Books and Manuscripts
Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood are one of the few auction houses in the West Country
to have a bespoke book department and hold two high profile specialist Antiquarian Book Auctions
a year, one in the Spring, one in the Autumn.
Recent successes of the department include an illustrated manuscript Koran
(BK14/101), which sold for £230,000 and a Catalogue of Specimens of cloth from Captain Cook's Voyages
(BK5/334), which sold for £113,000.
Every Antiquarian Book Auction is available to view at the auction rooms,
in the glossy printed catalogue and online as well as on the online bidding platform
that allows buyers from all over the world to view and bid for lots during the auction,
which helps us to secure some of the world record prices achieved.
Books are a complex field, where age is not necessarily an indication of value.
Scarcity, a strong demand for the author or subject and condition are the main indications
of value, but there are of course exceptions to this.
The Books and Manuscripts Department has very successfully sold several single owner
collections of antiquarian books over the years, with the most recent being the
Harold Bowden Collection of Cornish Books. With
expert knowledge, an extensive database of buyers and professional marketing, the
book department can handle consignments ranging from one book to several thousand
books.
Bearnes Hampton & Littlewood's dedicated specialist Books and Manuscripts Department
is always happy to help, so if you are in doubt about the value of any printed material,
whether it's books, ephemera, broadsides, prints, maps, photographs, albums, optical
toys and manuscripts, please do not hesitate to get in touch with Roger Collicott
for a swift and accurate appraisal of your property.
News and Articles
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Rachel Littlewood previews the first Antiquarian Book Auction Sale of 2019, which
has something to suit everyone's interests with all the usual categories represented.
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Rachel Littlewood reviews a buoyant auction of books, prints, maps and photographs
that saw some excellent results, including £5,200 for a rare photograph of
Charles Darwin.
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Rachel Littlewood previews the Summer 2017 Antiquarian Book Sale, which includes
an important single owner collection of books and manuscripts contemporary with
the English Civil War. This auction of rare books and manuscripts in Exeter and
over the Internet promises to be an exciting sale.
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Valuation Appointments
The Books and Manuscripts Department can arrange to visit you whether you are looking
to sell your rare books, manuscripts, maps and prints or would like an insurance valuation.
Specialists
 | Roger Collicott
Rare Book Expert
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Book, Map, Print and Manuscript Categories