Features

A rare souvenir, an example of correspondence between two key figures in the French Revolution, was one of the highlights of a sale held by Osenat (25% buyer’s premium) in Versailles on March 12.

The first 90 or so lots in Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr’s (27.5/26/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) sale of Islamic and Indian Art held in Paris on April 6 were the property of a Royal collection.

Stand-out lots to watch out for in UK, Irish, European and US sales of books and works on paper

Sarah Key and Phil Salin celebrated 30 years at the helm of the PBFA’s Cambridge Premier book fair in February. They chat to ATG about changes facing the fair, recent trends in the trade – and working together as a married couple

'A Magician Among the Spirits' by Harry Houdini conjured up one of the highest prices in the Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) Houdini-related sale in Chicago on April 8 when it sold for $15,000 (£12,095).

The Negro Motorist Green Book, first produced in 1936, was the indispensable guide for African-American families travelling.

Now hugely popular, this collecting field actually took many years to get going

Despite volatility in so many markets, the rare book world continues to offer a calm respite, as Rupert Powell of Forum Auctions writes

A copy of Johann Kraft’s 'Pomona Austriaca' (Fruit Trees of Austria) featuring both the French and German texts as well as 100 hand-coloured plates is on offer at this spring’s Bloomsbury Book Fair Spring Event.

'Cattle Market, Braintree' from 1937 is a trademark Edward Bawden image. But it is also the artist’s only pre-war editioned print.

François Pierre de la Varenne (1618-78) is the chef credited with bringing French cuisine into the modern era.

Edward Donovan’s 'The Natural History of British Fishes', a 19th century colour plate-illustrated British ichthyological work, featured in the Sporting & Travel Books sale held by Doyle (26/21/15% buyer’s premium) in New York earlier this year.

An early 16th century illustrated edition Aesop was the highlight of an auction of books held by Giquello & Associes (25/20.5/17% buyer’s premium) in Paris on April 14.

A library of works relating to hunting, horseriding and dogs assembled over a 40-year period by a hunting historian, the Comte d’Orglandes, went under the hammer on April 12 at Deloys (22% buyer’s premium inc tax) in Angers, part of the Ivoire group.

A group of signed drawings by royal fashion designer Norman Hartnell (1901-79) was offered at Richard Winterton (22% buyer’s premium) on February 15.

A sketch book filled with drawings by Queen Victoria will be joining more than 4000 pieces of her art at the Royal Collection Trust.

Once the centre of the Asian art trade, and still the repository for some of the most knowledgeable dealers on the subject, the London market has weakened in recent years.

The Asian art sale at Halls in Shrewsbury on May 11 features this 10½in (27cm) pink ground famille rose vase.

The sale of Asian art at Lyon & Turnbull in London on May 16 includes this late Edo or Meiji period boxwood netsuke of a recumbent deer signed Masakiyo.

A doublet and hose worn by the Earl of Abergavenny at the coronation of George IV in 1821 came to auction in Nottinghamshire.