Rare Book Monthly Articles - June - 2024 Issue

Two Elderly Women Attack the British Library's Copy of the Magna Carta with a Hammer and Chisel

Two Elderly Women Attack the British Library's Copy of the Magna Carta with a Hammer and Chisel

In one of the more bizarre attacks in memory, one of the rare early copies of England's Magna Carta was attacked at the British Library. The Magna Carta is Britain's bill of rights, the most important document in its history. The two suspects attacked the document with a hammer and chisel. Then, the story gets really strange. The two suspects were women, elderly women. One was 82-years old, the other 85. The younger one was an Anglican priest, Reverend Dr. Sue Parfitt. The other, Judy Bruce, was a retired biology teacher. These are not the typical profiles of violent criminals.   They did...

Collectible paper, née Rare Books, is moving on

Collectible paper, née Rare Books, is moving on

Collectible paper’s value has long depended on content and priority which is often subject to interpretation and argument.  When such material is offered at auction [and often but not always sold],...

Charles Agvent: ABAA/ILAB a high visibility antiquarian dealer

Charles Agvent: ABAA/ILAB a high visibility antiquarian dealer

If you’ve been in the book trade for any length of time you’ll have heard of Charles Agvent. One reason is because he shows up every day in your inbox with two or three interesting items at various...

A Farewell to Todd Weyman: Our Congratulations on His Retirement

A Farewell to Todd Weyman: Our Congratulations on His Retirement

May 24, 2024   In an industry not particularly known for big changes, Swann Galleries is about to undergo the kind of change that only happens once in a generation. After almost 30 years at the h...

Why Do Collectors Collect?

Why Do Collectors Collect?

Why do collectors collect, or more specifically, why do book collectors collect books? If you ask them, they will probably have an explanation such as a love of books, a life-long love of reading, ...

François Hue’s Narrative, or the last days of the man who wouldn’t be king

François Hue’s Narrative, or the last days of the man who wouldn’t be king

Is the holy French Republic the saint that the French portray? Some books challenge the official narrative, and François Hue’s Dernières années du règne et de la vie de Louis XVI..., is one of them...

The Invisible Man:  Sanford L. Smith

The Invisible Man: Sanford L. Smith

The Invisible Man at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair has left the building.  Who was he?  Sanford L. Smith, the show impresario who created and ran fairs, among them The New York  ...

Freeman's | Hindman to offer over 1,400 Lots of Books, Manuscripts, and Historical Ephemera This Spring During Book Month

Freeman's | Hindman to offer over 1,400 Lots of Books, Manuscripts, and Historical Ephemera This Spring During Book Month

A selection of books to be offered in Fine Literature from the Collection of Richard C. McKenzie this June 6.   Chicago, Cincinnati, Philadelphia – Freeman’s | Hindman presents a month of books, ...

Sotheby's is Offering Some Serious Material

Sotheby's is Offering Some Serious Material

Sotheby’s New York Books and Manuscripts Department has an ambitious slate of sales scheduled for June 26, including three small but significant auctions to be conducted live.   The morning begin...

Twenty-seven Lost Books from the Brothers Grimm Library Have Been Discovered

Twenty-seven Lost Books from the Brothers Grimm Library Have Been Discovered

Generations of children have been thrilled by the stories of the Brothers Grimm. They were the writers of the fairy tales we all grew up with. They include Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Littl...

Rose City Book & Paper Fair to be Held June 14-15 in Portland, Oregon

Rose City Book & Paper Fair to be Held June 14-15 in Portland, Oregon

The Rose City Book Paper Fair will be back in Portland, Oregon, this month. The dates this year are Friday and Saturday, June 14-15. Hours on Friday are 2:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Saturday hours are 10...

Free Publishing Vs. Mandatory Deposit, in Australia and The United States

Free Publishing Vs. Mandatory Deposit, in Australia and The United States

In the 19th century, eccentric British collector Sir Thomas Phillipps set out to own a copy of every book in the world. He also wanted every manuscript he could get his hands on. He never quite ach...

June Grab Bag

June Grab Bag

School’s out, summer’s right around the corner. Time to kick back a little and browse through some of the interesting bookish news and information that is floating around the web. Here are a few of...

COLLECTING INSIGHTS – Registration Open for Summer 2024 Sessions

COLLECTING INSIGHTS – Registration Open for Summer 2024 Sessions

COLLECTING INSIGHTS – Registration Open for Summer 2024 Sessions   COLLECTING INSIGHTS https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/collecting-insights-summer-2024-3305979?utm-campaign=socialutm-content=creato...

Cannabis in the Library? A Strange Twist to a New Library Story

Cannabis in the Library? A Strange Twist to a New Library Story

These are tough times in the library world. Libraries and librarians have come under attack for the sin of offering books in their libraries. Some librarians have been threatened, libraries defunde...

Four New Catalogues Reviewed

Four New Catalogues Reviewed

We review four new catalogues this month. Booksellers William Reese Company, Peter Harrington, James Cummins Bookseller, and Hordern House, have combined forces (and three continents) to offer The ...

Rare Book Monthly

  • 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.
  • 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

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