 to $60,000.
    Swann, Dec. 7: John Pinkerton, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World, London, 1808–14. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Swann, Dec. 7: Oakley Hoopes Bailey, Hackensack, New Jersey, Boston, 1896. $800 to $1,200.

Rare Book Monthly

Articles - November - 2023 Issue

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair Turns 45!

Rare books in good company

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair celebrated its 45th anniversary, Oct 27-29, at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s historic Back Bay. The event brought together over 100 exhibitors from the US and abroad selling and exhibiting rare first editions, maps, illuminated manuscripts, children’s books, photographs, autographs, prints, drawings, and all sorts of antique literary ephemera.

 

“This is one of the most important annual events in the country for rare book enthusiasts,” says Julie Roper CEO of Capricorn Event Management, LLC, who has managed the Boston Book Fair since 2015. “Attendance at the Fair was up over 10% from last year, and we were delighted to welcome many familiar faces as well as a diversity of new attendees. Several of our participating dealers remarked that they were pleased to see visitors who came to the Fair for the first time last year and returned this year as new collectors.”

 

Dealers from Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands, Serbia, the UK, and the US exhibited an alluring treasure trove for seasoned bibliomaniacs and first-time attendees. Prices ranged from the millions to the eminently affordable.. A complete list of exhibitors can be found at https://www.abaa.org/bostonbookfair/exhibitor-list1

 

Highlights from this year's fair were the “Ars Minor” of Aelius Donatus (a 15th century Latin primer) possibly printed before the Gutenberg Bible (Patrick Olson Rare Books), a handwritten poem entitled “The Snowflake Star” by a 14-year-old Sylvia Plath (Type Punch Matrix); a 1563 edition of “On the Nature of Things” by Lucretius (Evening Star Books), an eye-popping contemporary art book by Franco-Mexican artist Lorena Velazquez (Kaaterskill Books); a lavishly illustrated 1533 French Book of Hours (James Gray Booksellers), the first ‘indestructible’ German children's book printed on fabric in 1840 (Simon Beattie); along with a first edition of John Steinbeck's “East of Eden” (GrayShelf Books), a signed limited edition of “Albert Einstein: Philosopher-Scientist” from the Library of Living Philosophers (First Edition Rare Books) as well as a Black Panther Party “Black is Beautiful” engraving from 1965 (Bromer Booksellers), and so much more.

 

One of the international exhibitors represented was Maggs Bros, hailing from London, who attracted a lot of attention with a book listing the winning numbers and prizes for the first authorized lottery in Colonial America, valued at $15,000. “The title of the book is ‘Benefit Tickets in the Government Lottery of the Province of the Massachusetts-Bay, For the Sum of Thirty Seven Thousand Five Hundred Pounds’, " said rare books dealer Fuchsia Voremberg.  According to Voremberg, the book is thought to be the only surviving copy of lottery results from the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1745. "Prior to this copy coming onto the market, we’re not even sure if people knew that it existed," Voremberg told WBZ NewsRadio on Sunday.

 

Another London dealer, Peter Harrington Rare Books, brought a signed copy of William Butler Yeats’s first play, Mosada, Billed as “one of the greatest rarities of English literature,” the work was on display this weekend for the first time since 1956 – and its £125,000 price tag is all thanks to a message from beyond the grave  It was last displayed at Trinity College Dublin 67 years ago.

Written in 1886, when Yeats was just 21, Mosada is a short verse play that had a print run of 100. Only 21 are thought to have survived, nine signed. This one has Yeats’s signature, but also a problematic dedication. It was signed to what for many years was thought to be a “Mrs Zena Powell, from her friend, the author.” Recent research revealed her name to actually be Zena Vowell, and reports from a 1924 seance helped to solve the mystery.

 

John Reznikoff of University Archives exhibited a love letter from founding father George Washington, written prior to his presidency.  “Dear Madam, when I had the happiness to see you last, you expressed an inclination,” Reznikoff read. “This is an amazing survival of the only known letter of George Washington in private hands to the real love of his life, who was Sally Fairfax,” he added.

 

And, San Francisco-based dealer John Windle was ecstatic about this year’s Fair. "It’s the luck of the draw, ain’t it! I was not supposed to go to Boston due to recent surgery but I “had a feeling” and went anyway…and at the opening we were off to the races with a $12,500 sale to a newbie (to me) who, it turns out, is well known to Americana specialists. Then we sold a Cook’s third voyage to a dealer, about $30K’s worth of William Blake to a proper gent, a very rare (4 known) Cosway solid gold binding to a UK dealer, a couple of modern firsts (yes, really!) and a few bibs and bobs to Americana dealers for the better part of $90K — which all together equals the grand combined total of my last half dozen Boston Fairs. For the Latinists amongst us: “nunc scripsi totum pro christo da michi potum.” (Now I’ve had my say for Christ’s sake give me a drink).”

 

Besides the objects, art, and books, the weekend also involved a number of discussions, including Erica Ciallela’s discussion of “Belle da Costa Green: A Librarian’s Legacy”; Boston Rare Maps’ Michael Buehler’s exploration of “From Riot to Revolution: Revolutionary-era Boston in Maps & Prints”; Boston Book Company’s Charles Vilnus’ talk on “Japanese Aesthetics and the Creation of ‘Modern Art’,” Conservation Specialist Todd Pattison’s “Good Enough to Read: The Myth of the Temporary BInding,” and “Female Provenance: Book Collecting by Women” with the Ticknor Society’s Devon Eastland, Meghan Constantinou, and Sarah Funke Butler.  

 

Whether browsing or buying, the Fair offered something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy, science, sport, natural history, first editions, Americana, fashion, music, children’s books, and much more—appealing to a range of collectors and casual browsers. From the historic and academic to the religious and spiritual, from the exotic to everyday—the Fair represents every conceivable genre and subject. Attendees had the unique chance to view rare and historic museum-quality items, offered by some of the most prestigious members of the trade.

 

The Boston Book Fair is sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB).

 

In recent years, the BIABF has increasingly captured the attention of novice and young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points. For those wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, dealers offer “Discovery” items priced at $100 or less.

 

For more information, visit www.bostonbookfair.com or call 617-938-8879.

 

WWW.BOSTONBOOKFAIR.COM?

FACEBOOK @BOSTONBOOKFAIR 

INSTAGRAM @BOSTONBOOKFAIR  

Rare Book Monthly

  • ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
    abaa.org/vbf
    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
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    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
    abaa.org/vbf
    ABAA VBF: Holiday Edition
    November 30-December 2
    abaa.org/vbf
  • Sotheby’s
    Fine Books and Manuscripts
    8 December 2023
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: [Austen, Jane] — Isaac D'Israeli. Jane Austen's copy of Curiosities of Literature. 100,000 - 150,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition in boards of the author's debut novel. 70,000 - 100,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Brontë, Charlotte. "I am no bird; and no net ensnares me..." 100,000 - 150,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Eliot, George. The author's magnum opus. 25,000 - 35,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Dec. 8: Whitman, Walt. Manuscript written upon the Death of Lincoln, 1865. 60,000 - 80,000 USD
  • Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Roberts (David) & Croly (George). The Holy Land, Syria, Idumae, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia. Lond. 1842 - 1843 [-49]. First Edn. €10,000 to €15,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Incunabula: O'Fihily (Maurice). Duns Scotus Joannes: O'Fihely, Maurice Abp… Venice, 20th November 1497. €8,000 to €12,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: An important file of documents with provenance to G.A. Newsom, manager of the Jacob’s Factory in Dublin, occupied by insurgents during Easter Week 1916. €6,000 to €9,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: WILDE (Oscar), 1854-1900, playwright, aesthete and wit. A lock of Wilde’s Hair, presented by his son to the distinguished Irish actor Mícheál MacLiammóir. €6,000 to €8,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Heaney (Seamus). Bog Poems, London, 1975. Special Limited Edition, No. 33 of 150 Copies, Signed by Author. Illus. by Barrie Cooke. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Binding: Burke, Thomas O.P. (de Burgo). Hibernia Dominicana, Sive Historia Provinciae Hiberniae Ordinis Praedicatorum, ... 1762. First Edition. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: COLLINS, Michael. An important TL, 29 July 1922, addressed to GOVERNMENT on ‘suggested Proclamation warning all concerned that troops have orders to shoot prisoners found sniping, ambushing etc.’. €3,000 to €4,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Scott Fitzgerald (F.) The Great Gatsby, New York (Charles Scribner's Sons) 1925, First Edn. €2,000 to €3,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Yeats (W.B.) The Poems of W.B. Yeats, 2 vols. Lond. (MacMillan & Co.) 1949. Limited Edition, No. 46 of 375 Copies Only, Signed by W.B. Yeats. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of the Russian Empire, Description in English and French, Lg. folio London (S. Gosnell) 1803. First Edn. €1,000 to €1,500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Miller (William) Publisher. The Costume of Turkey, Illustrated by a Series of Engravings. Lg. folio Lond.(T. Bensley) 1802. First Edn. €800 to €1,200.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Dec. 12-13: Mason (Geo. Henry). The Costume of China, Illustrated with Sixty Engravings. Lg. folio London (for W. Miller) 1800. First Edn. €1,400 to €1,800

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