Auctions | March 28, 2012

Birmingham Medical Institute Books Up for Auction at Dominic Winter

Dominic Winter is pleased to announce that the catalogue for Part One of the Birmingham Medical Institute rare book collection is now online in PDF format (or as an email attachment by request) - www.dominicwinter.co.uk. Other versions of the catalogue will be uploaded during the course of this week on our website and at www.the-saleroom.com, www.invaluable.com and www.americanaexchange.com. The illustrated printed versions of the catalogue are now ready for purchase and first class/air mail posting - please contact Lynne Shipley lynne@dominicwinter.co.uk with payment details, for travel and accommodation advice and for all aspects of auction procedure.????

The Birmingham Medical Institute was founded as a Library in 1875, the collection including medical (and other scientific) books donated by notable local medical men, as well as Birmingham Library, the General Hospital Library and the Midland Medical Society. The 5,000 volumes date from 1502 to c.1920 and include many rare and notable medical classics. With an anticipated total of approximately 1,000 lots this is the most significant single-owner collection of medical books to be offered at auction in recent years. The sale is divided into two parts, Part One containing the printed books up to 1800.????

Highlights of Part One include the Fabrica of Andreas Vesalius (1555), the second and best edition of the most famous illustrated anatomical work ever produced (£10,000-15,000); Hippocrates' Works, the first edition of 1525 (£7,000-£10,000); a first English edition of Geminus's Compendiosa totius anatomie delineatio [1553] (£3,000-5,000); John of Gaddesden's Rosa Anglica (1502), the first printed medical book written by an Englishman and the oldest book in the collection (£5,000-£7,000); and the first collected edition of Girolamo Fabrizzi's work on comparative embryology from 1525 (£2,000-3,000). In addition, as a local hero of world-renown we are thrilled to offer a good copy of the 1798 first edition of Edward Jenner's classic account of the cow pox (£7,000-£10,000).????

Part Two will contain the remaining printed books, plus several hundred volumes of bound pamphlets and manuscripts, c. 1670-1920. Later in the year the Auctioneers plan to produce a post-sale booklet containing an afterword, indexes and prices realised, together with a special made-to-measure slipcase in which to house the two catalogues.

????Wednesday 18 April 2012 (455 lots)
??Part I : Printed Books: Hippocrates to Jenner????

Thursday 26 July 2012??
Part II : Printed Books, Pamphlets & Manuscripts, 1670-1920??
plus Pictures, Medical Artefacts & Surgical Instruments????

Viewing: week of sales 9am-6pm each day and at other times strictly by appointment????

Illustrated catalogues for each part: £25 (UK/Europe) /  £30 (USA/Rest of the World). Please email or phone the auction offices with your payment details.