By Michael Stillman

The latest catalogue from Gert Jan Bestebreurtje Rare Books is entitled Travel & Exploration Including Russia. Actually, it includes a lot more than just Russia. Those living in North America will find a surprising number of books relating to their homeland from this Dutch bookseller. Other books cover journeys to Asia, Africa and South America. Travels of just about any sort can be found in ...more

By Michael Stillman

Samuel Gedge Ltd. Rare Books has issued their Catalogue VIII. It contains no further title, which is understandable as there is a wide variety of material offered. There are not only books, but numerous ephemeral paper items, and a few not made from paper. The material can all be fairly described as "antiquarian," ranging from a century and a half to many centuries in age. A few manuscript items ...more

By Michael Stillman

Antiquariaat Fragmenta Selecta has released their Catalogue 101 Classical Antiquity. While these are not primarily antiquarian books, they are the books of antiquity. By "classical antiquity," they are referring to the periods of the Greek and Roman Empires, along with the Byzantine Era, which takes us up to the end of the Middle Ages, and, of course, the invention of printing. There are no ...more

By Michael Stuillman

The Raab Collection is offering Catalog 64, a collection of 52 signed and important documents, overwhelmingly from Americans or pertaining to issues of importance to America. They range from the most important political leaders, including Presidents Lincoln, Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt, to Generals William Henry Harrison, U.S. Grant and Dwight Eisenhower (all of whom later became presidents ...more

By Michael Stillman

James Cummins Bookseller has issued a catalogue that is not a catalogue of books at all. Its title is Autographs and Manuscripts, featuring, naturally, the written (occasionally typewritten) word, not the printed one. That is not to say there aren't many writers, along with other leading figures represented here. However, what we get are more likely glimpses into their personal lives, in the ...more

By Michael Stillman

Kenneth Karmiole, Bookseller, has printed a New Miscellany #28. A miscellany it certainly is, which makes it difficult to otherwise classify what may be found. There are quite a few very antiquarian books in Latin, 16th and 17th centuries, even an item of incunabula. However, there are a great many not quite so old books that cover just about anything, so you will need to see this catalogue ...more

By Michael Stillman

It can be hard to appreciate a catalogue written in a language you do not understand. Then again, there are always exceptions. One such exception is Katalog 14 from Burkhard Sulzen of Berlin: 53 Stummfilmplakate 1913-1926 & 116 schone und seltene Plakate verschiedener Themen 1888-1989. I can read hardly a word of German, and were it not for the magic of Google Translate, could not tell you ...more

By Michael Stillman

The William Reese Company has released its 277th catalogue issued over the past 30 years, The American West in the 19th Century. This is made up entirely of material obtained during the past year, since Reese offered their last all-Western catalogue. It is filled with accounts of explorations, from the official ones such as Lewis and Clark or Zebulon Pike, to individual accounts of overland ...more

By Michael Stillman

David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has released catalogue number 114 of Rare Americana. It is both of those, and filled with interesting material. Then as now, Americans were not shy about controversy, or getting into political, theological, or any other type of debate with each other. We were always a contentious lot, but back then, we had to put it in print, rather than expressing it in ...more

By Michael Stillman

Sotheran's recently issued a new catalogue of Art and Architecture. The London bookseller offers a range of catalogues, from targeted subjects such as this, to general collections of books. Among the firm's specific departments is architecture and decorative arts, and this catalogue fits that department's specialty. There are 222 books offered, these being a few samples of them.

Item ...more

By Michael Stillman

Bernard J. Shapero Rare Books has issued their catalogue of 50 Fine Books 2010. Shapero often publishes catalogues of "50s," thoroughly described and illustrated collections focused on 50 notable items. With over 100 pages and numerous glossy color images for such a small number of items, you can expect they will be out of the ordinary. They are. Here are some of these latest top 50 items from ...more

By Michael Stillman

The Antiquariaat Forum and Asher Rare Books have combined to publish a Catalogue of 250 Rare and Important Printed Books and Manuscripts. There is certainly a European flavor to the rare books offered by the Dutch booksellers, and a great many of these books are very old - 16th and 17th centuries. They cover just about any subject, from natural to human history, science, medicine, religion, ...more

By Michael Stillman

We have received Catalog 206 from Peter L. Masi Books, with the title My Massachusetts! It can be yours too. It is a collection of almost 700 obscure and mostly local interest items from the Bay State. There aren't any documents signed by John Hancock, but nothing here will break your bank account either. The vast majority are priced $10-$20, and most are related to some particular Massachusetts ...more

By Michael Stillman

Peter Harrington has issued their 71st catalogue, Travel, Atlases and Maps. Offered are almost 200 items of mostly antiquarian looks at the world as seen through the eyes of Europeans when so much was still new or unknown. From Asia to America, the Near and Far East, Africa to Australia, North to South Pole, and all ports in between, you will likely find them described in the works in this catalogue. ...more