38th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair

The annual fall gathering for booklovers, the Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair, will return to the Hynes Convention Center in Boston’s beautiful Back Bay, November 14-16, 2014. A record-breaking 134 dealers from the United States, England, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Russia and The Netherlands will exhibit and sell rare, collectible and antiquarian books, illuminated manuscripts, autographs, maps, atlases, modern first editions, photographs, and fine and decorative prints. There will be 15 first-time dealers and 27 international dealers at this year’s show, bringing a wide and diverse selection of items of interest to the serious collector or the curious shopper.

One of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country, the Fair is an event that offers the ‘crème de la crème’ of items that are available on the international literary market. Whether just browsing or buying, the Fair offers something for every taste and budget—books on art, politics, travel, gastronomy and science to sport, natural history, literature, music and children’s books.

Among the highlights this year are rare and first editions of works by Charles Dickens, Betty Friedan, George R.R. Martin, and Charles Darwin; George Washington’s 1789 proclamation declaring Thanksgiving a national holiday (valued at $8.4 million); a complete set of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Holmes & Watson stories in the Strand Magazines; ¬a rare first edition of the first novel by an African-American woman, Harriet E. Wilson’s 1859 Sketches from the Life of a Free Black; the first baseball book¬, Mike “King” Kelly’s Play Ball; Mick Jagger’s handwritten lyrics for his 1987 song War Baby; and the first four volumes of artist Marc Chagall’s complete catalogue of lithographs.

For attendees wanting to start a collection without breaking the bank, there will be dealers offering “Discovery” items, including a selection of children's books and decorative cloth bindings, priced at less than $100. On Saturday, an expert panel will give tips on the best ways to start your own collection. And on Sunday from 1-3pm, attendees are invited to bring in their own books for free appraisal.

Seminars and events punctuate the weekend, including talks by the Massachusetts Historical Society’s Peter Drummey and Fruitlands Museum’s Michael Volmar, as well as The Annual Ticknor Society Roundtable, a panel discussion of collectors talking about their collections. For up to the minute details, visit www.bostonbookfair.com.

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