As mentioned in a previous post, Heritage Auction Galleries' Rare Books Auction will take place on October 14th in Beverly Hills, and will offer a rare English copy of 'Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones'. There are a number of other noteworthy items, however. Some highlights include: *First edition of Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility, in three volumes *First printing of three of four of Einstein's Annus Mirabilis papers *First collected edition of the "Federalist Papers", originally owned by Jonathan Dayton, a Revolutionary War officer and the youngest signer of the Constitution *First printing of the complete score of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony *First edition, first printing of A Christmas Carol from Dickens' own library *First edition, first issue of For Whom the Bell Tolls with an inscription from Hemingway to his friend Charles Sweeney *Edward S. Curtis' Portfolio 1 of The North American Indian For more information about this auction, click here. Heritage Highlights Heritage Auction Galleries [more Highlights from Heritage Auction Galleries' Upcoming Sale]
As previously posted about, in early December Sotheby's will auction off a very valuable and very interesting collection of rare books, including a first edition of Audubon's The Birds of America, which is considered to be the "world's most expensive book". Prior to the auction, the collection will tour and be put on public display in Paris, New York and London. Included in the public viewing will be the letters written by Queen Elizabeth I to jailer Sir Ralph Sadler about the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots, Shakspeare's First Folio, and an illustrated copy of Plutarch's Lives of Romulus. The schedule for the public viewing tour: *October 7-11: Sotheby's Paris, Galerie Charpentier, 76 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré *October 30-November 5: Sotheby's New York, 1334 York Avenue at 72nd Street *December 3-5: Sotheby's London, 34-35 New Bond Street, W1A 2AA World's most expensive book on display [more Public Viewing of "World's Most Expensive Book"]
On Thursday, 16 September, 2010 a member of the Castle staff discovered that one of the bookcases in the Castle library had been forced. Subsequent enquiries of the Librarian to The Duke of Norfolk confirmed that the following volumes have been stolen: 1. Library Catalogue: MAGNA CHARTA, opposed to Assumed Privilege: being a complete View of the late Interesting Disputes between the House of Commons and the Magistrates of London, etc. London, 1771. Octavo. Sothebys: ‘ID.2539 EB 1764 Magna Carta, Good binding, contemporary red morocco gilt, Hollis binding, 8vo, 1771. 2. Library Catalogue: NICHOLAS, Sir N.H. The History of the Battle of Agincourt and of the Expedition of Henry V into France. London, 1832. Octavo. Sothebys: ID.2540 EB 1765 Among ‘Remainder’ in Case 30 Shelf B. Any information to: Bryan McDonald bryan.mcdonald@arundelcastle.org T: 01903 882173 F: 01903 884581 [more Theft from Arundel Castle]
Brian Cassidy's interview with the Washington Post. Brian Cassidy, Bookseller [more Member in the News: Brian Cassidy]
Tomorrow, October 2nd, Adams Amsterdam will hold its rare books, print and art auction, which will feature live internet bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. Included in over the 800 rare books, manuscripts, maps, prints, paintings, photographs and other art pieces being offered is the original 1964 manuscript for Ik Jan Cremer. The manuscript is part of a portfolio that includes original cover designs, collages and cover art, and Cremer's own strategy of a publicity campaign for the book. It is expected to bring in between $275,000-$340,000. For more information on the complete catalogue and bidding, visit LiveAuctioneers.com. Orig. manuscript for classic '60s novel at Adams Amsterdam, Oct. 2 [more Adams Amsterdam's Rare Books, Print & Art Auction- Oct 2]
After undergoing extensive renovations, the McKim Building at the Morgan Library and Museum is set to reopen to the public on October 30th. Originally, the building was the private study and library of Pierpont Morgan, and was designed in the style of the High Renaissance. The $4.5 million renovation is truly a gift to the public, as it has greatly enhanced the exhibition space, allowing for more of the broad and remarkable permanent collection to be displayed. The Library, also known as the East Room, is now equipped with a state of the art lighting system, a newly installed 19th century Persian rug that is reminiscent of the rug that originally lay in the room, and newly designed display cases. The inlaid bookshelves that house Morgan's rare book collection have been fitted with non-reflective Plexiglas, allowing visitors a pristine view of the books. There are more than one hundred works that are exhibited on rotation in the Library, and the additional display cases will greatly increase the works on regular view. These works include: "a letter from fifteen-year-old Queen Elizabeth I purchased by Pierpont Morgan in 1900; the manuscript for Balzac's Eugenie Grandet (1833) with a torturous mass of revisions, corrections, and additions demonstrating the writer's complex creative process; illustrated notes by Alexander Calder regarding the installation of his "stabiles" from 1941; the Reims Gospel Book, the Morgan's finest Carolingian manuscript, written in gold at the Abbey o... [more Morgan Library and Museum to Reopen McKim Building]
The Phoenix New Times has named Charles Parkhurst Rare Books as the Best Collectible Bookstore of 2010. Congrats! [more Best of Phoenix 2010: Charles Parkhurst Rare Books]
Short post about Alexandre Joseph L’Héritier and his illuminated work; includes interesting photographs. Read here. [more "Before Blake there was L'Héritier"]
Apparently the Pentagon decided to commemorate Banned Books Week early, and last Monday burned 9,500 copies of Operation Dark Heart: Spycraft and Special Ops on the Frontlines of Afghanistan by Lt. Col. Anthony Shaffer. The Pentagon spent $47,000 buying every copy of the first printing directly from the publisher, St. Martin's Press, and then destroyed all the books because "they contained information which could cause damage to national security", according to Pentagon spokesperson Lt. Col. April Cunningham. The memoir details Lt. Col. Shaffer's time as leader of a black-ops unit in Afghanistan during the Bush administration. In the book, Shaffer is said to detail intelligence operations against the Taliban, and critique the Bush administration for it's lack of understanding of Afghan culture as well as "bureaucratic bungling." In a Defense Intelligence Agency memo from August 6, Lt. Gen. Robert Burgess claims that the DIA had been trying to get its hands on the manuscript for two months because the department determined that it contained classified information. It was at this point that the Pentagon contacted St. Martin's Press and made an agreement about the first and subsequent printings. A second printing of the book has been released and incorporates changes the government requested, including redacting information the Pentagon considered classified. Shaffer had submitted the book to the Army Reserve Command before it went to the press, and it was given the green light.... [more Pentagon 'Celebrates' Banned Books Week]
It's the 27th Annual Banned Books Week, and librarians, teachers and book lovers throughout the country are commemorating with various activities and protests against censorship. The ALA is one of several sponsors of the week, which the organization sees as an opportunity to "educate librarians and the general public about the importance of intellectual freedom," says Jim Rettig, ALA president. "Individuals must have the freedom to choose what materials are suitable for themselves and their families." According to the ALA's Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF), "book banning is alive and well", with 460 complaints filed in 2009 attempting to have a book removed from a library or classroom. The majority of challenges to books, 71%, come from schools, with parents lodging 61% of these complaints. (A challenge is defined as "a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that materials be removed because of content or appropriateness.") The proliferation of the Young Adult genre in recent years may correlate to the large number of challenges, as these novels often tackle subject matter that some may deem 'inappropriate'. The traditional mode of protest during Banned Books Week is to read a banned book, and there are several creative variations scheduled to take place this year. Many bookstores, libraries and schools will have special displays dedicated to banned books, readings of those books, and some will host the authors of censored works. In Arizona, v... [more Banned Books Week]