Books and Works on Paper

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Letter to Queen Elizabeth I written after Robert Dudley’s marriage lacks the earlier flirtatious tone

Before his death on St Helena, Napoleon Bonaparte said: “What nothing will erase, what will live forever, is my Civil Code.”

A copy of what is regarded as probably the rarest edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack came up at Knights Sporting Auctions (20% buyer’s premium) on March 21-23.

Underlining once again the desirability of football match programmes for games that were actually postponed or cancelled, an Arsenal example offered on March 3 hammered at £7500 via thesaleroom.com.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

The second tranche of material from a German autograph collector, the late Franz-Peter Bach, was offered by Anderson & Garland (30% buyer’s premium inc VAT) in Newcastle upon Tyne on March 5.

Second edition copy of Adam Smith classic work sells at £8000 in Cumbrian saleroom

Written by the English naturalist and apiarist Rev Charles Butler and printed by the Oxford bookseller Joseph Barnes in 1609, 'The Feminine Monarchie or A Treatise Concerning Bees' is considered the first book on the science of beekeeping in the English language.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Early works on apple husbandry reflect the popularity of ancient brew in Britain by the 17th century

The greatest actor of Victorian times and the creator of Dracula were among the notable figures featured in an autograph album sold at Surrey auction house John Nicholson’s (25% buyer’s premium).

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

Letter sent from Holyrood implores a nobleman to support his course in the middle of the Jacobite Rising

Famed for his range of characters, Barry Humphries was also a bibliophile of great taste

Our regular listing of UK and Irish books and works on paper sales

When bad weather made the Upton Park pitch unfit for play on Saturday, January 17, 1959, it must have seemed fairly unremarkable.

A rare visitor to the auction room came in the form of this pocket-sized Victorian sand picture book.

A first edition copy of a book documenting the sinking of a ship by a sperm whale in 1820 went under the hammer at Potter & Potter (25% buyer’s premium).

John Smart (1838-99) was one of the first artists to focus on golf courses themselves rather than the actual players.