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Books and Manuscripts: Continental, Russian & Science

Overview

Sotheby's has been the major force in the book world ever since we held our first auction in 1744. We are proud of our tradition of excellence, scholarship and innovation, and continue to build our business in an ever-growing and developing market. With over twenty full-time experts, all specialists in their respective fields, the department has many years of expertise and boasts a number of world authorities in their subject.
We sell a wide range of fine books and manuscripts in all European languages. Within a single week in December 2007, for example, we offered both the Magna Carta (sold for $21,321,000) and J.K. Rowling's The Tales of Beedle the Bard (sold for £1,950,000). In May 2008, in Paris, nine manuscripts by André Breton including the Manifesto of Surrealism sold for € 3.6 million.
We also continue to sell the finest libraries, most recently those of Lord Wardington and the Pierre Leroy collection in France, which sold for almost € 5 million. The most valuable...
The Valmadonna Trust Library

The Valmadonna Trust Library

Join Sotheby's experts and Jack Lunzer, custodian of the Valmadonna Trust Library, for an intimate tour of this fabled collection of Hebrew books and manuscripts. The library, currently offered for private sale, was exhibited for the first time in its entirety at Sotheby's New York in February.