Boston “Shadow Fair” Has Come Full Circle and Reports Full House
- by Bruce E. McKinney
Boston “Shadow Fair” Has Come Full Circle and Reports Full House
The annual Boston “shadow show”, now promoted by MW Book Fairs, has come full circle since its beginnings almost 30 years ago at the Pilgrim Garage just up the street from the current location at the Hilton Boston Back Bay at 40 Dalton Street. Long-time exhibitors in the Boston show scene such as Peter Stern, William Hutchison, Peter Luke and Richard Mori will be on the “shadow” floor again this year and can relate stories of the early days when portable toilets were brought into the Pilgram Garage and monthly parking tenants were removed from the basement for the show to proceed. This year’s fair is set for November 8 at the Hilton Boston Back Bay, with hours from 8 am to 4 pm. Dealer comfort is a top priority at the current Hilton venue, with well-appointed show space (including modern bathrooms), comfortable sleeping rooms, a great restaurant, breakfast buffet, and parking on-site, with the promoters offering a dealer breakfast first thing on the day of the show.
MW Book Fairs, a collaboration between Duane A. Stevens of Wiggins Fine Books ABAA and Richard Mori of Richard Mori Books, has registered 50 respected and experienced antiquarian book, ephemera and photo dealers for this year’s show that promises to be one of the most eclectic shows in years. While dealer retention from last year is high, Richard and Duane are pleased to welcome several new dealers, including: Pico Banerjee, who hails from Lewiston, Maine and was the winner of the "shadow fair" half-booth auctioned off at this year's CABS conference, with generous support also from Garrett Scott; Owl of Minerva will be joining us making the trip up from West New York, NJ; Jason Phillips (Phillips and Phillips) will be coming down from Rochester, NH; Buzz Bookstore is coming from Maryland; the Joe Fay Company from Connecticut; Laureate Fine Books from Vermont and winners of a partial booth scholarship as 2025 CABS graduates; Second Wind Books from New Haven, CT; and Peter Forman of Custodians of History from Plymouth, MA and several others have signed on. MW Book Fairs wishes to welcome these dealers who will bring an eclectic range of fresh material and add to the diversity of the fair.
At this year’s fair MW Book Fairs will again host the ABAA’s Diversity Initiative and welcome two enterprising prospective members of the trade and their ABAA mentor/guide who will tour the fair and meet dealers. In addition, MW will be providing free tickets to all dealers at the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Hynes Convention Center through its collaboration with Capricorn Events, that show's promoter. Capricorn in turn generously provides free tickets to all “shadow fair” dealers. Finally, MW has renewed its pledge to again donate a portion of fair proceeds to the ABAA's Benevolent Fund that assists booksellers in times of emergency.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Les Chants de Maldoror, Paris, Albert Skira, 1934. €30,000 to €40,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Braque le Patron, Paris, Fernand Mourlot, 1945. €8,000 to €10,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Le Soleil des eaux, Paris, Matarasso, 1949. €3,000 to €4,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Des Hirondelles et de quelques oiseaux connus, méconnus, ou inconnus décrits par le Comte de Buffon et Dado, Fontfroide, 1988. €3,000 to €4,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:
ALDE, Dec. 3:Ne coupez pas mademoiselle ou les erreurs des P.T.T., Paris, Galerie Simon, 1921. €5,000 to €6,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Hommage à Pablo Picasso, Paris, s.n., 1966. €8,000 to €10,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Qu'est-ce que Thérèse ? C'est les maronniers en fleurs, Paris, Le Soleil Noir, 1974. €5,000 to €6,000.
ALDE, Dec. 3:Traité des Excitants Modernes, Paris, Yves Rivière, 1989. €6,000 to €8,000.
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Swann Illustration Art December 4, 2025
Swann, Dec. 4: William Wallace Denslow (1856-1915). Pen and ink illustration for the first edition of Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Chicago: George M. Hill, 1900), page 33. $60,000 to $80,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Jerry Pinkney (1939-2021). The Great Minu, African folk tale complete book, group of 15 illustrations. 1974. $12,000 to $16,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Charles Schulz (1922-2000). Peanuts, Snoopy's brother Spike Christmas Cactus illustration. 1989 $8,000 to $12,000..
Swann Illustration Art December 4, 2025
Swann, Dec. 4: James Montgomery Flagg (1877-1960). Dean Cornwell in his studio. Watercolor and pencil on board. 1920. $5,000 to $7,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Charles Samuel Addams (1912-1988). Study for "Movie Scream," 1947. $2,000 to $3,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Edmund Dulac (1882-1953). "Q was a quaint dainty queen." Watercolor and ink on paper. 1906. $6,000 to $9,000.
Swann Illustration Art December 4, 2025
Swann, Dec. 4: Albert Hirschfeld (1903-2003). Camelot. Pen and ink on board. 1960. $6,000 to $9,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Maurice Sendak (1928-2012). "Chicken Soup" sketch. Ink on paper. Circa 1962. $4,000 to $6,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Kay Nielsen (1886-1957). But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. Pastel on board. Circa 1955. $5,000 to $7,000.
Swann Illustration Art December 4, 2025
Swann, Dec. 4: Julian De Miskey (1898-1976). Equestrian riding across 5th Avenue. Mixed media on board. Circa 1930. $4,000 to $6,000.
Swann, Dec. 4: Walt Disney Studios. Pinocchio "When You Wish Upon A Star" Jiminy Cricket Courvoisier animation cel. Gouache on celluloid over airbrushed background on board. 1940. $2,000 to $2,500.
Swann, Dec. 4: Arnold Lobel (1933-1987). "I will tell you a story while we are waiting," graphite on tracing paper. 1976. $1,500 to $2,000.
SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions The Odfjell Collection Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books Ending December 4th
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ERNEST SHACKLETON: «The heart of the Antarctic» + SUPPLEMENT «The Antarctic Book», 1909.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.
SD Scandinavian Art & Rare Book Auctions The Odfjell Collection Polar – History – Ornithology – Colour Plate Books Ending December 4th
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: ELEAZAR ALBIN: «A natural History of Birds.» + «A Supplement», 1738-40. Wonderful coloured plates.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.
Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4: JAMES JOYCE: «Ulysses», 1922. FIRST EDITION IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Pliny. Historia naturalis, the Macclesfield copy, printed on vellum, Rome: Sweynheym and Pannartz, 1470. $900,000 to $1,200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Aristotle. The fine Doheny set of Aldo's editio princeps, Venice, 1495–1498. $400,000 to $600,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 9: Euclid. The Norman copy of one of the most influential, enduring, and beautiful books in the history of science, Venice, 1482. $100,000 to $150,000.
![<b>ALDE, Dec. 3:</b [PICASSO (PABLO)]. <i>Hommage à Pablo Picasso,</i> Paris, s.n., 1966. €8,000 to €10,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/f6ec5592-2bab-41b8-a105-7f0702d97750.jpg "<b>ALDE, Dec. 3:</b [PICASSO (PABLO)]. <i>Hommage à Pablo Picasso,</i> Paris, s.n., 1966. €8,000 to €10,000.")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/0a99416d-9c0f-4fa3-afdd-7532ca8a2b2c.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ROALD AMUNDSEN: «Sydpolen» [ The South Pole] 1912. First edition in jackets and publisher's slip case.")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/a077b4a5-0477-4c47-9847-0158cf045843.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> AMUNDSEN & NANSEN: «Fram over Polhavet» [Farthest North] 1897. AMUNDSEN's COPY!")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/6363a735-e622-4d0a-852e-07cef58eccbe.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> ERNEST SHACKLETON [ed.]: «Aurora Australis» 1908. First edition. The NORWAY COPY.")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/3ee16d5b-a2ec-4c03-aeb6-aa3fcfec3a5e.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> SHACKLETON, BERNACCHI, CHERRY-GARRARD [ed.]: «The South Polar Times» I-III, 1902-1911.")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/d5f50485-7faa-423f-af0c-803b964dd2ba.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> [WILLEM BARENTSZ & HENRY HUDSON] - SAEGHMAN: «Verhael van de vier eerste schip-vaerden […]», 1663.")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/fb024365-7d7a-4510-9859-9d26b5c266cf.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> TERRA NOVA EXPEDITION | LIEUTENANT HENRY ROBERTSON BOWERS: «At the South Pole.», Gelatin Silver Print. [10¾ x 15in. (27.2 x 38.1cm.) ].")
![<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/a7c0eda0-9d8b-43ac-a504-58923308d5a4.jpg "<b>Scandinavian Art & Rare Books Auctions, Dec. 4:</b> PAUL GAIMARD: «Voyage de la Commision scientific du Nord, en Scandinavie, […]», c. 1842-46. ONLY HAND COLOURED COPY KNOWN WITH TWO ORIGINAL PAINTINGS BY BIARD.")
