Collectables

Antique arms and armour dealers and auctioneers have come together to lobby against couriers restricting delivery of antique examples.

This miniature 17th century psalter in a contemporary pierced and engraved openwork silver binding is priced at £15,000 by Bernard Quaritch at Firsts: London’s Rare Book Fair.

Remarkably, although a very successful and popular artist, no accounts of the work of the Georgian caricaturist James Gillray (1756-1815) were published in England during his lifetime.

Rupert Powell of Forum Auctions reflects on a busy year in the ‘stage-play’ of rare books

Designs promoting exhibitions can be a great way to collect on a tight budget

First editions are not always the be-all and end-all for collecting

A letter from Ernest Shackleton to a supporter, written from South Georgia on the eve of his final departure on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, was offered at Charles Miller’s (24% buyer’s premium) latest Maritime and Scientific Models, Instruments & Art sale.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Georgian period carried not only prayer books and bibles, but also books of poems and the annual miniature almanacs containing practical information on everything from the phases of the moon to the currency exchange rates of Europe.

Letters and postcard written by Antarctic expedition members were sent to New Zealand host family

Our regular listing of books and works on paper sales

A rare lobby card for The Mummy was brought to life at an auction in Los Angeles

The first ‘Thumb Bibles’, paraphrased or abridged versions of the good book, were published in the early 17th century – the London printer John Weever offering his 128- page An Agnus Dei, measuring just over 1in, in 1601.

Small books have long been objects of wonder. The history of tiny type can be traced back to the smallest cuneiform clay tablets of ancient Mesopotamia or the diminutive papyrus codices treasured by Christians in Roman Egypt.

London dealership AntikBar brings a major collection of pieces relating to Intourist, the 20th century USSR travel company, to 'Firsts London' book fair.

Based on his own experiences and those of his clients, a seasoned rare books buyer offers advice on getting the most from the collecting journey