October 3, 2024Devon EastlandFine Books & Manuscripts Auction Highlights: Fine Books — October 24, 2024 Read more about Auction Highlights: Fine Books — October 24, 2024 This fall’s sale promises to tempt with bibliographic rarities from before the invention of movable type through the twentieth century.
Read more about Auction Highlights: Focus on Women — May 23, 2024 April 26, 2024 Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction Highlights: Focus on Women — May 23, 2024 Swann’s May 23 auction, Focus on Women
Read more about A Brief Publishing History of Don Quixote April 3, 2024 Books & Manuscripts A Brief Publishing History of Don Quixote Collectors of Don Quixote have fastened on to the complex parameters of published editions like true bibliomaniacs. Tracking down each morsel of minutiae appeals to those of us with a…
Read more about Auction Highlights: Fine Books — April 11, 2024 March 15, 2024 Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction Highlights: Fine Books — April 11, 2024 This spring’s newly minted sale will bring together a range of collecting areas, including early printed books, artist’s books, literature from the seventeenth century through to the twentieth, and more.
Read more about 2023: Year in Review December 19, 2023 Swann 2023: Year in Review Swann Galleries continued to offer exceptional auctions of quality material in 2023. The year featured several collections, including a special selection of 100 works from the Stephen White collection in…
Read more about Devon Eastland’s Specialist Picks: What to Watch in the October 12, 2023 Auction October 11, 2023 Early Printed Books Devon Eastland’s Specialist Picks: What to Watch in the October 12, 2023 Auction Devon Eastland shares her picks for the October 12, 2023, sale of Early Printed books. Gothic Novels If you’ve read through our offerings for the October 12, 2023, sale, you…
Read more about Auction Highlights: Early Printed Books — October 12, 2023 September 13, 2023 Early Printed Books Auction Highlights: Early Printed Books — October 12, 2023 The fall Early Printed Books auction on October 12, 2023, will feature lots from three important collectors, including more from Ken Rapaport, as well as works on the history of…
Read more about A Look Back At Swann’s Book & Manuscripts Sales July 6, 2023 Books & Manuscripts A Look Back At Swann’s Book & Manuscripts Sales Winter/Spring 2023 Brings a Record-Breaking Season for the Books & Manuscripts Department Books and manuscripts had a standout winter/spring season at Swann. “As a company whose origins are as a…
Read more about Early Modern Women’s Books: Scholar Sarah Lindenbaum on Gift Books May 1, 2023 Focus On Women Early Modern Women’s Books: Scholar Sarah Lindenbaum on Gift Books Cartwright, Comedies, Tragi-Comedies, with Other Poems (1651): Books owned by Mary Kemeys Sarah Lindenbaum is an independent scholar currently working on a book about the life and library of 17th-century female…
Read more about Early Printed Books: May 4, 2023 Auction Highlights April 4, 2023 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: May 4, 2023 Auction Highlights This spring’s EPB sale features the third installment from Ken Rapoport’s collection, showcasing a large group of pre-Restoration quarto plays (lots 1-143). Representation from Shakespeare will also grace the sale,…
Read more about 2022: Year in Review January 3, 2023 19th & 20th Century Literature 2022: Year in Review 2022 was a historic year for Swann in more ways than one. The house celebrated its 80th year of auctions, bringing with it the 70th anniversary of the first photography…
Read more about October 2022 Sale of Early Printed Books Brings the Highest-Grossing Auction for the Category at Swann October 18, 2022 Early Printed Books October 2022 Sale of Early Printed Books Brings the Highest-Grossing Auction for the Category at Swann The October 13, 2022 sale of Early Printed Books at Swann Galleries was the highest-gorssing auction of books in the auction house’s history at $1.1 million.
Read more about This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review August 22, 2022 19th & 20th Century Literature This Season’s Successes: Winter-Spring 2022 Auctions in Review The winter-spring auction season at Swann is a masterclass in marathon training, and the 2022 iteration proved no different with 20 auctions held between late January and the middle of August.
Read more about Letters from Us: Epistolary Novels by Women May 31, 2022 Focus On Women Letters from Us: Epistolary Novels by Women In this year’s Focus on Women sale, we are pleased to offer several interesting epistolary novels written by women.
Read more about Early Printed Books: Part I of the Ken Rapoport Collection May 3, 2022 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Part I of the Ken Rapoport Collection The May 5, 2022 sale of Early Printed Books features the first part of the complete library of bibliophile Ken Rapoport. Below are some of the highlights from the selection.…
Read more about Early Printed Books: May 5, 2022 Auction Highlights March 30, 2022 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: May 5, 2022 Auction Highlights The Collection of Ken Rapoport This spring’s Early Printed Book sale will feature the first part of the complete library of noted bibliophile and collector Ken Rapoport, who over a…
Read more about 2021: Year in Review December 22, 2021 Swann 2021: Year in Review As we close out another successful year at Swann we look back at our record-filled sales.
Read more about Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women November 5, 2021 Focus On Women Consign Now for June 2022: Focus on Women This past summer Swann held its first auction devoted to works by women. We are pleased to annouce another edition of this sale, to be held in June 2022, once again spearheaded by Devon Eastland, our Early Printed Books Specialist, but offering a wide assortment of material
Read more about Devon Eastland on Librarian George Parker Winship October 11, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Devon Eastland on Librarian George Parker Winship When I was an undergraduate, I only knew George Parker Winship’s name because of the series of lectures delivered in his honor at the Houghton Library. The topic of one…
Read more about First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate July 20, 2021 Focus On Women First Sale Dedicated to the Accomplishments of Women at Swann Exceeds High Estimate Early Printed Book, Archives, Vernacular and Fine Art Photography, Among other Material, Draws Interest Among Collectors The house’s inaugural Focus on Women sale on Thursday, July 15, 2021 brought $333,893…
Read more about Devon Eastland on Caroline Schimmel & the Challenges of Creating Diverse Collections Driven by Women July 9, 2021 Focus On Women Devon Eastland on Caroline Schimmel & the Challenges of Creating Diverse Collections Driven by Women Ahead of Swann’s first auction dedicated to the accomplishments of women on July 15, senior specialist and curator of the sale, Devon Eastland, sat down with author, historian and collector…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 June 28, 2021 Focus On Women Upcoming Highlights: Focus on Women — At Auction July 15, 2021 What You Need to Know on Auction Day This auction will be held live and conducted remotely. There will not be bidding in the room, though we accept order bids,…
Read more about Lies in Publishing: Collecting False Imprints April 5, 2021 Early Printed Books Lies in Publishing: Collecting False Imprints Bibliographers, cataloguers, and scholars rely upon the veracity of a book’s imprint—that is, the publication information provided by the printer on the title page, and includes the following: city of…
Read more about Early Printed Books: April 2021 Highlights March 16, 2021 Books & Manuscripts Early Printed Books: April 2021 Highlights Featuring illuminated manuscripts, including an ornate Book of Hours, Use in Utrecht, and a robust section of important early scientific texts by Nicolaus Copernicus, Euclid, and Johann Zahn. Medical volumes include a first edition of Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams, among others.
Read more about 2020: Year in Review December 23, 2020 Swann 2020: Year in Review In a year that was unlike any in our lifetimes, Swann’s specialists and staff proved to be as resilient and innovative as ever, bringing forward new and safe ways to…
Read more about Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights October 7, 2020 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Fall 2020 Auction Highlights Early Printed Books, at auction October 27, 2020, featuring sought-after early imprints, incunabula, North American early exploration texts, medical books and more.
Read more about Happening October 5: Reading and Q&A With ‘Dark Archives’ Author Megan Rosenbloom September 24, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Happening October 5: Reading and Q&A With ‘Dark Archives’ Author Megan Rosenbloom Join Us October 5, 2020 at 7PM ET for a fascinating, terrifying look at the rarest books―bound in human skin―and the stories of their creation.
Read more about Early Printed Books: Old Tombstones September 4, 2020 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books: Old Tombstones What Goes Around Comes Around Devon Eastland shares the joys of handling early printed books and how sometimes unexpected pieces of history can crop up. As a business with a…
Read more about Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations Leads July 30, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Sale at $125k August 10, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Adam Smith’s Wealth of Nations Leads July 30, 2020 Fine Books & Manuscripts Sale at $125k Our sale of Fine Books & Manuscripts on Thursday, July 30, 2020 boasted high prices across categories with early printed books leading the sale, two records being recorded for literature, and autograph material from world leaders garnering attention.
Read more about As Seen in Books: A Glossary for Items Found in the Pages of Early Printed Books July 21, 2020 Books & Manuscripts As Seen in Books: A Glossary for Items Found in the Pages of Early Printed Books Any experienced cataloger, scholar, collector, or reader of early printing is accustomed to discovering an array of random objects within the pages of books. Even though some of these tidbits may have fallen out of ancient beards, today we celebrate and study them and put them into categories. Devon Eastland, senior specialist for early printed books, provides a handy glossary for these curious items found within various books.
Read more about Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 July 9, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Fine Books & Manuscripts: Auction Highlights for July 30, 2020 Find here a plethora of autographs, fine art books, modern first editions, incunabula, manuscripts and more, at auction July 30, 2020.
Read more about Introduction to Bookbinding: Folding & Sewing May 5, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Introduction to Bookbinding: Folding & Sewing As a bibliophile expands their collection, they gain a feel for auction house and bookseller’s catalogues, which often include terminology that may seem arcane. However, every character in a complex catalogue entry is used to describe the object being sold. For early printed books, some of the most essential things a specialist must note are the size of the book, its collation, and its condition. In order to understand how a book is described, some knowledge of bookbinding fundamentals is helpful. Here, Devon Eastland, our senior specialist for early printed books, dives into how a book is sewn.
Read more about Why do old books use F’s instead of S’s? April 9, 2020 Early Printed Books Why do old books use F’s instead of S’s? Or, WTſ? It’s a common source of confusion: “I have this book, and it’s really old, and all of the s’s are f’s, so I know it’s really old. It’s called Paradife Loft, by John Milton.”
Read more about Swann in Profile: Devon Eastland January 15, 2020 Books & Manuscripts Swann in Profile: Devon Eastland With the 2020 auction season on the horizon, we sat down with the newest addition to our books and manuscripts department, Devon Eastland, senior specialist for early printed books, to discuss all things books and material culture.
Read more about 2010-19: The Decade in Review January 13, 2020 Swann 2010-19: The Decade in Review The 2010s brought Swann a number of notable moments including memorable sales, the establishment of two new departments, and the celebration of the 75th anniversary of our first sale. Here we take a look at some of favorite highlights from the last ten years.
Read more about Science Leads Fall 2019 Early Printed Books October 29, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Science Leads Fall 2019 Early Printed Books Our Thursday, October 24 sale of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books saw a full auction room and active bidding on the internet and phones with a particular interest in publications by scientists, as well as incunabula, bibles and manuscript publications.
Read more about Early Printed Books by John Bulwer — A Pioneer in the Education of the Deaf in England October 21, 2019 Early Printed Books Early Printed Books by John Bulwer — A Pioneer in the Education of the Deaf in England Born in London in 1606, John Bulwer was an important figure in the study of deafness, gesture and the human body and a pioneer the education of the deaf in England. He published five works on the subject before his death in 1656. Set to come across the block are three first editions of Bulwer’s publications.
Read more about Fall 2019: Early Printed, Travel, Scientific & Medical Books September 8, 2019 Early Printed Books Fall 2019: Early Printed, Travel, Scientific & Medical Books A choice selection of incunabula brings to auction infrequently seen editions of Johannes Jacobus Canis’s 1476 guide to the study of civil and canon law; Albertus Magnus’s comprehensive lapidary De mineralibus, Pavia, 1491; and Philippus Beroaldus’s philosophical tract on happiness, De felicitate opusculum, Bologna, 1495.
Read more about 2019 Spring Season in Review July 1, 2019 Swann 2019 Spring Season in Review A season of firsts. The 2019 spring auction season at Swann Galleries delivered an impressive range of sales, rife with auction premiers and record prices. We started our season off…
Read more about Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books March 11, 2019 Books & Manuscripts Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books Illuminated Manuscripts Lead Early Printed Books at Swann Coinciding with Rare Book Week in New York City, our spring offering of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books…
Read more about Swann Galleries’ Guide to Rare Book Week 2019 in NYC February 26, 2019 Early Printed Books Swann Galleries’ Guide to Rare Book Week 2019 in NYC Rare Book Week kicks off March 5 in NYC. We gathered a selection of our favorite events happening throughout the week, as well as several not-to-be-missed exhibitions. See you there!…
Read more about 2018: Year in Review December 21, 2018 Swann 2018: Year in Review A year of records, debuts and rediscovered works. As we reflect on 2018, we look back at an excellent year of auctions. In April we held our highest-grossing African-American Fine Art…
Read more about Upcoming Highlights: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books November 20, 2018 Books & Manuscripts Upcoming Highlights: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books At Auction March 7 Complete Catalogue Early manuscripts, incunabula, and post-incunabula lead the sale. These include a richly illuminated manuscript prayer book in Latin and French from the second…
Read more about Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books October 19, 2018 Early Printed Books Records & Results: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books Jean de Mandeville Reaches $100K in Early Printed Books Auction Philippine Imprint sets record Our auction of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books garnered eager interest from bibliophiles, exceeding the…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books August 11, 2018 Books & Manuscripts A Look Inside the Catalogue: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books Including Philippine Imprints At Auction October 16 Complete Catalogue The material in this characteristically diverse sale ranges from incunabula to early twentieth-century works on rocketry and space flight. …
Read more about 2017-18 Year in Review June 25, 2018 Swann 2017-18 Year in Review The 2017-18 auction season at Swann Galleries was replete with record prices and rediscovered paintings, offering works created as early as the fifteenth century and as recently as last year.…
Read more about Records & Results: Early Printed Books March 12, 2018 Books & Manuscripts Records & Results: Early Printed Books Our March 8 auction of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books coincided with the opening of Rare Book Week in New York City. With 94% of offered lots sold, the…
Read more about The Earliest French Erotica February 27, 2018 Books & Manuscripts The Earliest French Erotica A titillating section in our March 8 auction of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books contains two scarce early examples of French erotica. L’Escole des Filles, ou La Philosophie…
Read more about A Look Inside the Catalogue: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books January 14, 2018 Books & Manuscripts A Look Inside the Catalogue: Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books This sale on March 8 will feature an extensive selection of early Spanish books on a variety of subjects including agriculture, heraldry and genealogy, history, horses, law, literature, medicine, theology…
Read more about Records & Results: Early Printed Books October 20, 2017 Books & Manuscripts Records & Results: Early Printed Books Our October 17 auction of Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books garnered eager interest from bibliophiles, exceeding the sale’s high estimate and earning more than half a million dollars.…