#LiteraryPeachy #AncientAntiques @donaldheald #NYIABF The ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair Returns to the Park Avenue Armory, Drawing Its Largest Opening Night Crowd and Reporting Early Sales #DONALDHEALDRAREBOOKS BEST IN SHOW SAYS WHOM YOU KNOW This Is One of the Most Underrated Shows in New York and A Total Smashing Success
Donald's fascinating collectable literary business is over half a century and his Linked In page tells us:
Donald Heald Rare Books, Prints & Maps offers the finest examples of antiquarian books and prints in the areas of Botany, Ornithology, Natural History, Americana & Canadiana, Native Americans, Voyages & Travels, Maps & Atlases, Photography and more. Founded in England in 1972, we have formed and contributed to important private and institutional collections. Items of note which we have placed include a unique copy of Abbot’s Natural History of the Rarer Lepidopterous Insects of Georgia with plates on vellum, an extremely rare extra-illustrated large paper Spanish edition of Blaeu’s Atlas Mayor, Curtis' North American Indian, a copy of the Federalist in boards, the first separate printing of the Bill of Rights, and a large paper issue of Redouté Les Roses with the plates in two states. We are renowned for our extensive print inventory which is unsurpassed in quality. The Sporting collection incorporates the complete print stock of Ackermann & Son of London, established in 1783. We are members of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America, where Mr. Heald has served on the Board of Governors as Treasurer, Security Chairperson, and as Chairman of the New York Antiquarian Book Fair. We are members of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers, and the American Historical Print Collectors Society. Mr. Heald is a member of the Grolier Club, and the American Antiquarian Society.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/donald-heald-3b1660205/****
Last night, the ABAA New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) – officially sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and produced by Sanford L. Smith + Associates – returned to the Park Avenue Armory for its 66th edition, welcoming collectors, curators, tastemakers and bibliophiles for an exclusive VIP preview.
Attendance reached 2,400 on opening night, surpassing last year’s record of 1,900 by 20% and marking the highest opening night attendance in the fair’s history. Guests moved through presentations from 174 exhibitors from around the world, encountering rare books, manuscripts, maps and cultural artifacts spanning centuries, reaffirming the fair’s reputation as the leading international event of its kind.
Early reports from exhibitors indicate a dynamic opening night, with Ursus Rare Books noting that the fair was “really well attended but never felt overcrowded,” alongside strong sales across categories.
Patti Smith and Michael
Stipe
Opening night transactions were reported widely. Johnnycake Books sold a framed poster of Andy Warhol’s iconic 1964 Marilyn Monroe image, produced for the Tate’s 1972 exhibition in London. Honey & Wax Booksellers highlighted a $10,000 first edition of W. B. Yeats’s Michael Robartes and the Dancer (1920), written during the Irish War of Independence, as a standout sale of the evening. Imperial Fine Books reported the sale of an extra-illustrated set of George Washington’s writings, as well as a first edition of Ireland’s Life of Napoleon accompanied by a note signed by Napoleon Bonaparte. Christian White Rare Books noted the sale of a bound collection of 1790s Thomas Paine pamphlets for $4,500.
Michael Laird Rare Books reported approximately $15,000 in pre-reserved material, along with a significant walk-in sale to a new collector, who acquired a set of unpublished watercolors depicting the frescoes of the Casino Felice in Rome. Schubertiade Music & Arts also reported strong early sales, including Frank Zappa’s leather jacket within the first half hour, as well as a rare carte-de-visite of a Civil War Black regiment drummer—featured on the cover of this year’s catalogue. The gallery also noted strong enthusiasm for Joe Brainard, with key works from its dedicated fair catalogue placed early. Liber Antiquus, Early Books & Manuscripts reported multiple sales, including an album of 22 vellum miniatures depicting figures from 17th-century Italian society. John W. Knott, Jr., Bookseller noted sustained interest throughout the evening, with sales continuing through the close of the preview.
This year’s fair continues to reflect a broadening audience, with a notable presence of younger collectors and guests from across disciplines - including design, fashion, film and the culinary arts - underscoring the expanding cultural relevance of rare books and works on paper.
The NYIABF Ambassador Program also returned, bringing together a diverse group of collectors, creatives and cultural figures who help connect the fair to new audiences. This year’s Ambassadors include Founding Ambassador Jesse Paris Smith joined by Alexandre Assouline, Sasha Bonét, Isabella Boylston, Adam Eli, Meredith Graves, Levi Higgs, Connor Holloway, Sarah Hoover, Sarah McNally, Camille Okhio, Karah Preiss and Emma Roberts.
Notable attendees included Hunter Abrams, Alexandre Assouline, Derek Blasberg, Nicky Dessources, Michele Oka Doner, Adam Eli, Ari Gold, Charlotte Kidd, Nicholas Lowry, Isiah Magsino, Polina Proshkina, Antonio Pio Saracino, Jesse Paris Smith, Patti Smith, Michael Stipe, Timo Weiland, Douglas Wurth, Maayan Zilberman, alongside Sanford L. Smith + Associates CEO, Jennifer Stark and Chair of the New York Antiquarian Book Fair, Sunday Steinkirchner as well as dealers, collectors and institutional leaders from across the international rare book and larger cultural community.
Bibliophiles and the public are invited to continue exploring the fair through May 3, as the NYIABF remains open with opportunities to discover exceptional material and engage directly with leading dealers from around the world.
If interested in learning more about the NYIABF, please visit their website and follow the fair on Instagram, Facebook and X.
Credit: Courtesy of Rommel Demano, BFA
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Location
Park Avenue Armory
643 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10065
Single-Day Admission: $32
Students: $10 (with valid ID - at the door only)
Run of Show: $75
