Sunday, April 24, 2022

Brief Break

I will be taking a brief break from weekly news posts while I finish up some projects. Don't worry, I'll be back after a bit!

Sunday, April 10, 2022

Links & Auctions

- The big news this week is the surprise return of two Charles Darwin notebooks that had been reported stolen from the Cambridge University Library. Coverage from the BBC, the Guardian, and a well-illustrated piece from the university library.

- Dartmouth College will repatriate the papers of Samson Occom to the Mohegan Tribe at a ceremony later this month.

- From the Middle Temple Library blog's Provenance Mysteries series, "Further Investigations into The Use of Passions."

- The UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has placed a temporary export ban on an early seventeenth-century manuscript volume of Italian and French lute music. See also the official press statement.

- From The Bookhunter on Safari, the first part in a series on "Becoming a Cataloguer."

- Over at Medieval Manuscripts Provenance, "Unnoticed Leaves of Ranulf Higden's Polychronicon."

- Bookseller Dennis Melhouse of First Folio Rare Books is profiled in the Paris (TN) Post-Intelligencer.

- Like the rest of the bibliosphere, I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of book collector Jerry Morris at the Florida Antiquarian Book Fair last weekend. Jerry's blog posts at My Sentimental Library and his other blogs always make for fascinating reading, and I had known him through various LibraryThing projects for some years now. He was a delight to chat with at book fairs, where he enjoyed sharing his finds and hearing about those of others. I will miss him tremendously, and send my deep condolences to his family and friends. More from Rebecca Rego Barry on the Fine Books Blog.

Upcoming Auctions

- Fine Books and Manuscripts, featuring the Library of Roman Vishniac at Bonhams New York on 12 April.

- Literature, Illustrated, Graphics & Photography at New England Book Auctions on 12 April.

- History in Manuscript: Letters and Documents from a Distinguished Collection at Sotheby's ends on 13 April.

- Manuscrits Anciens & Livres Anciens et Modernes at Ader on 14 April.

- Fine Photographs at Swann Galleries on 14 April.

Sunday, April 03, 2022

Links & Auctions

- Jennifer Schuessler reports for the NYTimes that one of Charlotte Brontë's tiny manuscript books will be offered at the upcoming New York Antiquarian Book Fair. 

- On the BL's Medieval Manuscripts blog, "Deciphering an English exorcism manual."

- Tom Staley died this week; obituaries are in the NYTimes and the Austin America-Statesman.

- Over on the Bodleian's Conveyor blog, "Nature Printing," by Elena Trowsdale.

- Kurt Zimmerman has been making some wonderful new acquisitions, as usual: he recounts a couple in "The Love and Pursuit of Books Unites Us."

- On the AAS Acquisitions Table, "Turner & Fisher's Infant Primer."

- Over at Shakespeare & Beyond, an interview with Brian Cummings about Nicolas Rowe.

- Thomas Venning, Head of Books and Manuscripts for Christie's, offers up a "What I've Learned" feature.

- A fascinating find will be at auction this week at Dominic Winter: Rebecca Rego Barry has the report on the Fine Books Blog (though I have to say I'm fairly unconvinced that this volume could have spent all that much time in the eaves of a thatched roof).

Upcoming Auctions

- Oeuvres Graphiques & Autographes (Aristophil 47) at Aguttes on 5 April.

- Early Printed Books, Historical Autographs & Documents, Travel, Maps & Decorative Prints at Dominic Winter Auctioneers on 6–7 April.

- Bibliothèque d'un Amateur at ALDE on 7 April.

- Printed & Manuscript Americana at Swann Galleries on 7 April.

- Photographs at Bonhams New York on 7 April.

- The Jack and Beverly Waltman Collection with Photography and Fine Art at PBA Galleries on 7 April.

- Comics and Comic Art at Heritage Auctions on 7–10 April.

- Autographes et Manuscrits: Bibliothèque de Monsieur et Madame B, Seconde Partie: Livres Illustrés Anciens, Romantiques et Modernes at Binoche & Giquello on 8 April.