Sales by Author, Title, Subject and Collection

This index is compiled from the sales reports published in every issue of The Book Collector. These reports have themselves been assembled principally from eye-witness accounts by our correspondents. It is therefore a record of context as much as of cost. Who was bidding against whom, what was sold afterwards, the cataloguing errors, extraordinary provenances, rarity considered objectively - so on and suchlike. Some account of this system can be found in The Price of Passion ( 2016-04).

Entries are differentiated between Author, Title, Subject and Collection. It should be noted, however, that in the case of most classical texts and many cartographers, the author is also the title.

When typing an author's name into the Search bar please do so either as Smith, John or as Smith or as John.

Suggestions on how to improve any aspect of this archival information will be welcomed at archive@thebookcollector.co.uk.

An asterisk (*) against an entry indicates that issue of The Book Collector is no longer available in print.


Title Sales Category Sub Category Sale Price View PDF
Blaeu, Joan 1667 Book Title Atlas Major, 596 out of 597 maps Subscribe
to View
1969-03
Blaeu, Joan 1667 Book Title Atlas Major, 11 of 12 volumes, unsold 2003-01
Blaeu, Joan 1667 Book Title Le Grand Atlas Subscribe
to View
2005-01
Blaeu, Joan 1667 Book Title Grand Atlas, 12 volumes Subscribe
to View
2013-03
Blaeu, Joan 1695/97 Book Title Atlas Major, composite with Visscher Subscribe
to View
2006-04
Blaeu, Joan 1705 Book Title Nouveau Theatre d'Italie 1705 Subscribe
to View
2010-04
Blagge, Margaret Author MS instructions for running a house in Charles II's reign Subscribe
to View
2004-03
Blagrave, John Author 'The Mathematical Jewel' 1585 Subscribe
to View
2004-03
Blair, David Author 'The Grave' 1813, 'possibly coloured by Blake' Subscribe
to View
2014-01
Blake, Quentin Author Dust-wrapper on 'The Hunchback...' Subscribe
to View
2018-01
Blake, William Author Watercolour 'The Infant Jesus Saying his Prayers' Subscribe
to View
1989-02
Blake, William Author Letter: 'Blake letters are very uncommon' Subscribe
to View
1989-02
Blake, William Author 'Man sweeping the interpreter's parlour', a fine 2nd state impression Subscribe
to View
1994-01
Blake, William Book Title Copy C of 'Jerusalem' Subscribe
to View
1994-01
Blake, William Author First proofs of 4 engravings for Thornton's 'Virgil' Subscribe
to View
1994-01
Blake, William Author Plate 38 from 'Milton' Subscribe
to View
1994-01
Blake, William Collection From Mrs W. Emerson, 9 lots sold for - Subscribe
to View
1958-03
Blake, William Author Composite volume of 'Daughters of Albion', 'Europe' and 'The Song of Los' Subscribe
to View
1958-03
Blake, William Author 'The Book of Thel' 1789 (Copy A) Subscribe
to View
1990-01
Blake, William Author An important letter, bought in 2011-02
Blake, William Author A watercolour for 'Leonora' 1796 Subscribe
to View
2013-02
Blake, William Author A watercolour of Blake for a translation of "Leonora" 1796 Subscribe
to View
2013-02
Blake, William Author Watercolour doe 'Leonora' 1796 Subscribe
to View
2017-04
Blake, William Author 'Gates of Paradise,', late impression, lacking a plate Subscribe
to View
1955-01
Blake, William Author 'The Book of Urizen' 1794, a 'superb' copy Subscribe
to View
1956-02
Blake, William Author A composite volume, a record price for a single lot of printed books Subscribe
to View
1958-03
Blake, William Author 'The Book of Urizen' 1794 Subscribe
to View
1971-02
Blake, William Author 'Night Thoughts' 1797, price not shown 1974-04
Blake, William Author 'Night Thoughts' 1797, 'Group 1' colouring Subscribe
to View
1978-02
Blake, William Author 'Songs of Innocence and Experience' 1789 Subscribe
to View
1979-03
Blake, William Author 100 Blake lots 1980-03
Blake, William Author 'Songs of Innocence' 1789 (Copy D) Subscribe
to View
1990-01
Blake, William Author 'Songs of Innocence' 1789, one of four printed in green ink Subscribe
to View
2001-04
Blake, William Author A calling card? A bookplate? - part of a lot 2005-03
Blake, William Author An unpublished letter, 'highly personal' Subscribe
to View
2010-01
Blake, William Author Yeats's 'Muses' Library' edition Subscribe
to View
2011-03
Blake, William Author 'The Grave' 1813, 'possibly coloured by Blake' Subscribe
to View
2014-01
Blake, William Author Draft letter to Ozias Humphrey, a 'manifesto' Subscribe
to View
2015-02
Blake, William Author A drawing for one of the Thornton Virgil woodcuts Subscribe
to View
1992-03
Blake, William Author 'The Song of Liberty' 3 plates, copy L Subscribe
to View
1994-01