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<b>Bonhams:</b> MANDELSHTAM, OSIP. 1891-1938. Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp, [Petersburg,] January 1913, entitled

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A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World - By Carl Burnham Sotheran's, Britain, and perhaps the world's, oldest bookstore. By Carl Burnham While in London I had a chance to visit some of the many bookstores which line the streets of the old city where bookselling began. The jewel of these is Sotheran's. Located just a few blocks from the famed Piccadilly Circus in London's West End, Sotheran's has the distinction of being the oldest bookstore in operation in Great Britain and "quite probably the world." Sotheran's actually started in York back in 1761 under the name Todd & Sootheran (the family name was soon changed to Sotheran). I was able to acquire a photocopy of one of the earliest records for items that the company sold while in York, which dates to 1762, and included handwritten notations for sales of several volumes of Voltaire's Works, issues of Imperials Magazine, fine writing papers, and "2 bottles of Japan Ink". One of the Sotheran's, Thomas and his wife Maria moved to London in 1816 to start a trade there, which would flourish after his son Henry took on the business and began publishing a catalogue to describe the rare book collections the company held. Some of the notable collections that have been represented include the complete libraries of Laurence Sterne, Charles Dickens, Bishop Gott, Sir James Stirling, John Rylands (now a library in Manchester), including books from Sir Winston Churchill's library, and early works of Shakespeare among others. Compared to today's market, several rare books were sold for ridiculously low prices. For example, when the library of Charles Dickens was represented in 1870, many books signed by famous authors and Dickens himself or with his bookplate were sold for £1 to £2! With large, captivating, window displays of rarities, the shop at Sackville Street brings in a steady stream of new and regular customers daily through their double fronted doors. One would expect an historic marker in front of the shop to note the significance (me being an American, where a sign is posted for anything remotely historic), but then again this is London, one of the oldest cities in the world.
A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World - By Carl Burnham Sotheran's signed portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. As I browsed through the glass enclosed bookshelves, display cases, tables, and many aisles of prized books, it was like being in an exclusive library of my dreams. All the literary greats can be found here, with first editions of Lewis, Kipling, Wells, Carroll, Milne, and Dickens, among many others. A signed portrait of Winston Churchill stared down at me, with an ever present cigar in his right hand. Along another wall was a photograph with a note inscribed by Arthur Conan Doyle. I spent a good deal of time in the children's book section admiring the selection available, which included rare picture books, illustrations, and first editions (including Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll). There is also an extensive collection of rare maps, prints, engravings, and drawings. Sotheran's has published several fine bindings of books over the years, as evidenced by an antique book press which stood next to the literary book section. Probably the most famous was an illustrated edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, with an elaborately made 'Peacock' binding which took a period of two years to make, starting in 1909, and was decorated with engravings of peacocks. A one of a kind book, it included over 1,050 rare stones set in gold with rich Moroccan leather inlays by the famed bookbinder, Frances Sangorski. It was described at the time as being "the greatest modern binding in the world". The book was eventually sold to Gabriel Wells, an American buyer, for £405 ($748), but he never received it, as it was aboard the Titanic. When visiting London, be sure to stop by the British Library to see a later copy made of the book in 1989 to get an idea of the true rarity that the original was. Situated downstairs are more collections, including The Folio Society, a separate company that specializes in the republication of rare book classics. Many successful booksellers have gotten their start at Sotheran's. The staff was quite friendly and knowledgeable. I had a later conversation with John Sprague, who has worked with Sotheran's for almost 30 years, and provided me with a unique insight into the bookseller's history. I asked him about what the most valuable rare book ever sold by Sotheran's was. Noted Sprague, "I suspect that it would have been a Gutenberg Bible, printed on Vellum, which J. Pierpont Morgan bought in 1896."
A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World - By Carl Burnham Shelves of old books, and an even older book press, at Sotheran's. On asking him what was the best advice for a bookseller getting into the rare book business, he responded with "Try to get a job with an established dealer, who deals with a wide range of things, and the person can decide what they want to deal in, and also get a rough idea how the rare book trade works." Of the current rare offerings that Sotheran's has available, several items noted as being the most valuable include the book The Heart of the Antarctic by William Heinemann, 1909, first edition, signed by all members of the shore party of explorers (L18,500). Rare, hand colored lithographed plate drawings, titled A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds by John Gould, 1887, is valued at L25,000. On asking about the best values right now for book collectors, Sprague offered "Probably at present the quickest rises in book prices are in the modern first editions, but you have to find the correct ones and collectors should choose the ones that interest them. I never advise people to collect books for investment reasons...but because they like them. At least if you like them and they do not rise in value, you have had some pleasure from them." I will be writing more articles about some of my London experiences that focus on the places of interest to the collector, including a visit to some of the many museums. Carl Burnham SouthpointBooks.com

A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World

- By Carl Burnham

Sotheran's, Britain, and perhaps the world's, oldest bookstore.

By Carl Burnham

While in London I had a chance to visit some of the many bookstores which line the streets of the old city where bookselling began. The jewel of these is Sotheran's. Located just a few blocks from the famed Piccadilly Circus in London's West End, Sotheran's has the distinction of being the oldest bookstore in operation in Great Britain and "quite probably the world."

Sotheran's actually started in York back in 1761 under the name Todd & Sootheran (the family name was soon changed to Sotheran). I was able to acquire a photocopy of one of the earliest records for items that the company sold while in York, which dates to 1762, and included handwritten notations for sales of several volumes of Voltaire's Works, issues of Imperials Magazine, fine writing papers, and "2 bottles of Japan Ink". One of the Sotheran's, Thomas and his wife Maria moved to London in 1816 to start a trade there, which would flourish after his son Henry took on the business and began publishing a catalogue to describe the rare book collections the company held. Some of the notable collections that have been represented include the complete libraries of Laurence Sterne, Charles Dickens, Bishop Gott, Sir James Stirling, John Rylands (now a library in Manchester), including books from Sir Winston Churchill's library, and early works of Shakespeare among others. Compared to today's market, several rare books were sold for ridiculously low prices. For example, when the library of Charles Dickens was represented in 1870, many books signed by famous authors and Dickens himself or with his bookplate were sold for £1 to £2!

With large, captivating, window displays of rarities, the shop at Sackville Street brings in a steady stream of new and regular customers daily through their double fronted doors. One would expect an historic marker in front of the shop to note the significance (me being an American, where a sign is posted for anything remotely historic), but then again this is London, one of the oldest cities in the world.

A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World

- By Carl Burnham

Sotheran's signed portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

As I browsed through the glass enclosed bookshelves, display cases, tables, and many aisles of prized books, it was like being in an exclusive library of my dreams. All the literary greats can be found here, with first editions of Lewis, Kipling, Wells, Carroll, Milne, and Dickens, among many others. A signed portrait of Winston Churchill stared down at me, with an ever present cigar in his right hand. Along another wall was a photograph with a note inscribed by Arthur Conan Doyle. I spent a good deal of time in the children's book section admiring the selection available, which included rare picture books, illustrations, and first editions (including Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll). There is also an extensive collection of rare maps, prints, engravings, and drawings. Sotheran's has published several fine bindings of books over the years, as evidenced by an antique book press which stood next to the literary book section.

Probably the most famous was an illustrated edition of The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, with an elaborately made 'Peacock' binding which took a period of two years to make, starting in 1909, and was decorated with engravings of peacocks. A one of a kind book, it included over 1,050 rare stones set in gold with rich Moroccan leather inlays by the famed bookbinder, Frances Sangorski. It was described at the time as being "the greatest modern binding in the world". The book was eventually sold to Gabriel Wells, an American buyer, for £405 ($748), but he never received it, as it was aboard the Titanic. When visiting London, be sure to stop by the British Library to see a later copy made of the book in 1989 to get an idea of the true rarity that the original was.

Situated downstairs are more collections, including The Folio Society, a separate company that specializes in the republication of rare book classics.

Many successful booksellers have gotten their start at Sotheran's. The staff was quite friendly and knowledgeable. I had a later conversation with John Sprague, who has worked with Sotheran's for almost 30 years, and provided me with a unique insight into the bookseller's history. I asked him about what the most valuable rare book ever sold by Sotheran's was. Noted Sprague, "I suspect that it would have been a Gutenberg Bible, printed on Vellum, which J. Pierpont Morgan bought in 1896."

A Visit To the Oldest Bookstore in the World

- By Carl Burnham

Shelves of old books, and an even older book press, at Sotheran's.

On asking him what was the best advice for a bookseller getting into the rare book business, he responded with "Try to get a job with an established dealer, who deals with a wide range of things, and the person can decide what they want to deal in, and also get a rough idea how the rare book trade works."

Of the current rare offerings that Sotheran's has available, several items noted as being the most valuable include the book The Heart of the Antarctic by William Heinemann, 1909, first edition, signed by all members of the shore party of explorers (L18,500). Rare, hand colored lithographed plate drawings, titled A Monograph of the Trochilidae, or Family of Humming-Birds by John Gould, 1887, is valued at L25,000.

On asking about the best values right now for book collectors, Sprague offered "Probably at present the quickest rises in book prices are in the modern first editions, but you have to find the correct ones and collectors should choose the ones that interest them. I never advise people to collect books for investment reasons...but because they like them. At least if you like them and they do not rise in value, you have had some pleasure from them."

I will be writing more articles about some of my London experiences that focus on the places of interest to the collector, including a visit to some of the many museums.

Carl Burnham
SouthpointBooks.com