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Rare Books

Rare Book Division
Firestone Library
One Washington Road
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-258-3184
Curator of Rare Books
609-258-9942

Catalogued, useable, but incomplete runs of catalogues of selected American, English and Continental book auction catalogues are kept by the Department. The catalogues are now listed in the online main catalogue and each record shows the extent of the run. Access is through the Rare Books reading room, as the catalogues are stored in the ReCAP offsite storage facility. The Library no longer adds to these runs of catalogues, chiefly because of lack of staff and shelving to keep them current. The latest issuance date we are likely to have for any dealer in the following list is 1991, except for Sothebys and Christies, which are kept current. Earliest catalogues date to the end of the 19th century. Note that the Library has individually catalogued many auction catalogues, especially for major book sales as those for Brayton Ives, Robert Hoe, Jerome Kern, A.E. Newton, Thomas Streeter, et al.

The following houses have been retained:

Ader Picard Tajan; Anderson Galleries (also under American Art Association, Anderson Galleries); Bangs & Co.; J.L. Beijers; Bloomsbury Book Auctions; Charles Hamilton Galleries; Haus der Bücher; Hauswedell & Nolte; Hendsey Inc.; Stan. V. Henkels; Hodgson and Co., Laurin, Guilloux, Buffetaud, Tailleur; C.F. Libbie & Co.; Parke-Bernet Galleries; Phillips Son & Neale; Reiss & Sohn (formerly Reiss & Auvermann); Sotheby & Co.; Sotheby Parke Bernet; J.A. Stargardt; Swann Galleries; Van Gendt Book Auctions BV.