Features

Isle of Wight antiques dealer Kevin Morris specialises in pottery including early English delftware and Italian maiolica.

English jubilees, coronations and investitures have long been occasions not only for a national celebration but also for manufacturers to cash in with an array of souvenirs. In this special report we turn the spotlight on royal items offered and sold by dealers and auction houses

Arguably the most famous portraits of an English king are Hans Holbein the Younger’s (c.1497-1543) depictions of Henry VIII.

An historically significant document dating from 1785 and a previously unrecorded campaign handbill concerning the election that saw Thomas Jefferson become the third US president were highlights of a February 17 sale at Freeman’s (26/20/12% buyer’s premium).

Negotiating the sometimes complex world of prints by the 17th century Dutch Master

Alchemical work is best-seller as Vishniac lots create a valuable mix in the saleroom

Seldom does the stereotypical image of the rare book specialist fit the current generation of dealers and auctioneers. Members of the 21st century book trade come from all walks of life with their interests and areas of specialisation just as varied. ATG speaks to five members of the trade to discover their route into rare books.

The Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association hosts more events in this sector than any other organiser.

Market continues to thrive and evolve as a new chapter begins in the Forum Auctions story

Can you tell your foxing from your deckle edge? Or quire from collation? Here is a handy guide to some of the terms used in the books and works on paper collecting field.

Two upcoming lots at US book auctions.

In what was the auction house’s most successful sale ever in financial terms, and one that boasted a 97% selling rate, a March 4 sale at Potter & Potter (20% buyer’s premium) was led at $65,000 (£49,240) by a 'Narrative of Colonel Ethan Allen’s Captivity from the Time of his Being Taken by the British, near Montreal… in 1775, to the Time of his Exchange…in May 1778'.

A selection of 14 upcoming lots from auctions taking place around the UK and overseas.

Three upcoming UK book auctions

Dealer Tim Bryars previews this year’s London Map Fair with an eye on current collecting trends

Though it is the pineapple that is most prominent, it is the assortment of creatures that flutter around, climb or emerge from its leaves that are the principal attraction of this coloured plate, below.

If social media makes you feel like Big Brother is watching you, and if truth occasionally feels stranger than fiction, then like many bibliophiles you might be exploring books that suggest models for society and the role of the individual.

The six lots described here are drawn from a hugely successful sale of comics and comic art held in Dallas by Heritage (20% buyer’s premium) over four days, from April 7-10.

This Victorian ‘Language of Flowers’ fan was published by Robert Canton c.1875 and is on offer at The Ephemera Society Summer Fair.

But Brexit red tape is the talk of the trade as favourite fair returns to Old Town Hall