Books & Periodicals

Material in this specialist market ranges from the early printed works of the Gutenberg Press and William Caxton right through to Modern First Editions and now up to signed copies of Harry Potter. Condition and rarity are the keys to this sector.


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Pick of the Week: Browning family archive sells in Somerset

14 September 2020

A cache of material related to the influential Victorian poet Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-61) and her family sold for close to £50,000 at Lawrences of Crewkerne.

British and Irish book auctions: September 15-26, 2020

14 September 2020

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 15-26, 2020.

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Warrant appointing Napoleon’s ‘hideous’ jailer on St Helena returns to Sotheby's

14 September 2020

Napoleon’s view after first meeting on St Helena did not improve on closer acquaintance

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First edition of Thomas Malthus’ essay on population and first Ethiopian edition of the New Testament leads German auction

14 September 2020

Always likely to produce one of the sale’s best results, a 1798 first of Thomas Malthus’ 'Essay on the Principle of Population' duly led the bidding in a recent German sale.

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Copy of Proclamation of the Irish Republic takes €190,000 at Whyte’s

14 September 2020

In 1916 around 500 copies of the historic ‘Proclamation of the Irish Republic’ were printed, of which today just 30 or so survivors are recorded.

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Snail Syrup for anyone?

07 September 2020

Bid to €10,000 (£9100) in a timed online sale at Fonsie Mealy (25/20% buyers premium) this summer was a two-volume collection of medical and other receipts compiled by Mrs Mary Leadbeater (1758-1826).

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Humphry Repton first edition on landscaping features at North Carolina auction

07 September 2020

On September 12 Brunk Auctions of Asheville, North Carolina, is holding a single-owner sale comprising the estate of William N Banks Junior from his Georgia property, Bankshaven.

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Another Edison light bulb moment

07 September 2020

Appropriately enough, the very first lot offered in a sale called Eureka! was one that focused on scientific breakthroughs of the 20th century, was an autograph manuscript of seven pages of annotated design drawings by Thomas Edison relating to his work on light bulbs.

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Cosmographica print pioneer

07 September 2020

Manuscript was brought to Italy from Constantinople and later printed in Vicenza

British and Irish book auctions: September 8-19, 2020

07 September 2020

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 8-19, 2020.

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First auction appearance for work by missionary who opened up Chinese language

31 August 2020

Robert Morrison, a protestant missionary, pioneer sinologist and author of several works on the Chinese language as well as a translator, has been called the ‘Father of Anglo-Chinese Literature’.

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Firsts book fair forms second digital staging as Boston event offers online showcase

31 August 2020

'Firsts, London’s Rare Book Fair' has announced a second digital staging to take place this month.

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Newton with musical support

31 August 2020

Mathematical work makes £300,000 in auction where composers also feature heavily

British and Irish book auctions: September 1-16, 2020

31 August 2020

ATG’s calendar of book auctions taking place in the UK and Ireland from September 1-16, 2020.

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Obituary: Book dealer Hamish Riley-Smith (1941-2020)

31 August 2020

Rare book specialist Hamish Riley-Smith, who died on August 10, did not originally intend to become a dealer.

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5 Questions: Book dealer Bernard Shapero

31 August 2020

Bernard Shapero of Shapero Rare Books is among the newcomers to the Petworth Park Antiques & Fine Art Fair (September 11-13) this year.

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Rich variety of printed material sold in Cornwall auction

31 August 2020

Extensively interleaved with scholarly notes and running to over 700pp, a Japanese and English Dictionary compiled by JC Hepburn was a notable rarity in a Cornish summer sale.

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The Magic Circle reunited with lost copy of the earliest known English book on performing magic

26 August 2020

The 16th century book 'The Discoverie of Witchcraft' by Reginald Scot is the earliest known book in English explaining how to perform magic.

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ATG LETTER: Chelsea is lovely too!

24 August 2020

MADAM – I note with interest that the Firsts London rare book fair is on the move again (News, ATG No 2454).

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Robot paws: the new look for PBFA book fairs

24 August 2020

PBFA (Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association) has held four monthly online book fairs, with the fifth going live to the public at noon on Saturday, August 29. Up to 15 books/items can be put up for sale by each bookseller member.

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