- An obituary for Bill Reese ran in the 15 June NYTimes. The Beinecke Library has also posted a tribute page, as well as a podcast of Bill talking about Audubon's Birds of America which I recommend most highly.
- The Portland Audubon sold at Christie's on Thursday for $9.65 million, the second-highest auction price for a copy of Birds of America.
- In other Audubon news, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported this week that the copy of Birds of America owned by the city's Carnegie Museum of Natural History was sold last fall to a California buyer for $6 million. The sale was facilitated by ... Bill Reese.
- Elizabeth Povoledo reports for the NYTimes on the return to the Vatican of a stolen Columbus Letter. See also the press release from the U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. This is the third such restitution in two years (and the second this month).
- The ABAA has posted a "Missing in Transit" notice for a number of autograph letters and a book from Stalin's library.
- The Petau Book of Hours sold at Drouot on Saturday for the equivalent of $5 million.
- Jessica Lester Hester writes for Atlas Obscura on the use of manuscript and printed waste in bookbindings.
- As the film about the 2004 Transylvania University special collections theft arrives in theaters, BJ Gooch, the librarian the thieves assaulted, has spoken about her experience to the Lexington Herald-Leader.
- If you can, be sure to stop by the Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at UVA to see the new exhibition "Eminent Miniatures."
- Another week, another Voynich Manuscript theory.
- Alex Johnson writes for the Independent about the library brought along on Scott's Discovery expedition from 1901–1904.
- Really enjoyed the news that the Massachusetts Historical Society has installed a "little free library" on the front steps.
- New from the AAS, an illustrated inventory of the Society's collection of ribbon badges.
- From Caroline Duroselle-Melish at The Collation, "Engraved to Sell."
- David McKitterick has a short post on the Cambridge University Press blog about his new book The Invention of Rare Books.
- Fleur Macdonald reports for the BBC on the ongoing analysis of the manuscripts in the library of St. Catherine's monastery in the Sinai.
- Corey Kilgannon profiles Carolyn Waters, head librarian at the New York Society Library.
Review
- Giorgio van Straten's In Search of Lost Books; review by Alberto Manguel in the TLS.
Upcoming Auctions
- Five Aristophil sales this week: Beaux-arts, œuvres et correspondances (4) at Aguttes on 18 June; Littérature, écrivains et poètes du XIXe-XXe (5) at Drouot on 19 June; Littérature, écrivains et poètes du XIXe-XXe (6) at Aguttes on 19 June; Musique, de Jean-Sébastien Bach à Boulez (7) at Ader on 20 June; Musique, de Lully à Stravinsky (8) at Aguttes on 20 June.
- Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs at Lyon & Turnbull on 19 June.
- Fine Books, Manuscripts, Atlases & Historical Photographs at Bonhams London on 20 June.
- Printed Books, Maps & Documents at Dominic Winter Auctioneers on 20 June.
- Autographed Documents, Manuscripts, Books & Relics at University Archives on 20 June.
- Revolutionary & Presidential Americana from the Collection of William Wheeler III at Swann Galleries on 21 June.
- Modern Literature & First Editions at Dominic Winter Auctioneers on 21 June.
