Fine Books News: Recent

A complete three-volume set of J. R. R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings in first editions,…
Throughout the year we have enjoyed suggesting the best new books about the many and varied facets…
Exhibit
New York – The Morgan Library & Museum proudly presents Architecture, Theater, and Fantasy: Bibiena Drawings from the Jules Fisher Collection, on view May 28 through September 12, 2021. The exhibition explores the elaborate stage design drawings produced by the Bibiena family and collected by…
Current Events & Trends
The New York, Chicago, and Paris-based manuscript specialists Les Enluminures have just released the fifth in a new series of e-catalogues on specific themes in medieval manuscripts.
Current Events & Trends
A new exhibition staged online by Cambridge University Library looks at the history of palimpsests, and how Muslim, Jewish, and Christian scripts were all variously overwritten and underwritten. It also examines how the science involved in revealing their secrets has moved on from magnifying…
Exhibit
New York — In 1902 the Grolier Club mounted an exhibition entitled “One Hundred Books Famous in English Literature.”  The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue were a major success. To this day people refer to books distinguished by inclusion in that show as milestones in the history of…
Current Events & Trends
Quite a busy week coming up in the auction rooms:
News
New York – The Morgan Library & Museum proudly announces the acquisition of twenty exceptional prints by Martin Puryear. This group of prints was purchased thanks to a generous gift to the museum in honor of Morgan Trustee Katharine J. Rayner by a member of her family. Made between 2001 and…
Book People
This past Monday, PBS released the first of its three-part, six-hour documentary exploring the life and work of Ernest Hemingway, directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Fan of the iconic American writer or not, this feels like a must-watch. And bonus: according to PBS, “The filmmakers were granted…
Auctions
New York — Christie’s is pleased to present a selection of Americana texts that mark high points of the 18th to the 20th centuries in the auction Fine Printed and Manuscript Americana which is held online from 8-22 April. Comprised of 53 lots, estimate range from $400 to $900,000.
Book Reviews
By most accounts, Robert E. Hart (1878-1946) was a private man. A ropemaker by trade, the Blackburn-based bibliophile quietly nourished a desire to collect magnificent examples of early printed books and medieval artifacts. By the time of his death, Hart had collected 21 medieval manuscripts, 50…
Auctions
Amsterdam — The Books and Cartography team at Catawiki has continued with its stated aim of sourcing high quality supply, and providing occasional exclusive auctions to run alongside its many regular book auctions. This week saw the launch of the first Exclusive Autographs and Manuscripts Auction.