World's most expensive book up for grabs

A rare copy of John James Audubon's Birds of America, billed as the world's most expensive book, is up for sale alongside a first edition of Shakespeare's plays at an auction to set book lovers' pulses racing, Sotheby's said on Thursday. One of only 100 or so remaining copies of Birds of America is valued at between 4 million pounds and 6 million pounds ($6.2 million and $9.2 million), while a Shakespeare First Folio from 1623 is expected to fetch at least 1 million pounds ($1.54 million).

Sotheby's books expert David Goldthorpe said the two tomes are "the twin peaks of book collecting." The books come from the estate of the 2nd Baron Hesketh, an aristocratic book collector who died in 1955. The auction house is selling them in London on December 7. Another complete copy of Birds of America was sold by Christie's for $8.8 million in 2000, a record for a printed book at auction.

Full report here Hindustan Times 

Rare book on political and economic history of India digitized

The rare book, "India Illustrated" has now been digitally preserved by The University of Houston Digital Library, and is available online for students, historians and others around the world who are interested in the social, economic and political history of India.

"Our efforts preserve this rare book. We have digitized it cover-to-cover and could reproduce the entire book should anything happen to the originals," said Michelle Reilly, digital projects program director.

The book was apparently published after 1900, but before 1910. There are three copies known to exist. One is housed in the British Library; the other at the National Library Board, Singapore.

Full report here Sify

In an antiquarian world

Next week’s auction of printed works could be a pointer to a growing interest beyond the stranglehold of painted canvases.

In a country with a short history of art auctions, similarities rather than differences have been a distinguishing hallmark. Which is why collectors can look forward to next week’s auction in Bangalore of “antiquarian books, maps, prints & photographs”. Auction house Bid & Hammer has had a somewhat chequered career in the Garden City, often mixing antiquarian prints with sculpture and art. But this 232-lot auction is its most focused and ambitious to date.

The works to be auctioned include delightful and occasional first edition books, lithograph prints, engravings, hand-coloured aquatints, maps, printed pages from journals and newspapers (from Illustrated London News to advertisements in the annual supplements of The Times of India of the twenties and thirties) and illustrations that were probably reproduced in books and have been turned into sets of images, duly framed for the collectors’ edification (such as the typecast portraits published in The Costumes of Indoostan).

In most collecting societies, antiquarian books and prints are either the starting point or useful in filling gaps — in this case in the way the “Empire” was positioned back home with an eye to showing off its flora, fauna, landscapes, architecture and, unsurprisingly, its rajas and merchants, traders and nautch girls. If these books and views and prints were in high demand in Britain before India’s independence, waning interest there has hardly kept up with antiquarian interest in India. It is only now, that Indians, confident about their nationhood and selves, are ready to bid for a past when India was Hindostan, and we are able to look back with amusement, rather than anger, at places that were called (or at any rate spelled) Nepaul and Birmah, the Sinde and Boorhanpore.

Full report here Business Standard 

Persian manuscripts on display in city of temples

The imposing Kala Kendra in Jammu came to life today with an outstanding exhibition of old and rare books and manuscripts dating as back as 17th century AD. Visitors including writers, scholars, university teachers and school and college students came in large numbers to view specimen of the centuries old hand written and printed material.

Organized by the Department of Libraries & Research as part of the observance of World Book Day in collaboration with the Department of Archives, Archaeology & Museums, the exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister for Tourism & Culture, Mr. Nawang Rigzin Jora. Minister of State for Tourism, Culture, Housing & Urban Development, Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani, Director Libraries, Archives and Archaeology, Mr. Khalid Bashir Ahmad and Deputy Directors Libraries and Archives & Archaeology, Mr. Rajinder Singh and Peerzada Muhammad Ashraf were also present.

The Ministers described the exhibition as very rich and interesting and hoped that people would be drawn in good numbers. On the request of the enthusiastic visitors, Mr. Jora announced extension of the day-long exhibition by two more days.

Full report here Kashmir Observer

Some rare gems

While dedicated antique bookshops are rare, digging around old bookstores, one can come across some gems. Paramount Book Store on Janpath, New Delhi, is one such store. Ask owner Naresh Kambiri about antique books and he produces a fragile International Library of Famous Literature carefully wrapped in a dusty plastic bag. One of 20, the book had been edited by Dr. Richard Garnett of the British Museum and was published in 1900. Rare books by Kashmiri Sufi saint Lalla Rukh are available too. But there isn't much of a demand. “We've only been getting enquiries, that too mostly from foreigners,” says Kambiri.

The Oxford Bookstore has a section on antique and rare books. These include first editions, limited editions, rare publications and out-of-print books. It is interesting to see tomes like Voyages and Travels: India, Ceylon, The Red Sea, Abyssinia and Egypt (first printed in 1811), A New Account of the East Indies: 1688 to 1723 (first printed in 1739), India and its Native Princes: Travels in Central India and in the Presidencies of Bombay and Bengal by Louis Rousselet (1875) and A History of the Indian Mutiny by G.W. Forrest (first printed in 1904) resting alongside the latest books.

Full report here Hindu

Exhibition on rare books begins in Jammu

An exhibition showcasing rare books and manuscripts, including those on Jammu and Kashmir, began in Jammu on April 23.

Inaugurated by state Minister for Culture and Tourism Rigzin Jora, the exhibition at the Kala Kendra had manuscripts dating back to the 17 century AD.

Among the books and manuscripts exhibited were Adi Granth (1887), Shah Nama Firdousi (1874), Aayeen-e-Akbari (1274), Gulam Nama (1932), Bustan-e-Hikmat (1874), Makhzanul Advia (1882), Tareekh-e-Rajgaan-e-Jammu-wa-Kashmir (1886)and Naya Purana Ehad Nama (1824).
  
The exhibition, which was to be a one-day affair, has now been extended to two more days.

Full report here Azad Kashmir

AMU exhibits rare books

The Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), Prof. P. K. Abdul Azis inaugurated an exhibitfion of books on Seerat, Quraniyat and specimen of Quranic calligraphy at Maulana Azad Library recently.

Rare and illuminated copies of Holy Quran and calligraphic specimen were displayed today at the Seerat exhibition.

A large number of students, faculty members and other dignitaries including Nawab Ibne Saeed of Chhatari and Prof. Shamim Ahmad were also present.

Full report here India Edunews