I write from time to time about my collection relating to the Hudson Valley of the State of New York. I’ve been collecting for sixty years and continue to be surprised by my changing interaction with this subject. I could say “evolving” but this seems to understate the speed with which my options for collecting change.
A book collector from an early age I soon learned about some forty-plus titles I should focus on. That a collection might include more than books was dismissed as requiring the complex alchemy of knowledge and opportunity. As to opportunity it was suggested I offer to...
The first “Aristophil sale” will take place this month in Paris, France, as an epilogue to the “biggest scandal in the history of autographs”.
The Aristophil case started in 1990, when Gérard...
In the summer of 1786, 27-year-old Robert Burns delivered his first set of poems to a local printer. Burns was the son of a farmer, one who saw little future for himself in his native Scotland. He ...
“Courtesy to the trade:” That’s the old school way of saying that a dealer will give a discount or be more flexible in pricing and terms if you declare yourself as a fellow bookseller. The best way...
Last month, we wrote about a very early copy of the Declaration of Independence coming up for sale at auction (click here). It was the first New York edition, printed on July 9, 1776, just five day...
In 2009 I was looking for a distinctive book plate to identify the 81 lots I would send later in the year to Bloomsbury, then in New York. Several members of the Roxburghe Club in San Francisco su...
George Fox, who recently passed away, was an engaging man born with a serious case of bibliomania. He liked the printed word, be it a book or ephemera and organized his life around involvement wit...
Marsh's Library, Ireland's first public library, hosted an exhibition called Hunting Stolen Books. It was based on books that went missing from the library during its first 133 years of existence. ...
Bolerium is back in the news. They have taken over an additional 1,700 square feet at 2141 Mission in San Francisco. The space was previously occupied by Libros Latinos. John Durham, the proprie...
On December 14 Doyle New York has an auction of photography that includes seventy-five photographs (in seventy-one lots) by Ansel Adams. These come from a complete Museum Set. Such sets, issued by ...
Editor's Note: On December 7, Christie's will host a sale of Russian America Polar Exploration: Highlights from the Martin Greene Library. The following is an introduction written by the collector...
Editor's Note: Christie's sale on December 5th of Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts Including Americana contains a beautiful selection of manuscripts from the Jay T. Snider Collection. This is Boo...
It is a given that electronic formats are superior to printed books for ease of use and document preservation. For ease of use, they can be accessed from anywhere via the internet, sent via email h...
Words that have become immortalized through the HBO show Game of Thrones will ring true this month: Winter is Coming. And with the cold comes a lull in the auction season as the industry takes time...
It is another sign of the changing of the guard in terms of print versus electronic media. Britain's oldest postcard publisher is closing its doors after over a century in business. J. Salmon opene...
The story of the Mosul University Library, like that of so many things in Iraq, is one of enormous tragedy. The library survived the Iraqi War, though it brought numerous hardships to the city. The...
For December, we have 13 new bookseller catalogues to review. Perhaps in keeping with the season, gift-giving for friends and family with varied tastes, we have a few more catalogues with a variety...
