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’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],...
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...
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, 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, ...
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 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 ...
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 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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 ...
