On the evening of the 29th January 2017, three thieves climbed onto the roof of a postal transit warehouse in Feltham, West London under cover of darkness. They bored holes through the reinforced glass-fibre skylights and rappelled down 40ft of rope, avoiding the many motion sensor alarms. The...
Providence Press in California is publishing a new translation of one of the most profound and revered texts in Buddhism, The Heart Sutra.
Understood to be "the most frequently used and recited text in the entire Mahayana Buddhist tradition" (Brunnhölzl, Karl, September 29, 2017) The Heart Sutra...
The ABA's second virtual fair of 2020, Firsts Online, is returning this week from 10-14th September.
Over 110 exhibitors from 16 countries will each offer up to 20 highlights on the Firsts website which will be live from 2pm on 10th September, through to midnight on 14th September.
New items will...
A recent internal document issued by The National Trust’s Visitor Experience department entitled ‘Towards a Ten-Year Vision for Places and Experiences’ has caused quite the stir since being leaked by The Times.
Below we share some of the opinions and comments from collecting institutions and the...
During lockdown many of us have probably tried some new recipes and looked through cookery books for inspiration. I have to confess, I am always tempted by an antiquarian cookery book, although when it comes to actually attempting any recipes from it, my success rate is rather low.
Bonhams...
This week Sotheby’s is to offer a questionnaire completed by Oscar Wilde as he sat on the cusp of stardom in 1877.
It is a fascinating recording of the young writer's passions and preferences across thirty-nine questions..
Wilde was in his early twenties when he contributed to the album of “Mental...
The Book Collector is taking a break from Podcasts and Newsletters this August, and during this time we thought we would keep the minds of our readers and followers busy with a little challenge…
Recently a portrait of EM Forster set an Auction record for painter Roger Fry (1866-1934) when it sold...
Covid-19 has changed our daily lives in many ways and for book fairs it has certainly meant a speedy transfer online. ‘Firsts London’, the prestigious and highly esteemed book fair, due to take place in early June, decided to go digital instead. It was the first such venture for the Antiquarian...
The Making of Joseph Banks' Florilegium, Part II: 1771 to 1990
Joseph Banks’ botanical discoveries during the Endeavour voyage of 1768-71 revolutionised European understanding of natural history. But it took more than 200 years to realise his plans for a scientific catalogue of botanical finds from...
CHRISTOPHER PLANTIN was born 500 years ago this May and is being commemorated by Antwerp’s Plantin-Moretus Museum in a series of exhibitions intended to run through the rest of 2020 (corona volente).
The museum has made available online and in high-res some 14,000 woodcuts, including those from...