Books and Works on Paper

The third edition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was the last of those published in 1843, coming out (appropriately) on Christmas Eve.

This complete copy of the first folio atlas ever printed in the Islamic world was discovered in one of the nine attics at Weston Hall in Northamptonshire, home of the Sitwell family for more than 300 years.

The sale at Peter Kiefer Buch und Kunstauktionshaus in Pforzheim on October 14-16 includes a near complete copy of 'Atlas minor, sive geographia compendiosa qua orbis terrarum per paucas attamen novissimas tabulas ostenditura' by the Dutch engraver, cartographer and publisher Nicolaes Visscher (1649-1702).

On October 25 Philadelphia firm Freeman’s will offer the Alexander Hamilton collection of John E Herzog.

According to the memoir Le Mémorial de Sainte- Hélène by Count Emmanuel de Las Cases published in 1823, Napoleon first expressed an interest to learn the English language during the two-month voyage from Europe to the island in 1815 aboard the Northumberland.

The Books and Works on Paper sale at Chiswick Auctions on November 9 includes a rather special copy of Sir William Gell and John P Gandy’s The Topography, Edifices, and Ornaments of Pompeii.

A copy of the first modern atlas by Abraham Ortelius, which set the standard for all following atlases, will be on offer at Ketterer Kunst in Hamburg on November 29 with an estimate of €80,000.

Like Antiques Trade Gazette, German biblio auction house Reiss & Sohn is marking its 50th anniversary this year.

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

The Gary Munson collection of horror and fantasy books will be offered by Heritage Auctions in Dallas on October 14.

This chromolithographed plate is one of 52 (of 55) included in a copy of Dickinson’s Comprehensive Pictures of the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Printed in Amsterdam in 1685, Anatomia humani corporis, centum & quinque tabulis, per artificiossis by Godard Bidloo (1649-1713) was the first large-scale anatomical atlas since Vesalius’ De humani corporis fabrica in 1543.

Bellmans is selling the script and production archive of film director, producer and screenwriter Lewis Gilbert (1920-2018) on November 17-18.

Dominic Winter’s November 10 sale of Printed Books, Maps & Documents includes this first-edition, two-volume copy of Georg Wolffgang Knorr’s Deliciae naturae selectae, oder auserlesenes Naturalien-Cabinet welches aus den drey Reichen der Natur…

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

The Cleveland Museum of Art in Ohio has become the third US institution to hold a work by the obscure Dutch artist Michel van Overbeek (fl.1650-1719) after acquiring this small drawing of the Pyramid of Cestius in Rome.

This illuminated initial comes from a late 14th century Book of Hours that carries an estimate of £20,000-30,000 at Forum Auctions on November 25.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Celebrating the county’s history, literature and its arts and crafts, an inaugural Dorset Auction was held in Dorchester by Duke’s (25% buyer’s premium).

A group of Richmal Crompton’s Just William books that had an appealing family provenance were offered without reserve at Sotheby’s (26/20/13.9% buyer’s premium).