Books and Manuscripts and Written Material

We sat down with Rare Books & Manuscripts, Historical Photographs and Maps Consultant Specialist Richard Fattorini to talk about the world of rare book valuations. From surprising discoveries to shifting market trends, Richard shares what collectors need to know, common misconceptions, and why keeping valuations up to date is essential. What types of items do […]

Discover Firsts London 2025 at the Saatchi Gallery, 15–18 May. Explore rare books, botanical treasures, and expert talks at the UK’s top rare book fair.

Barry Humphries, best known for his stage personas Dame Edna Everage and Sir Les Paterson, was also a passionate collector of rare books, amassing a library of 7,000 volumes. Two auctions at Christie’s and Forum Auctions showcased highlights from his collection, including works by Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley, and William Beckford, with sales totalling over £5 million.

The Fascination of Collecting Beatrix Potter First Editions In the realm of literary works, few names conjure up the same sense of whimsy and charm as Beatrix Potter. The beloved author and illustrator has captured the hearts of readers young and old with her enchanting tales of mischievous rabbits, dapper mice, and adventurous squirrels. As […]

Rupert Neelands gives his best advice for caring for books: Space Libraries great and small suffer from a shortage of space — there is never as much room on the shelf as one would like. This is a permanent problem for the collector, but the desire to squeeze on an extra volume has to be […]

The poem ‘To Daffadills’ beginning ‘Faire Daffadills, we weep to see/You haste away so soon’ graces many an anthology. It is often mistakenly thought of as by Wordsworth. But the author was Robert Herrick, a 17th-century country vicar who made a speciality of lyric verse in short lines. Although Herrick’s life was a quiet one, […]