Auction Catalogs Collection
1750-1983

QC16542

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Provenance:

The collection was formed in large part from catalogs that were used as acquisition tools by the New York State Library. As such, the collection offers great insight into the formation of the original collection of the library, considered at the time to be one of the ten best collections in the world. Of even more significance are the catalogs from the years immediately following the destruction of a major portion of the collection by the 1911 New York State Capitol/New York State Library fire. The post-1911 catalogs help to document the effort to rebuild the collection to its former level. The many catalogs with order-department lists of items desired, bids offered, and the results from the library’s agents offer a limited but enlightening window onto the rebuilding process.

Background:

Book auction catalogs are important tools for scholars, collectors, booksellers, curators, historians and librarians. They give us the expertise of specialists and can give an overview or a detailed look at areas of collecting (and sometimes of collectors as well). The sale catalog of a specific collection can help trace the provenance of a book, a letter, or a piece of art. This information can be as important as the item itself. Often, such catalogs have some of the best information that has ever been written about a particular edition or copy of a book, with bibliographic references, collations, illustrations, and binding information. When an unpublished manuscript or letter is for sale, the catalog may have an image of the item and a transcription of a portion or all of the text, making it the first place of publication for many famous works.

The collection also offers a glimpse at bookselling activity from the mid-eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, and an historical view of the wholesale and retail rare book business in America. The collection serves a range of applications, from the documentation of patterns of connoisseurship, locally and nationally, to the study of the history of rare book collecting and printing history.

The catalogs document the names of the sellers and the specific items sold. Some of the catalogs are annotated with the names of the buyers and the prices fetched. They serve as tools for tracing the ownership of specific items, for testing authenticity, and for following the often meandering path of ownership. They supply evidence of the development of book-listing, pricing, trade relationships and other practices of the book trade for particular periods. They provide evidence that certain books once existed, even though no copies may be known today.

Literary researchers can chronicle the history of artistic and literary tastes, track the development of international connoisseurship, and study the economics of art as it changed over time. Cultural historians can use them to assess reading tastes or the availability and distribution of particular books or particular subject classes of books.

Scope and Content Note:

The auction catalogs collection, representing 69 auction houses, spans rare book-selling activity from 1750, with the majority dating from 1860 to 1938, and offers an historical view of the rare book business in America. The houses are primarily American, with a smattering of British, French and German houses.

The majority of the catalogs focus on Americana, books relating in one way or another to the history of the United States. However, there are numerous examples of general sales where the catholic nature of collection building can be seen.

Of particular note to researchers of American history are the autograph collections. The letters being auctioned frequently have at least part of the text of the letters.

Each book auction catalog in this list was checked against George McKay’s American Book Auction Catalogues, 1713-1934: A Union List (New York: New York Public Library, 1937); NYSL call number: A,016.0173,M15. McKay only listed book auction catalogs. If the item was found in McKay, its McKay number was listed; book auctions not listed in McKay are noted: Not in McKay.

While most of the auctions listed are devoted to books, a few are devoted to pamphlets, broadsides, newspapers, manuscripts, autographs, bookplates, coins, stamps, paintings or furniture.

In addition to the catalogs in this specific collection, there are many auction catalogs in the main book collection. Suggested catalog search strategies are:

• keyword books AND keyword auctions;
• subject heading book auctions OR subject heading book industries and trade.

Microform copies of auction catalogs are also to be found in various microform collections in the library, including:

The New York State Library subscribes to SCIPIO, an online union catalog of auction catalog records covering art and rare book auction sales catalogs from the late 16th century to upcoming auctions. Records contain information on dates and places of sale, catalog title, the auction house, sellers, institutional holdings, and titles of works. Both North American and European auction houses and some private sales are included. SCIPIO provides bibliographic access to sources of art objects and rare books, the history of collecting, and contemporary and historical market trends.

There also are some auction catalogs in the Popular Culture collections (QC16527 and QC16532); they are filed alphabetically by the name of the firm.

For more information on book auction catalogs, see R.R. Bowker Company. A Half Century of Rare Book Auctions in the United States. ([New York: R.R. Bowker Co., 1944]) NYSL call number: N,002.075,R111,96-6361

For books on book collecting, do a CALL NUMBER BROWSE on 002.075 in the New York State Library’s online catalog.

Arrangement:

The list of catalogs is arranged alphabetically by name of auction firm and then in chronological order under the firm name. The date used is as it appears on the title page or elsewhere in the catalog. The year has been supplied in entries if it is missing and could be determined. Supplied dates are always indicated by brackets [ ]. Note that the New York State Library does not have a complete run of all catalogs published by any auction company.

The form of entry is as: auction firm, place of sale, year, month and day(s) of sale, description of contents, annotations, McKay number.

Names of owners of collections have been listed in the order of their appearance on the title page of the catalog. While it is probably safe to assume that most of these are correct, they should not be used without question. Very often the owner whose name appears in the catalog owned only a small part of the entire collection sold.

List of American Book Auction Houses

In the List of Auction Catalogs, the name of an auction firm or individual is regularly indicated by one or two words in capital letters, e.g. “BANGS” represents Bangs, Brother & Co., Bangs, Merwin & Co., and the other names by which the firm was known. In the List of American Book Auction Houses, under “Bangs,” “Libbie,” “Thomas,” etc., are, with inclusive dates, the various forms of firm names, and the addresses at which the firms held their sales. The list of firms has been compiled with reference only to the catalogs included in this work, no attempt having been made to indicate names and addresses for periods in the histories of firms not represented by catalogs here listed. (If, in order to avoid confusion, some intermediate addresses and dates were deemed necessary, they, too, were included.)

A date in square brackets [ ] reflects the date of the auction catalog(s) in this particular collection for a firm for which the dates of the firm’s operation could not be confirmed with a quick check of city directories or the Internet. Much of the information in the list was taken from McKay’s American Book Auction Catalogs, 1713-1934: A Union List, pp. xvii-xxxii.

List of American Book Auction Houses

AIHA
Albany Institute of History and Art, 125 Washington Ave., Albany, New York

AMERICAN ART.
American Art Association, 6 East 23rd Street (Madison Square South), New York, 1886-1922.
- 30 East 57th Street (Madison Avenue, 56th to 57th Street), 1922-1929.

AMERICAN ART-ANDERSON.
American Art Association Anderson Galleries, Inc., 30 East 57th Street (Madison Avenue, 56th to 57th Street), New York, 1929-1934.

ANDERSON.
John Anderson, Jr., 34 West 30th Street, New York, 1900-1901.
- 20 West 30th Street, 1901-1903.
- 91 & 93 Fifth Avenue (successor to Bangs & Co.), 1903.
The Anderson Auction Company, 5 West 29th Street, 1903-1908.
- 12 East 46th Street, 1908-1911.
- 284 Madison Avenue, 1911-1915.
- 16 East 40th Street, 1912.
The Anderson Galleries, Inc., 284 Madison Avenue, 1915-1917.
- 489 Park Avenue, 1917-1929.
See also American Art-Anderson.

BANGS.
Bangs, Platt & Co., 204 Broadway, New York, 1849-1850
Bangs, Brother & Co., 13 Park Row, 1851-1858
Bangs, Merwin & Co., 13 Park Row, 1858-1860.
- 594 & 596 Broadway, 1860-1864.
- 694 & 696 Broadway, 1864-1873.
- 656 Broadway, 1873-1876.
Bangs & Co., 656 Broadway, 1876-1879.
- 739 & 741 Broadway, 1879-1895.
- 91 & 93 Fifth Avenue, 1896-1903.

BIRCH.
Thomas Birch & Son, 1110 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pa.

BOYD.
John T. Boyd & Co., Broadway, New York, 1926

CHRISTIE
Christie & Manson, London, England, ca. 1851-1856
Christie, Manson & Woods, London, England, ca. 1878-1918

COCHRANE.
John George Cochrane, No. 1 Catherine-street, Strand, London, England, 1816

COOLEY.
Cooley, Keese & Hill, 191 Broadway, New York, 1846-1848
Cooley & Keese, 191 Broadway, 1849-1850
-  304 Broadway, 1850
-  377 & 379 Broadway, 1850-1851
James E. Cooley, 377 & 379 Broadway, 1850-1851 [sic]
James E. Cooley, Trade Sale Rooms, 498 Broadway, 1864-1866

CUNNINGHAM.
J.L. Cunningham, cor. Milk & Federal Streets, 1827-1841

DAVIS.
Davis & Harvey, 1112 Walnut St., Philadelphia, 1898-1908

DICKERMAN
Kewin & Dickerman, 92 State St., Albany, N.Y., 1863
John S. Dickerman, Annesley & Vint’s Gallery, 83 State St., Albany, N.Y., [1881]

EVANS.
R. H. (Robert Harding) Evans, No. 26, Pall-Mall, London, England, 1819-1829
Messrs. Evans, No. 106 New Bond Street, London, England, [1846?]

FIFTH AVENUE.
Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, 366 Fifth Avenue, 1894-1906
- 546 Fifth Avenue, 1908

FREEMAN.
Samuel T. Freeman & Co., 1808-1810 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pa.,1925-

GADSDEN.
Gadsden, Ellis & Co., Great Library at Hanworth Park [London], 1873

GURLEY.
Pearson & Gurley, New-York Long Room, 169 Broadway, 1831-1832.
Royal Gurley, 169 Broadway, 1833-1841
- 20 John Street, 1841
- 169 Broadway, 1842
Gurley & Hill, 169 Broadway, 1842-1846
Royal Gurley & Co., 304 Broadway, 1846-1847
Royal Gurley, 304 Broadway, 1848

HEARTMAN.
Charles F. Heartman, 612 Middlesex Ave., Metuchen, N. J., 1922-1934

HENKELS.
Stan. V. Henkels, at the auction rooms of Davis & Harvey, 1112 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 1898-1908.
- at the auction rooms of Samuel T. Freeman & Co., 1519 & 1521 Chestnut Street, 1908-1913.
- 1304 Walnut Street, 1913-1924.
Stan. V. Henkels & Son, 1304 Walnut Street, 1924-1925.
- 1110-1116 Sansom Street, 1925-1926.
Stan. V. Henkels, 1110-1116 Sansom Street, 1926-1931.
Stan. V. Henkels, Jr., 1110-1116 Sansom Street, 1931-1936.
- 1108 Chestnut Street, 1936-1937.

HOWE.
See LEONARD.

HUBBARD.
S.G. Hubbard, s.e. cor. Fifth & Walnut Streets, Cincinnati, 1854.
- 21 West Fifth Street, 1858-1868.
S.G. Hubbard Co., 68 West Fourth Street, 1868-1869.
- 21 West Fifth Street, 1869.
- 16 East Fourth Street, 1870.

HUDSON
Hudson’s, 80 Maiden Lane, Rooms 615 & 616, New York, 1914-1915

JONES.
Joshua I. Jones, 77 State St. cor. North Pearl, Albany, N.Y., 1845

KEELER.
Keeler Art Galleries, 70 Liberty Street, New York

KENDE.
Kende Galleries, 730 5th Ave., New York, 1940
Kende Galleries at Gimbel Brothers, 33rd St. and Broadway, 1942
- 33rd Street and Broadway, 1947
Kende Galleries, Inc., 119-121 West 57th Street, 1948

KING, T.
T. King, London, England

KIRBY.
Thomas E. Kirby & Co., Chickering Hall, 130 5th Ave, New York, 1881

LABITTE.
Henri Labitte, Quai Malaquais, No. 5, Paris, France, [1846]

LAUGHTON.
Jno. E. Laughton, Jr., Richmond, Va., 1878.
- 916 Main Street, 1879-1881.

LEAVITT.
Leavitt, Delisser & Co., 377 & 379 Broadway, New York, 1856.
Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., 377 & 379 Broadway, 1857-1860.
- 24 Walker Street, 1860.
- 21 Mercer Street, 1860.
- 21 & 23 Mercer Street, 1861-1862.
Leavitt, Strebeigh & Co., New York Trade Sale Rooms, 498 Broadway, 1865-1867.
- Clinton Hall Book Sale Rooms, Astor Place & 8th Street, 1867-1871.
Geo. A. Leavitt & Co., Clinton Hall Book Sale Rooms, Astor Place & 8th Street, 1871-1884.
- Leavitt Art Rooms, 817 & 819 Broadway, 1882-1883.
- 787 & 789 Broadway, 1885-1892.

LEONARD.
Howe, Leonard & Co., Corinthian Hall, cor. Milk & Federal streets (49 Milk Street), Boston, 1842-1845.
Leonard & Co., 48 & 50 Bromfield Street, 1866-1876.
- 48 Bromfield Street, 1878-1890.

LIBBIE.
Charles F. Libbie, 13 Beacon Street, Boston, 1878-1879.
Sullivan Bros. & Libbie, 2 Beacon Street, 1879-1883.
Charles F. Libbie & Co., 1 Hamilton Place, 1883-1886.
- 27 Franklin Street, 1886.
- 608 Washington Street, 1886-1887.
- 13 Hayward Place, 1887-1892.
C.F. Libbie & Co., 666 Washington Street, 1892-1899.
- 646 Washington Street, 1899-1910.
- 597 Washington Street, 1910-1919.

LITTLE.
W.C. Little, at the store of M.J. Thomas & Co., 21 Broadway, Albany, N.Y.

LORD.
George W. Lord & Co., 356 Broadway, New York, 1853-1854.

LYMAN.
Lyman & Rawdon, 377 & 379 Broadway, New York, 1851-1852.
Lewis Lyman & Co., 377 & 379 Broadway, 1853.
Lyman & Co., 377 & 379 Broadway, 1854-1858.

McGILVRAY.
D. F. McGilvray & Co., 53 & 55 Tremont St., Boston, Mass., 1864

MERWIN.
Merwin-Clayton Sales Company, 20-24 East 20th Street, New York, 1904-1912.

MILLS.
Mills, Brothers & Co., New York City, 1832

MORLEY.
Wd. D. Morley, Inc., 1924-26 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, 1941

PARKE-BERNET.
Parke-Bernet, 30 East 57th Street, New York, 1944-1949
- 980 Madison Avenue, 1949-1964
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, 1964-

PATTERSON.
Samuel Patterson, London, England, 1781

PELICAN.
723 Toulouse St., New Orleans, La., 1935-1936

PHILLIPS.
Phillips & Sampson, No. 110 Washington Street, Boston, Mass., 1846

PHILLIPS SON
Phillips Son & Neale, London, England, 1823

PLAINFIELD
Plainfield Galleries,, 102 North Avenue, Plainfield, N.J., 1931

PLAZA.
Plaza Art Galleries, Inc., 9, 11 & 13 East 59th Street, New York, 1929-1932.
Plaza Book Auction Corporation, 9, 11 & 13 East 59th Street, New York, 1933-1934.
- 9 East 59th Street, 1934.
Plaza Art Auction Galleries, Inc., 9, 11 & 13 East 59th Street, New York, 1934.

POOR.
Nathaniel P. Poor, Long Room, Pennsylvania Ave., Washington, D. C., 1829

PUTTICK.
Puttick and Simpson, 47 Leicester Square, W. C. London, England, 1883-1916

RAINS.
Rains Auction Rooms, Inc., 3 East 53rd Street, New York, 1932-1934.
Rains Galleries (Rains Auction Rooms, Inc.), 12 & 14 East 49th Street, 1934.

RICHARDSON.
Mr. Richardson, No. 31, the Corner of Villers-Street, in the Strand.

RICHMOND.
The Geo. H. Richmond Literature Co., Inc., 19 East 45th Street, New York, 1912-1913.

ROBINSON.
G. Robinson & Son, London, 1829

ROCKWOOD.
Rockwood Art Gallery, New York City, 1872

ROSENTHAL.
L. Rosenthal’s, Műnchen, 1873
Jacques Rosenthal, Karl Strasse 10, Munich, Bavaria, 1900

SCOTT.
Walter S. Scott, Collectors Club, 14 East 23rd Street, New York, 1910
Scott and O’Shaughnessy, The Collectors Club, 42nd Street Building, Room 802, 30 East 42nd Street, New York, 1915-1917.
Scott & O’Shaughnessy, Inc., 116 Nassau Street, Room 412, 1917-1919.
- 343 Front Street, Hempstead, Long Island, 1920.
Walter S. Scott, 115-117 W. 23rd Street, 1921.
- The Collectors Club Building, Room 301, 51 West 48th Street, New York, 1930.

SEDELMEYER.
Galerie Sedelmeyer, Charles Sedelmeyer’s Galleries, Paris, France

SILO.
James P. Silo, 43 Liberty Street, New York, 1891.
- Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, 366 Fifth Avenue, 1905.
- Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, 546 Fifth Avenue, 1908-1912.
James P. Silo & Son, Silo’s Fifth Avenue Art Galleries, Silo Building, 546 Fifth Avenue, 1, 3 & 5 West 45th Street, 1918.
James P. Silo, Vanderbilt Avenue & 46th Street, 1932.

SLOAN.
C.G. Sloan & Co., 1407 G Street, N.W., Washington, D.C., 1893-1903

SIMMONS.
Harry Simmons, 96 State Street, Albany, N.Y., 1900-1912.
- 84 & 86 North Pearl Street, 1913-1917.

SPAULDING.
James K. Spaulding, Auctioneer, Norwich Village, N.Y., 1889

STACK.
Stack’s Galleries, New York City, 1952

SULLIVAN BROS. & LIBBIE.
See Sullivan Bros. & Libbie.

THOMAS.
M. & S. Thomas, 87 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, 1823.
M. Thomas, 87 Chestnut Street, 1828-1832.
M. Thomas & Sons, Sixth  and Minor Sts., upstairs, [Philadelphia, Pa.]
- 93 Walnut Street, 1849-1851.
- 67 & 69 South Fourth Street, 1854-1857.
- 139 & 141 South Fourth Street, 1857-1882.

THOMPSON.
Thompson & Sons, Stocks House, Cheetham, Manchester, England, 1884

UNION ART.
Union Art Galleries, Inc., 45 West 57th Street, New York, 1934.
Union Galleries, Inc., 220 East 57th Street, 1934.

UNITED STATES COIN COMPANY.
United States Coin Company, 200 Fifth Avenue, New York, 1913-1915

VAN STOCKUM.
Van Stockum’s, antiquariat, The Hague, Holland, 1911

WALPOLE.
The Walpole Galleries (Edward Turnbull and Lenore Young Turnbull), 10 East 49th Street, New York, 1915-1921.
- 12 West 48th Street, 1921-1928.

WELLS.
Wells and Lilly, Printers, In the chambers of No. 81 Market Street, Boston, 1818

List of Auction Catalogs