Rare Book News

Charlotte Bronte Manuscript at Ellis Library

"Among the books stored in a back room on the third floor is a tiny, original manuscript by Charlotte Brontë, who is most famous for her book "Jane Eyre." The 179-year-old manuscript, which contains two short stories, has been miraculously preserved through diligent care."

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Dickens on Exhibit in Bangor, Wales

"The School of English at Bangor University will be celebrating the 200th birthday of Charles Dickens (1812-1870) on Tuesday 7 February by showing two rarely seen early film adaptations of his works."

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Shakespeare Artifacts at Yale Library

"Today marks the opening of the “Remembering Shakespeare” exhibit at the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, and with it, the unification of books, prints and documents chronicling the Bard’s lasting impression on the world and on Yale."

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Rare Books at the Gemological Museum

"The Gemological Institute of America's (GIA) latest museum exhibit, 'Tablet to Tablet: Treasured Pages from Past to Present,' showcases more than 26,000 pages from rare books on gems, minerals, and natural science dating back to the 15th century."

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$2 Million Gift to Boston Athenaeum from Bromer Books

"David J. Bromer (far left) and Anne C. Bromer join Bromer Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts Stanley Ellis Cushing in the announcement of a $2 million gift to endow the Anne C. and David J. Bromer Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Boston Athenaeum."

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Audubon Bird Books Sell for $7.9 Million

"A full-size, complete first edition of John James Audubon's "The Birds of America" has been sold for $7.9 million at auction in New York to a private American collector, Christie's said."

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Winston Churchill Library to be Created in Washington DC

"An international group seeking to preserve the legacy of Winston Churchill announced plans Thursday to create the first U.S. research center devoted to the longtime British leader."

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India: Manney's Bookstore to Close Shop

"67-year-old owner of six-decade-old outlet decides to down shutters in 2 months as there's no male heir to run show"

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Library Company's Afro-Americana Collection to Go Online

"A digital edition of Afro-Americana, 1535-1922: From the Library Company of Philadelphia will be introduced in late Spring 2012 by Readex, a division of NewsBank."

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The Charles Dickens Bicentennial

"Strange as it might sound, the dead bird and accompanying year-long Dickens program at the Free Library probably provide the perfect means for the American culture vulture to celebrate not only Dickens’s 200th birthday on Feb. 7, but also the little-known yet astonishing impact of Grip on American letters and popular culture to this day."

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The World's Most Expensive Book

"A first edition of John James Audubon’s book 'The Birds of America' certainly costs more than the average nest egg. The last time another copy of this rare volume was sold in 2010, bids soared to $11.5 million – making it the world’s most expensive book."

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John McWhinnie: Rare Book Dealer

"His collection includes such items as a handmade book of gruesome crime-scene photographs collected by a Los Angeles detective in 1920s, a 1940s edition of Edgar Allan Poe poems that was annotated with notes and drawings by its owner Frida Kahlo and Jack Kerouac’s original galley copy of 'Big Sur.'"

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Curtis Photographs to be Exhibited in Minnesota

"The Minneapolis Athenaeum, a nonprofit that collects and houses rare books and manuscripts, lent the museum about 40 prints for 'Upon Native Waters: The Photographs of Edward Curtis.' It’s the first time the Athenaeum has allowed any museum to display the organization’s artwork."

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Makeover at University of Penn's Rare Book Library

"The Rare Book & Manuscript Library in the University of Pennsylvania, US has completed phase I of a multi-year makeover."

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Woodie Guthrie Archive goes to Tulsa, Oklahoma

"Guthrie, known for the anthem, “This Land is Your Land” and his songs about the poor and downtrodden, is remembered mostly as a musician, composer and singer, but was also a literary figure and an artist, said Bob Blackburn, executive director of the Oklahoma Historical Society."

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