As mentioned in a previous post, Heritage Auction Galleries' Rare Books Auction will take place on October 14th in Beverly Hills, and will offer a rare English copy of 'Russia's Treasure of Diamonds and Stones'. There are a number of other noteworthy items, however. Some highlights include: *First edition of Jane Austen's first novel, Sense and Sensibility, in three volumes *First printing of three of four of Einstein's Annus Mirabilis papers *First collected edition of the "Federalist Papers", originally owned by Jonathan Dayton, a Revolutionary War officer and the youngest signer of the Constitution *First printing of the complete score of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony *First edition, first printing of A Christmas Carol from Dickens' own library *First edition, first issue of For Whom the Bell Tolls with an inscription from Hemingway to his friend Charles Sweeney *Edward S. Curtis' Portfolio 1 of The North American Indian For more information about this auction, click here. Heritage Highlights Heritage Auction Galleries [more Highlights from Heritage Auction Galleries' Upcoming Sale]

As previously posted about, in early December Sotheby's will auction off a very valuable and very interesting collection of rare books, including a first edition of Audubon's The Birds of America, which is considered to be the "world's most expensive book". Prior to the auction, the collection will tour and be put on public display in Paris, New York and London. Included in the public viewing will be the letters written by Queen Elizabeth I to jailer Sir Ralph Sadler about the imprisonment of Mary Queen of Scots, Shakspeare's First Folio, and an illustrated copy of Plutarch's Lives of Romulus. The schedule for the public viewing tour: *October 7-11: Sotheby's Paris, Galerie Charpentier, 76 rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré *October 30-November 5: Sotheby's New York, 1334 York Avenue at 72nd Street *December 3-5: Sotheby's London, 34-35 New Bond Street, W1A 2AA World's most expensive book on display [more Public Viewing of "World's Most Expensive Book"]

Brian Cassidy's interview with the Washington Post. Brian Cassidy, Bookseller [more Member in the News: Brian Cassidy]

Tomorrow, October 2nd, Adams Amsterdam will hold its rare books, print and art auction, which will feature live internet bidding through LiveAuctioneers.com. Included in over the 800 rare books, manuscripts, maps, prints, paintings, photographs and other art pieces being offered is the original 1964 manuscript for Ik Jan Cremer. The manuscript is part of a portfolio that includes original cover designs, collages and cover art, and Cremer's own strategy of a publicity campaign for the book. It is expected to bring in between $275,000-$340,000. For more information on the complete catalogue and bidding, visit LiveAuctioneers.com. Orig. manuscript for classic '60s novel at Adams Amsterdam, Oct. 2 [more Adams Amsterdam's Rare Books, Print & Art Auction- Oct 2]

After undergoing extensive renovations, the McKim Building at the Morgan Library and Museum is set to reopen to the public on October 30th. Originally, the building was the private study and library of Pierpont Morgan, and was designed in the style of the High Renaissance. The $4.5 million renovation is truly a gift to the public, as it has greatly enhanced the exhibition space, allowing for more of the broad and remarkable permanent collection to be displayed. The Library, also known as the East Room, is now equipped with a state of the art lighting system, a newly installed 19th century Persian rug that is reminiscent of the rug that originally lay in the room, and newly designed display cases. The inlaid bookshelves that house Morgan's rare book collection have been fitted with non-reflective Plexiglas, allowing visitors a pristine view of the books. There are more than one hundred works that are exhibited on rotation in the Library, and the additional display cases will greatly increase the works on regular view. These works include: "a letter from fifteen-year-old Queen Elizabeth I purchased by Pierpont Morgan in 1900; the manuscript for Balzac's Eugenie Grandet (1833) with a torturous mass of revisions, corrections, and additions demonstrating the writer's complex creative process; illustrated notes by Alexander Calder regarding the installation of his "stabiles" from 1941; the Reims Gospel Book, the Morgan's finest Carolingian manuscript, written in gold at the Abbey o... [more Morgan Library and Museum to Reopen McKim Building]

The Phoenix New Times has named Charles Parkhurst Rare Books as the Best Collectible Bookstore of 2010. Congrats! [more Best of Phoenix 2010: Charles Parkhurst Rare Books]

A brief blog post about recent acquisitions by the Wolfsonian-FIU Rare Books and Special Collections Library, can be read here. Some interesting photos of WWII propaganda leaflets, especially in light of our recent NCBCC winning bibliography, submitted by Andrew Fink and entitled An Interdisciplinary Survey of 20th Century Propaganda. To read more about and see additional examples of Psychological Warfare, visit Retired Major Edward Rouse's website. Major Rouse had a 20 year career in the US Military as a specialist in Psychological Operations, and participated in the psychological campaign in the Gulf War. [more Wolfsonian-FIU Receives Donation of WWII Propaganda]

An interesting article that focuses on another hat author Graham Greene wore- that of an avid collector of rare books. Read the article here. [more Graham Greene, Book Collector]

A rare copy of the United State's first census will be offered in Bonhams Rare Books and Fine Manuscripts Auction on October 4th. The census was conducted under the direction of Thomas Jefferson, who at the time was serving as Secretary of State under Washington, and was therefore also the nominal director of the census (a title held by the Secretary of State for the first five censuses). This particular copy is one of the few signed by Jefferson himself. It is annotated with numerous calculations, and believed to originally have been Gideon Granger's personal copy; Granger was Postmaster General during Jefferson's time in office (1801-1814). This rare copy's value is estimated between $80,000 and $120,000. The sale also includes historical photographs, maps, and atlases, among them a 1816 John Melish's Map of the United States with the Contiguous British and Spanish Possessions; a signed 1922 first edition, first printing of The Beautiful and Damned; an original 4-panel strip of Peanuts; and a single typed page report of a blood test taken by Gandhi ten days prior to his assassination (which indicated a high white blood cell count). The auction will be simulcast to New York. Rare 1790 Census Up For Auction History:Directors 1790-1810 [more 1790 Census Up For Auction]

The University of Calgary's Hotchkiss Brain Institute will be the new home for the Mackie Family History of Neuroscience Collection, and students and faculty alike are thrilled. The collection was started forty years ago by Dr. Robert Gordon, a now-retired neurologist, when he acquired the medical library of a distinguished physician. It is comprised of rare neurology books, some over 500 years old, and includes an original copy of Watson and Crick's Nature paper, in which the Nobel winners first describe the double helix structure of DNA, and the first neurological text, which was written in the 1600s by Thomas Willis, who is considered to be the 'father of neurology'. The University Library was able to purchase the collection after matching a gift given by Jamie and Brenda Mackie. The director of the Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Dr. Samuel Weiss, PhD, is very excited about the acquisition and the implications it has for students. "The collection will provide a strong foundation for the knowledge that we have today and will act as a springboard for future research and education," Weiss says. The collection will be available to students, faculty, and the general public, and will provide a resource to those across the globe once it is digitized. It is valued at approximately $600,000. Rare Book Collection Unites Neuroscience History and Future [more The Mackie Family History of Neuroscience Collection to be Housed at the University of Calgary]