A rare English language copy of Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones is set to be auctioned off on October 14th at Heritage Auction Galleries' Signature Rare Books Auction in Beverly Hills. The volume was edited by Aleksander Evgenevitch Fersman and published in 1925, and is the result of the substantial effort to list and photograph the Russian crown jewels, a task that began in 1922. It was compiled by S.N. Troinitsky, who was the director of the Hermitage at the time, with the help of a committee of expert jewelers, including A. Fabergé, son of renowned court jeweler Carl Fabregé. The book was originally published in Russian, French and English, but today there are less than a dozen copies known of, and only a few in English, one aspect that makes this copy extremely rare. Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones is also the singular record of the treasures of the Romanov Dynasty, which were mysteriously dispersed through private sales and a 1927 auction. It contains 100 unbound phototype plates, all of which feature descriptive text. The catalogue includes 25,300 carats worth of diamonds, 6,000 pearls, 3,200 emeralds, 2,600 sapphires and 1,500 worth of rubies, all of which is said to be "a small portion of the extraordinary collection". Stalin's government had commissioned the compilation in April 1922, but quickly changed their mind about its existence after it was published and recalled all copies, which were subsequently destroyed. James Hammond, Director of Rare... [more Rare English Copy of 'Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones' to be Auctioned Off]

The Chapin Library at Williams College has recently acquired a 19th-century Qur'an manuscript from the Ottoman Empire. It measures six and one eighth inches long and four inches wide, and has a wallet style binding. Assistant Librarian Wayne G. Hammond describes the manuscript's condition as "superb", the result of the binding style, which protected the pages, and he surmises that, given its size, the manuscript was originally a personal volume. This Qur'an is handwritten in Arabic calligraphy and decorated with gold and other metallic illuminations. It was obtained from a local bookseller. Williams College added Arabic Studies as a major this year, which Hammond says helped influence the acquisition, as part of the Chapin Library's mission to "support all aspects of the Williams curriculum". In light of recent anti-Muslim sentiment, sensationalized by the media's coverage of the proposed mosque near Ground Zero and a plan by a Florida church to burn copies of the Qur'an (which, thankfully, did not take place), the acquisition of a rare Qur'an manuscript by a collegial institution brings hope for proper knowledge and understanding of a religion and people that have been unfairly stereotyped in America. Hammond commented, "I would hope we would always educate and help people understand and get along together. There is nothing worse than ignorance causing all the problems in the world." College gets rare Quran [more Williams College’s Chapin Library Aquires Rare Qur’an]

Vic of Tavistock Books recently acquired a John Steinbeck manuscript. Read more here. [more ABAA Member Vic Zoschak gets a shout-out]