"Enrich your collections, cultivate your curiosity” has been the motto of recent virtual book fairs, hosted by the French antiquarian booksellers association.
The pandemic brought much upheaval to the rare book trade worldwide and amongst other international fairs, the Paris Salon du Livre in April 2020 was cancelled. However, the board of SLAM reacted immediately and launched already in those early days in April 2020 a digital version of the Salon. An idea was born!

Virtual book fairs were developed in the course of 2020 and even a physical fair could be held at the Grand Palais in September 2020 under strictest hygienic measures.
The 2021 edition of the Salon du Livre Rare & des Experts en Objets d'art is now scheduled to take place in September 2021 at a new venue. This change of location is not linked to the pandemic but renovations in the Grand Palais which had been planned by the City of Paris for several years pre-COVID.

SLAM has found an excellent alternative, the Grand Palais Éphémère, an exceptional temporary conference venue, purpose-built on the Champ de Mars just below the Eiffel Tower. All information about the fairs and the association can be found on the Salon website, one of the sites which went live only a few days ago: https://salondulivrerare.com/

A second site: www.amorlibrorum.fr, adopting the motto of the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), leads to the virtual rare book fairs organised by SLAM of which one event starts today: The monthly "E-Rendez-Vous”. Every 3rd of the month, this fair allows dealers to display 3 books for 3 days. Speed-dating for bibliophiles!

This new concept was launched by SLAM in February 2021. The fifth session starts today, with a growing success. Nearly 180 booksellers have opened an account since February and take turns each month, with an average of 90 exhibitors present. More than a third of the exhibitors are international booksellers from beyond the French borders. The bilingual site receives nearly 40% foreign visitors!

"It is a real satisfaction to be able to keep this contact, every month, not only with the visitors from France and the whole world, but also with all the colleagues. All of them have made great efforts to adapt to these new methods, and I would like to thank them and congratulate them. And they are rewarded: the percentage of books sold improves fair after fair, and since February and with the two e-salons of December and May, more than 500 books have been sold. 'Amor Librorum' is not a vain maxim but a link that survives, even if it is by internet!", says Hervé Valentin, President of SLAM.

For more information about the SLAM, the Syndicat National de la Librairie Ancienne et Moderne, please click HERE or contact the SLAM Office if you wish to exhibit at any of the upcoming events or have questions about buying at a virtual fair.

Enrichez vos collections! Cultivez votre curiosité!

Elisabeth Wittkowski (born 1998) wins Young Collectors' Award 2022 for Elton John Collection: "Self-Representation and Reception 1970-72".

On 21 February 2022, during this year's Stuttgart Rare Book Fair, Ms Elisabeth Wittkowski will receive the first prize of the 2022 Young Collector's Award with an endowment of EUR1000 by the German Antiquarian Booksellers' Association.
Link to register for the online prize giving ceremony, please GO HERE

The interest in developing and curating a collection, but also the enjoyment of the objects and collection areas, transcends generations. On the occasion of the 2022 Stuttgart Rare Book Fair, the German Antiquarian Booksellers' Association called for applications for a second time, since the inaugural award in 2020. The applicants, no older than 35, were asked to give an overview of their collection but also to describe their motives.

The jury chose Elisabeth Wittkowski's creative and convincing work on "Self-Representation and Reception" of Elton John in the early 1970s from among the diverse entries. On the one hand, the artist fascinates in his constant development, but the collection often shows another person behind the generally visible stage persona. Authentic representation versus media distortions of reality but also the multimedia nature of Elton John's reception reflect both the collecting theme and everyday cultural processes of the early 1970s.

"And they do collect! This, or similar, is how one might paraphrase a well-known quote. The applications for the 2022 Young Collector's Award, which is being offered for the second time, have shown that the hunt for books, as objects of desire, is unbroken and age-independent. Only the search, the possibilities of acquisition and the contents of the collectibles differ and often have a stronger connection to the present. It is always a pleasure to be able to experience and feel the enthusiasm of young people for printed matter in any form." Sibylle Wieduwilt, Chairwoman of the German Antiquarian Booksellers' Association and member of the jury.

All images below were supplied by E. Wittkowski.

The Stuttgart Rare Book Fair runs 18 - 22 February 2022
Link to virtual fair: VIRTUAL STUTTGART RARE BOOK FAIR 2022

As a result of the COVID pandemic, the German Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (Verband Deutscher Antiquare) developed a virtual fair platform in 2021, which in 2022 will once again give rare booksellers from Germany and abroad the opportunity to present their stock while in-person fairs and events are not yet allowed in Germany.

In 2022, the German Antiquarian Booksellers' Association welcomes 73 antiquarian bookshops and galleries from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the Netherlands, France, England and the US.

All exhibitors are listed here.

Stuttgart Fair Catalogue

The Stuttgart fair catalogue is now published and can be ordered by email from the Association's office.
An electronic version is available FOR DOWNLOAD HERE

Virtual Stuttgart Rare Book Fair 2022 opens 18 February at 12 noon German time

The virtual Stuttgart Rare Book Fair 2022 will go live on 18 February 2022 at 12 noon German time and closes on 22 February 2022 at midnight.
73 German and international antiquarian booksellers and galleries will exhibit up to 20 additional objects each. The virtual fair does not handle direct sales; sales are made directly through the dealer.
You can reach the virtual fair via ff. link: VIRTUAL STUTTGART RARE BOOK FAIR 2022

Well-known bookseller and highly engaged supporter of the trade, Deborah Coltham will now steer the ship for the ABA for the coming two years.

After graduating from St Andrews University in 1994 with an MA in English Literature and Medieval History, Deborah joined Pickering & Chatto Ltd as an apprentice to the Head of the Science and Medicine Department, subsequently taking over the role in 1998. She established Deborah Coltham Rare Books in July 2006 and continues to specialise in a wide range of scientific and medical subjects, with books by or about women being a particular area of interest. She has worked closely with major libraries, institutions and individual collectors both in the UK and worldwide. Deborah has been part of the ABA National Council since 2017, for many years in the role of Membership Secretary and Vice-President. Besides her role as president of the ABA, Deborah organises and sits on the judging panel of the ABA National Book Collecting Prize, and is a faculty member of the annual York Annual Antiquarian Book Seminar.

In September 2022, Deborah played a key role in running our very successful 2nd ILAB Symposium at the Bodleian Library's Weston Library, moderating the event.

In a recent letter to members, Deborah looks back at the past few - stormy - years, when the book trade had to weather the unprecedented pandemic and many changes and challenges resulting from it.

It is with immense pride that I write to you in my new capacity as ABA President, having been elected to take over the role from Pom Harrington at the AGM last Wednesday. I am delighted that Bernard Shapiro was duly elected as Vice President, and that Daniel Crouch was happy to remain in post as Treasurer.

I am fortunate to be taking over the role in much calmer waters than in 2021. Pom has worked tirelessly on behalf of the ABA, not only during his Presidency, but for many years, and the trade as a whole has benefitted enormously from his forward thinking, dedication and dynamism. Thank you, Pom, for all that you have done, and all that you will no doubt continue to do on behalf of the rare book trade, and more formally in your role as the Chair of Firsts London. I have a hard act to follow!

Thanks too, must go to Daniel, whose fiscal prudence, and the triumphant ILAB Congress, means that we find ourselves in a more stable position than for some time. Especial thanks to Riley Grant: the number of personal tributes paid to her within the recent annual reports is a clear testament to how much we all rely on her, and the excellent job she does on our behalf as the first point of call for the Association.

May I also take the opportunity to thank Roger Treglown, who has stepped down from Council. First elected in 2000, he has taken on a number of roles, culminating in his Presidency from 2019-2021. The pandemic made for a challengingly two years and denied him an official hand-over to Pom, and so it was good that we could offer him our thanks and appreciation in person last Wednesday. Angus O’Neill is also stepping away from his advisory role on the Management Committee after several years. Recently elected as Vice President of ILAB, alongside Christopher Bailey as ILAB Treasurer, their roles ensure that the ABA will retain its prominent position internationally.

As a trade association, we have a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst our members that is second to none, and which forms the bedrock of the Association. We have a growing number of dealers setting out on their own, or gaining experience in established firms, and who bring with them new ideas and ways of connecting with customers. A number of those entering the Association are graduates of YABS, the brainchild of Anthony Smithson and Alice Laverty of Keel Row Books, with fellow director Jonathan Kearns. Now under the aegis of the ABA Educational Trust, I am sure that it will no doubt continue to prove to be an invaluable conduit for potential new members of the future.

Turning to book fairs, which are so vital and important to many of us, thanks to all who exhibited at Edinburgh. As always, it was pleasure to visit, albeit fleetingly, and it was good to see a steady stream of visitors, and the number of younger collectors in evidence which was encouraging to see. ...

So many members quietly work behind the scenes to help promote the Association, for which many thanks. It does not go unnoticed if perhaps not always trumpeted.

We have many wise heads and smart business brains sitting on Council, who represent the many facets of the book trade from several parts of the country, including sole traders working from home, smaller independent shop owners, long-established family firms, and larger, globally recognised companies. All care passionately about our trade and are extremely active and motivated. I may be the visible spokesperson for the next two years, but it is very much a collective effort, and we are all looking forward to the months ahead.

Deborah Coltham
ABA President

When the fair first started in 1957, Attenborough was abroad filming along the Great Barrier Reef; this year he is cutting the tape, officially opening the event’s sixty-first outing. He is, as he put it, “unabashedly a collector”; he bought his first rare book when he was fifteen. It was On the Origin of Species, naturally – not the first edition but the sixth, in which Darwin introduced the word “evolution”.

To a collector, the specifics of different editions matter deeply, far more than they do to the general reader. They are an important element in the complex of features that determine how well a book fits one’s collection, how badly one wants it. Walter Benjamin observed that “the period, the region, the craftsmanship, the former ownership – for a true collector the whole background of an item adds up to a magic encyclopedia”. As Attenborough notes wryly, one doesn’t necessarily collect books in order to read them.

This year the fair takes place in an exhibition centre in the middle of Battersea Park. It is vast. A hundred and eighty bookdealers have set up stalls, transporting their wares from Vienna, Vancouver, Sydney, San Francisco, among other places. These include your straightforward high-end treasures: an exquisite hand-coloured first edition of Vesalius, yours for £850,000; a Kelmscott Chaucer, £60,000; various early Shakespeare folios. There are also association copies: Alan Rickman’s Harry Potterbooks; one of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories signed by Ringo Starr. A fair few of the dealers specialize in modern first editions: Woolf’s Kew Gardens, set, printed and stitched by the Woolfs themselves; Joyce’s Ulysses in its Greek blue covers. It is like walking around the gallery of a major library, with the added thrill of knowing that, if you just sold one your vital organs, you might take home one of the exhibits.

>> This article was first published in the Times Literary Supplement and is reposted here with permission of the editor. View original article here.

For years Sheila Markham has been interviewing booksellers from all over the world. These interviews, well known and much loved in the trade, are some of the most interesting accounts of our trade, portraying so many fascinating personalities and backgrounds.

A few days before the opening of the Melbourne Rare Book Fair, we asked Sheila if we could share this latest interview with Sally Burdon and, of course, received a warm and positive response.

Sally Burdon shares insights from a lifelong career in the rare book trade, as well as her work with ANZAAB, the Australian and New Zealand Association of Antiquarian Booksellers, and ILAB. Fulfilling many roles, Sally Burdon has shaped ILAB over the past few years, initiating and leading many projects that will serve our community well into the future.

More bookseller interviews by Sheila Markham can be found on her website HERE

To visit the Melbourne Rare Book Fair this week, check out the fair website HERE

Image above: Ephemera collection exhibited by Picture This Gallery at FIRSTS HONG KONG

After the success of the "China in Print" fair, which ran until 2018, the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association (ABA) is now relaunching the Hong Kong event under its "FIRSTS" brand.

We spoke to Christopher Bailey of Picture This Gallery, who has been based in Sunningdale in the UK since 2016, after trading from Hong Kong for many years.
Christopher and his wife Pamela run an online art gallery that combines contemporary art with old and rare objects. The gallery showcases a wide range of photography by renowned international and local photographers, as well as vintage and contemporary posters, antiquarian books and maps.

Chris, you ran an art gallery in Hong Kong for many years. Could you tell us a little bit about what first drew you to Hong Kong and how your journey in the city began?

I arrived in Hong Kong all the way back in 1992 and worked in finance for 10 years. Needing a different challenge and change of lifestyle, my wife Pamela and I founded Picture This Gallery in 2002. We ran a gallery and a retail shop in Central district, offering rare books, antique maps, vintage posters and contemporary photography. It was an exciting time in the years after the Handover, we were always busy, had a lot of fun and curated some fabulous exhibitions. But after 24 years living in Hong Kong, it was time for a change of air, so we packed up in Hong Kong in 2016 and moved the business and our three teenagers back to the UK. Since then, we have refocused the business though most of our trade and major clients continue to be in the Far East.

How have you seen the book trade in Hong Kong and Asia develop over the years? Have there been any trends or changes in collecting habits that you have noticed?

The market for international books has grown steadily over the years and the Hong Kong book fair, in its various guises since 2007 has been an important part of connecting Western dealers and Asian collectors. But it is worth remembering that this stands alongside a much larger market in Asian language material which most western dealers are only tangentially involved in. Interest in Western literature, illustrated books and fine bindings have also grown and with continued exposure in these areas, I definitely expect we are seeing a deeper collector base develop around the region.

Jean-Marc, congratulations on your appointment as President of SLAM. Please give us a little background about yourself and your background in the trade?

I was born into a family of bibliophiles and was made aware of antiquarian books from an early age. I made my first significant purchase, a 16th century edition of Dante, when I was only 15 years old, spending all my savings, and since then the passion for antiquarian books has never left me. Like many of us, I had another profession before becoming a bookseller in 1998. I was then an engineer in a large French company but my consuming passion led me to give up this career and I chose to create an antiquarian bookshop in a small village of Touraine with beautiful Renaissance houses. From the start I specialised in 16th and 17th century books, the Renaissance being for me a particularly fascinating period in terms of ideas, beautiful editions and creative bindings. Since then I have published more than 50 catalogues, all of which contain a significant proportion of works on humanism and the Renaissance.

Jean-Marc, félicitations pour votre nomination au poste de président du SLAM. Pouvez-vous nous donner un bref aperçu de vous-même et de votre parcours dans le métier ?

Je suis né dans une famille de bibliophiles et j'ai été sensibilisé dès mon plus jeune âge au livre ancien. J'ai fait mon premier achat significatif, une édition de Dante du XVIe siècle alors que je n'avais que 15 ans en dépensant toutes mes économies et depuis la passion du livre ancien ne m'a plus quittée. Comme beaucoup d'entre nous, j'ai exercé une autre profession avant de devenir libraire en 1998. J'étais alors ingénieur dans une grande entreprise française mais ma passion dévorante me conduisit à renoncer à cette carrière et je choisis alors de créer une librairie ancienne dans un petit village de Touraine aux belles maisons Renaissance. Je me spécialisai dès le début dans les ouvrages des XVIe et XVIIe siècles, la Renaissance étant pour moi une période particulièrement fascinante tant sur le plan des idées que pour la beauté des éditions et la créativité des reliures. Depuis j'ai publié plus de 50 catalogues de livres anciens qui contiennent tous une part significative d'ouvrages sur l'humanisme et la Renaissance.

The past two years were exceptional for every bookseller in the ILAB network. How would you describe the rare book trade in France coming out of the pandemic?

The last two years have been very special because of the pandemic. Some colleagues have been adversely affected by the temporary closure of their shops, but on the whole the profession has fared well. Indeed, customers did not stop buying old books, and I would even say that many of us felt an increased interest in books during this period. We are all used to selling by mail order, and even if direct sales at fairs and in shops have slowed down, mail order sales have been strong. To compensate for shop closures, we at SLAM had set up "e-Salons" which allowed our members to present two or three times a year singular works at virtual events instead of fairs, and monthly "e-Rendezvous" in which everyone could exhibit and sell a few selected works. These new ideas were successful both with the booksellers and the customers who followed these events with interest. This year we have decided not to renew the monthly e-Rendezvous, which were no longer justified, but we have kept the "e-Salons" which still attract many customers.

Les deux dernières années ont été exceptionnelles pour tous les libraires du réseau LILA. Comment décririez-vous le commerce du livre rare en France au sortir de la pandémie ?

Les deux dernières années, ont été très particulières, du fait de la pandémie. Certains confrères ont été pénalisés par la fermeture temporaire de leur boutique, mais dans l'ensemble la profession a tiré son épingle du jeu. En effet les clients n'ont pas pour autant cessé d'acheter des livres anciens, et je dirai même que nous sommes nombreux à avoir ressenti un surcroit d'intérêt pour le livre durant cette période. Nous sommes tous habitué à vendre par correspondance, et même si la vente directe sur les salons et dans les boutiques a marqué le pas, les ventes par correspondance ont enregistré un rythme soutenu. Pour compenser les fermetures de boutique, nous avions mis en place au SLAM des "e-salons" qui permettaient à nos membres de présenter deux à trois fois par an des ouvrages singuliers lors d'événements virtuels en remplacement des foires, et des "e-rendez-vous" mensuels dans lesquels chacun pouvait exposer et vendre quelques ouvrages choisis. Ces nouveaux moyens ont rencontré un certain succès tant auprès des libraires que de la clientèle qui a suivi ces manifestations avec intérêt. Cette année nous avons décidé de ne pas renouveler les e-rendez-vous mensuels qui ne se justifiaient plus, mais nous avons conservé les "e-salons" qui attirent encore de nombreux clients.

What challenges do you see in the trade but also what possibilities ?

As far as the return to normality is concerned, it is obvious that the pandemic has left its mark on people's minds. And some traders have become accustomed to selling in a different way, especially on the Internet. The return to the shops and trade fairs is proving to be complicated: the pandemic is not yet completely behind us and other habits have been adopted, particularly by customers. Therefore, the number of visitors to salons has not returned to the level of the years before the pandemic, and the same is true for shops. However, I do not believe that this model is outdated. Some customers have lost the habit of crossing the threshold of a bookshop or coming to a book fair, but new customers have become interested in antiquarian and collectible books during the pandemic and will one day have the desire to see and hold books to make their choice. I think that attendance at fairs will gradually return to normal and that booksellers should not be discouraged but should instead encourage customers to attend again, convincing them that this is still the best way to make exciting discoveries while benefiting from the advice of professionals.

Over time, we have all noticed that Internet sales have continued to grow while the number of people visiting bookshops has fallen. For my part, I believe that we must be careful to rebalance our sales methods: abandoning book fairs and shops would ultimately be a mistake. Mail order sales ensure the financial sustainability of our businesses in the short term, but they are not the best way to educate and train new customers. Trade fairs, such as the one organised annually by SLAM, allow a great many people to see and touch books, some of whom will be tomorrow's customers. We also have the opportunity at these events to demonstrate our skills and ability to guide our customers in building their collections. We must collectively work to attract new clients and ensure the continuity of our profession in the future. The new tools at our disposal must not make us forget that direct contact with books remains the best way to create new vocations.

Quels défis voyez-vous dans le métier, mais aussi quelles possibilités ?

En ce qui concerne le retour à la normale, il est évident que la pandémie a laissé des traces dans les esprits. Et certains marchands se sont habitués à vendre autrement, notamment sur Internet. Le retour vers les boutiques et les salons s'avère compliqué : la pandémie n'est pas encore complètement derrière nous et d'autres habitudes ont été prises, notamment par les clients. Aussi la fréquentation des salons n'est pas remontée au niveau des années précédant la pandémie, et il en est de même pour les boutiques. Néanmoins, je ne crois pas que ce modèle soit pour autant périmé. Certains clients ont perdu l'habitude de franchir le seuil d'une librairie ou de venir chiner sur un salon, mais de nouveaux clients se sont intéressés au livre ancien ou de collection durant la pandémie et auront un jour le désir de voir et de prendre en mains des livres pour faire leur choix. Je pense que la fréquentation des salons reviendra progressivement à la normale et que les libraires ne doivent pas se décourager mais au contraire inciter les clients à se déplacer à nouveau, les convaincre que cela reste encore le meilleur moyen pour faire des découvertes passionnantes tout en profitant des conseils des professionnels que nous sommes.

Au fil du temps, nous avons tous constaté que les ventes sur Internet n'on cessé de croître tandis que l'affluence dans les librairies étaient en baisse. Pour ma part, je crois qu'il faut faire attention à rééquilibrer un peu nos modes de vente : délaisser les salons et les boutiques serait à terme une erreur. Les ventes par correspondance assurent à nos commerces une pérennité financière à court terme, mais ne sont pas le meilleur moyen pour sensibiliser et former de nouveaux clients. Les salons, comme celui qu'organise annuellement le SLAM permettent à de très nombreuses personnes de voir et de toucher des livres parmi lesquelles certaines seront les clients de demain. Nous avons aussi l'occasion lors de ces manifestations, de montrer nos compétences et notre capacité à guider nos clients dans la constitution de leur collection. Nous devons collectivement œuvrer pour intéresser de nouveaux clients et assurer la continuité de notre profession dans l'avenir. Les nouveaux outils mis à notre disposition ne doivent pas nous faire oublier que le contact direct avec les livres demeure le meilleur moyen de créer de nouvelles vocations.

C'est la raison pour laquelle le SLAM organise chaque année à Paris un salon remarquable qui attire près de 15000 visiteurs, clients et néophytes qui peuvent découvrir durant quatre jours la diversité de la librairie française et internationale, des expositions de bibliothèques prestigieuses, des artisans des métiers du livre, qui font la richesse du patrimoine que nous défendons. Cette année encore, le Salon du Livre Rare aura lieu fin septembre au Grand Palais Ephémère, au pied de la tour Eiffel et nous espérons vous y retrouver nombreux.

Jean-Marc, many thanks for this interview.

To contact Jean-Marc Dechaud, please follow this LINK.
Image courtesy of Jean-Marc Dechaud
Interview: Angelika Elstner

This article was first published on the website of the German antiquarian booksellers association, Verband Deutscher Antiquare.

On 14 October 2019, more than 120 art dealers, gallery owners, lawyers, collectors and antiquarians met at the Munich auction house Karl & Faber to shed light on the historically and legally complex topic of Nazi looted art from the point of view of the market players.
A first.
The restitution of Nazi looted art is intensely discussed in public. Since the Washington Declaration in 1998 and the Joint Declaration of 1999, spectacular cases of restitution such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's "Berlin Street Scene" (Alfred Hess Collection, restituted 2006) or Paul Klee's "Swamp Carers" (Sophie Lissitzky-Küppers Collection, Comparison 2017) have made a name for themselves. In addition, the Federal Government and the Länder have taken measures, such as the establishment of the German Centre for the Loss of Cultural Assets, based in Magdeburg, and the Lost Art Database, which has been in existence since 2001, most recently the still highly controversial Cultural Assets Protection Act (Kulturgutschutzgesetz). The resulting challenges for dealers, trading in paintings, prints, books and manuscripts, are often relegated to the background. And it is precisely these questions that are of central, even existential importance for the art and antiquarian book market.

This makes it all the more important that the initiative of the Interessengemeinschaft Deutscher Kunsthandel (a joint initiative of, among others, the Bundesverband Deutscher Kunstversteigerer and the Verband Deutscher Antiquare) to organise a conference titled "Fair und gerecht? Restitution und Provenienz im Kunstmarkt". The conference was attended by leading experts of the trade. However, the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media, Monika Grütter, had neither appeared nor sent a representative - a "devastating" finding for Prof. Dr. Michael Wolfssohn. In his introductory lecture, Wolfssohn, whose family had waived restitution even after a trial lasting more than 12 years, pleaded for a "visualization" of the injustice committed. The art objects seized from Jewish families between 1933 and 1945 as a result of persecution carried a "Kain sign", the art trade and the public were obliged to point this out. "Justice is not enough", he said, "reconciliation" was important.

Legal uncertainty

It became clear in all lectures and plenary discussions how extremely difficult, and in many cases even impossible, it can be to establish law and justice in restitution cases of Nazi looted art almost 75 years after the end of the Nazi regime. A fundamental problem is the legal uncertainty. Even the Washington Declaration, in which 44 states, 12 non-governmental organizations and the Vatican voluntarily committed themselves to locating cultural property confiscated, stolen or seized for persecution during the Nazi era, to finding the rightful owners or their heirs, and to working out a fair and just solution for restitution or compensation, cannot change this. As a "soft law" (Michael Eggert), the Washington Declaration lacks any legal certainty. There are no legally binding guidelines, complained Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Papier, former president of the Federal Constitutional Court and chairman of the so-called Limbach Commission (advisory commission in connection with the restitution of cultural property seized as a result of Nazi persecution). Dr. Papier sees it as the duty of the Federal Government to finally establish legal certainty by means of a moderate law that takes all sides into account. In the concluding panel discussion, there were unmistakable doubts as to whether the Federal Government would take on this task in the foreseeable future. How should the Federal Republic, how should public institutions as legal successors of the Nazi state deal with claims for compensation in the case of a restitution law? What would happen if such a law were to regulate not only the compensation of Nazi looted art, but also of real estate or company shares seized as a result of persecution? Prof. Dr. Hans-Jürgen Hellwig stated in his controversial lecture on "Developments since the Washington Principles" that one probably did not want to risk social peace.

What is "reasonable"?

Hans-Jürgen Hellwig acted as a consultant for the Cultural Property Protection Act and is now regarded as one of its harshest critics. The law had been drafted with "fake facts", because there was no evidence, for example, that Germany was a money-laundering centre for antique dealers. The legislation, he continued, concentrated one-sidedly on the perspective of the then owners of paintings, graphics and other cultural assets, but ignored the situation of today's owners and did not provide any sensible guidelines for a private restitution of looted art. The current owners are only rarely identical with the descendants of the perpetrators. Many works of art were acquired in good faith decades ago by private collectors at auctions or in the trade, without having any information that they might be Nazi looted art. The situation was different for museums and archives that already existed during the Nazi era or were considered legal successors. In this role, they would have the duty to restitute, or at least to bring about a fair and just solution for all those involved in the sense of the Washington Declaration. Other agreements would have to be found for private restitutions.

What is fair and just? This question can only be answered through careful research into the provenance of all objects, stressed Dr. Uwe Hartmann of the German Centre for the Loss of Cultural Assets and Dr. Christian Fuhrmeister of the Central Institute for Art History. If a work of art were to fill a provenance gap, it would be under general suspicion. Hans-Jürgen Hellwig explained that the new law on the protection of cultural property imposed an extended provenance inspection obligation on the art trade, which ultimately meant that a dealer could only bring a work of art onto the market "if he had previously carried out provenance research to the point of economic ruin". According to Hellwig, this was "unconstitutional". Prof. Dr. Peter Raue agreed: Essential aspects of the Cultural Property Protection Act were unconstitutional, and it would be appropriate to correct this in an evaluation process. Provenance research has been part of everyday life for every retailer for decades, especially the larger auction houses have their own departments that deal with it, explained Dr. Rupert Keim of auction house Karl & Faber and Carl-Christof Gebhardt, former employee at Sotheby's Germany. But how much provenance research is economically feasible and reasonable? Art dealers and antiquarian bookshops not only feel largely left to their own devices by the federal government on this question, and are confronted with sometimes unfulfillable demands.

Insufficient - The Lost Art Database

All the more serious was the fact that the Lost Art Database operated by the German Centre for the Loss of Cultural Property had considerable shortcomings. Criticism of the database, which since 2001 has recorded cultural objects that were stolen, transferred or relocated as a result of the Nazi tyranny and the Second World War, was expressed in almost all of the lectures of the day. The information was too general and did not allow exact identification. It also contained works of art that had already been legally sold before 1930. For an entry in the Lost Art database, unproven allegations were sufficient; in the case of unjustified claims, however, the deletion of an entry was almost impossible. This makes these issues all the more fatal in view of the central role played by the Lost Art database in the decision of restitution cases. Carl-Christoph Gebhardt and Dr. Christoph Andreas of the Frankfurt art dealer J. P. Schneider emphasized that the database had "blackmail potential". Dr. Christina Berking, spokeswoman for IG Kunsthandel, put it in a nutshell: collectors are "pushed" by the state, by the public to restitution, "the main means of pressure" is the entry in the Lost Art database.

So what's next?

At the end of a long and insightful day, Christina Berking summarized the precarious situation of the art market. So far, there have been no binding solutions for the restitution of Nazi looted art from private sources. Different standards would have to be applied for the restitution of artworks from museums and archives. Collectors and dealers should finally be included in the Limbach Commission, which had previously only discussed cases of public restitution. The Federal Government and the Länder were obliged to draw up a restitution law that took into account the conditions of the art market and the private acquisition of works of art and included a law on compensation. So far, however, the political will to do so has been missing: "The state gets the required restitution virtually free of charge".

This forces the actors of the art market, who see themselves just as committed to the Washington Declaration as the public institutions, to act on a legally unclear basis and under constantly growing public pressure. The burden of proof can only be clearly clarified in a few cases. According to Dr. Rupert Keim at the auction house Karl & Faber, 11 cases have been restituted in recent years, although the evidence in none of the cases was unequivocal. It was important to make amends, to acknowledge the injustice that had occurred and to establish legal peace.

What do the descendants of the victims and legal owners need, what do today's owners need? How can both be brought to the same table and how can a fair and just solution be found for both? The trade has an important mediating function in this pressing problem. If the state continues to leave the trade alone in its efforts to find solutions, the limits of what is reasonable will soon be reached. Fair and just - this applies to all parties involved in every respect. "We have not found any solutions today, but we have discussed many solutions," summarized Christina Berking. The Munich conference was a strong, clear signal from the art trade to face up to the responsibility of history and to tackle the resulting problems together. That gives hope for the future.

Text and Images: Dr. Barbara van Benthem, VDA

Earlier this year, the ABA announced to run virtual fairs on a quarterly basis and has just finished its 3rd virtual fair of FIRSTS ONLINE. Why these additional virtual events and what is your feedback after running three fairs?

Virtual fairs including Firsts Online have provided a vital lifeline for many booksellers to showcase their stock to an international audience when many of their physical bookshops were shut during the pandemic. As mentioned, while virtual book fairs will never replace the in-person experience, Firsts Online has allowed our (ABA) members and colleagues to reach new and existing customers, trade between booksellers, and create awareness of their businesses.
We have worked hard to create a user-friendly experience for visitors to our Firsts Online website with improvements being made after each of the three fairs. Feedback from ABA members and exhibitors has been increasingly positive about the platform, demonstrating that we have a great online tool moving into the new year. We are making further adjustments ahead of the winter edition of Firsts Online fair running 18-23 February 2021.
The feedback from Firsts Online exhibitors has been that the we are getting mostly professional buyers, so dealers, librarians and the more committed collectors. The challenge moving forward into the new year will be to try to attract more new customers and a consumer audience to online book fairs.
Although we do not have a completely accurate count of business generated, we believe the June fair brought nearly £1m of trade, September over £500,000 and November £750,000. The majority of the exhibitors did some sort of business either during or after the fair. The top sales include several over £100,000. These numbers I think are significant, especially considering a stand only costs £150. For the future, how can we ignore Virtual Fairs with numbers like these?

What potential do you see in virtual fairs alongside physical fairs? Will you keep the virtual fairs running when physical fairs can take place again?

While we are all hopeful in-person book fairs will return in 2021, there is still a benefit of running these low-cost online book fairs for those who might not be able to travel abroad however do still wish to participate. At the moment, we are working with other ILAB associations to create a cohesive physical and online fair schedule for 2021 and ensure booksellers can continue to participate in book fairs in one form or another.

As to how the physical and virtual work together needs to be thought through carefully. You don’t want virtual cannibalising the physical. Also there is a matter of organisational resources. Running any fair is a serious amount of work, running two side by side will be a challenge!

Do you feel virtual fairs have changed the booksellers’ selling behaviour? Can you see long-term effects?

The concentrated nature of these events, only allowing up to 20 items forces the dealers to be more selective and thoughtful to what they are offering. I have overall been very impressed with the quality of material offered at Firsts London. It might make some more thoughtful how they present themselves at all fairs in the future.

We all want the fairs to be part of our life again. FIRSTS London will move to the Saatchi Gallery in May, an exciting new venture for the ABA! What can booksellers expect?

We are thrilled to be hosting Firsts London at Saatchi Gallery from 21-23 May 2021, where we expect to call the venue home for the foreseeable future. The decision to move to Saatchi Gallery followed overwhelming feedback from ABA members and exhibitors to secure a higher-profile location for the fair. We are very positive that the gallery's museum-quality spaces and large cultural following will offer a superior platform for exhibitors to connect with their customers. Due to the enduring effects of the covid-19 pandemic, we are working to ensure the latest health and safety guidelines will be met and the fair is safe for both our exhibitors and visitors.

By Frank Werner

It does not happen all that often that an old antiquarian bookseller sees a catalogue and thinks, a little enviously: “I wish that was one of mine.“ Paul Kainbacher’s latest catalogue “Im Herzen Afrikas” is one of those.

The presentation is generous, in a large quarto format. Nearly every item is illustrated in colour. The numbering, which often makes a catalogue lifeless, has been omitted. The text is set in single or double columns, which does not make reading hectic, rather it adds a component of surprise and dynamics. Well, these are externals, it is the content that counts. But still, a mood is set, the reader is curious and elated.

Yes, and the reader is rewarded with a scope of books on Africa that spans five centuries and ranges between € 25 and € 250,000. There is something here for every budget, every taste and every part of Africa. The description of the less expensive or very well known books are short, Kainbacher knows that his customers are familiar with the standard works of their chosen field.

I hardly know where to begin. The catalogue contains so many highlights that I tend to forget that even the “standard” titles are important and hard to find. There is so much to be discovered. Already the second item is something special. It is a collection of photographs, calling cards and about 150 letters from the estate of Carl Ebenau, who was general agent of the German East African Company in the late 19th century (€ 5,500). A very scarce book by the Austrian geologist Freiherr Drasche von Wartinberg “Die Insel Reunion (Bourbon) im Indischen Ozean. Eine geologisch-petrographische Studie … “ is offered for € 7,500. Every collector of Africana knows that Harnier’s “Reise am Oberen Nil” is rarely found complete, and often in poor condition. Here we have a good, clean copy in the original binding. (€ 14,000).

Ludwig Ritter von Höhnel was an Austrian naval officer, geographer and explorer, chiefly of Africa. He accompanied Count Teleki’s expedition into Central Africa. One of the results of this expedition, printed in manuscript, is “Bergprofil Sammlung während Graf S. Telekis Afrika Expedition 1887-88”, with many folding profiles (€ 19,000). Höhnel later accompanied the American W. A. Chanler to Kenia. This voyage is documented in two unique collections. The first contains 53 original photographs by Höhnel, taken during this and other voyages between 1892 and 1905. The other lot is a collection of letters written during the Höhnel-Chanler Expedition, plus correspondence from and with Höhnel (€ 25,000 per lot). A unique insight into the life and work of this important Austrian explorer.

A real classic of Africana is Kolb’s “Caput Bonei Spei Hodiernum (1719)”, which describes the Cape of Good Hope and its inhabitants (€ 11,000). Vasco da Gama was the first to circumnavigate Africa. His epochal voyage is described in the oldest and most expensive book in the catalogue, Montalboddo’s “Newe unbekanthe landte Und ein newe weldte in Kurtz verganger zeythe erfunden (Nürnberg 1508)”. This post incunable also describes other notable voyages of the time, amongst them that of Columbus (€ 250,000). Lastly I should mention the astounding set of six huge tomes by David Roberts “The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia”, sumptuously illustrated with 250 tinted or coloured lithographs. It is one of the most important and elaborate ventures of nineteenth century publishing (€ 115,000).

Seeing all these unique, wonderful and rare books described here, one should not forget that the catalogue also contains many other scarce and important items that will make any collector’s heart beat faster. So, my advice to you is: Do yourself and your collection a favour. Order the catalogue and order from the catalogue!

If you should be in Austria on 14th March, go to the charming town of Baden near Vienna and visit Paul Kainbacher’s “Bibliophile Evening”. Not only will you be able to view the books described in the catalogue, but there will also be two talks on the exploration of Africa by professors of the University of Vienna.

I admire Paul Kainbacher for finding new paths in a field that was supposed to have been well-trodden. His catalogue is a well-ordered repository of extraordinary books, manuscripts and items, accompanied by knowledgeable descriptions. And if anyone should ask “Quid novi ex Africa?” I can say with confidence: “See Kainbacher’s catalogue!”

Antiquariat Dr. Paul Kainbacher

Eichwaldgasse 1
A-2500 Baden
AUSTRIA

Catalogue order: send an email!

Website: www.antiquariat-kainbacher.at

We sat down with Pom Harrington (owner of Peter Harrington Ltd), the ABA’s newly elected President following the Association’s Annual General Meeting held in March. Already a well-known name in the industry, we wanted to know how he would be approaching his new role.

Congratulations on your new appointment to President of the ABA. Over the years, you have held several roles on Council, how are you feeling taking on this new role in 2021?

Having been involved at various levels over the years, it is a nice and proud moment for me. Originally, I started on the Chelsea Book Fair in the mid 90’s and became more involved from there. The last year has been a challenging time for the ABA, but thinking optimistically, I think there are some really exciting things around the corner and I am looking forward to leading the ABA into this new period.

Are there aspects of the role that you are looking forward to the most? Any challenges you are keen to tackle?

One aspect of working for the ABA I’ve really enjoyed and benefited from is meeting other dealers that I wouldn’t ordinarily meet. In the short time I have been in charge, I have already had interesting conversations with dealers I wouldn’t have otherwise have contact with.
For the year ahead, we (the ABA) have several new book fairs (online and physical) to oversee. A special one day, trade only fair in York, the Transatlantic Book Fair in July with the ABAA and of course Firsts London at Saatchi in October. As Chairman of Firsts, we asked what dealers wanted for a book fair and the answer was a prime central London location. With Saatchi, we got it. A truly world class venue in a superb area. Following a couple necessary postponements, we really are looking forward to putting a premier book fair. The challenge is making sure all these components occur successfully both in attendance and financially for the ABA.

How has the trade changed or evolved during your time in the ABA?

First and foremost, the internet. The influence of the web cannot be overstated. It has swept through and those that have adapted to the changes are the ones that have thrived. The effects of the pandemic have accelerated the influence.

Second is the influence of the auction houses. They have gone from trade supplier to trade competitor. More and more they are striking out for the private buyer and sale. The larger auction houses are now becoming more and more retail shops. Watch out for “buy it now” and other private purchase opportunities from these houses. Coming soon.

Having been part of council for many years, as well as having been raised in a prominent bookselling family, do you have a philosophy for the Presidency?

Listen to ideas. We need new ideas all the time. There are many opportunities for us as a trade, but to get anything going requires a forum that allows this to happen. We have a lot of talented book sellers in our trade, and I will be inviting as many as possible to get involved with various committees and projects that are coming up. By bringing in more now, you increase the talent pool for future councils.

Many of our members have had a challenging year due to the global pandemic, do you have any recommendations or words of advice for our dealers as they transition out of the lockdowns and adjust to the ‘new normal’?

Watch out for your overheads, most have been quite spoiled by the reduction. They will come back. Also I think a bit of patience. Might take a while to get some of our old regulars back to the shops.

If you had not become an antiquarian bookseller, what profession would you have chosen to pursue?

No idea. I only really got involved because I had nowhere else to go. If you asked me as a teenager what I wanted to do, the only thing I was certain about was not being a bookseller. However after working a few months for my dad and uncle, I really got my teeth stuck into it.

Have there been particular ABA members over the years that have inspired you or impacted you positively?

I always admired the way Hilton Baynton Coward lead. He was kind to me as a youngster. In the US, Lou Weinstein was also tremendously supportive and very inspirational. The whole Heritage Bookshop model was a marvel to behold and one I aspired to.

Once the UK is out of lockdown, is there one particular restaurant or venue in London that you are eager to visit?

Dinner with my son and friends followed by a Chelsea Game. Been too long...

Read the full ABA Newsletter - April 2021

A wonderful selection of young, rare booksellers but also collectors visiting the most recent New York International Antiquarian Book Fair, were interviewed by the New York Times' Kate Dwyer.

"Late last month, during the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair at the Park Avenue Armory, Rebecca Romney withdrew a copy of “Howl, Kaddish, and Other Poems,” by Allen Ginsberg from her booth’s display case. She did so not to recite from its pages but to show off the writing in the margins.
Amy Winehouse had puzzled out lyrics to an unrecorded song alongside Ginsberg’s lines. “You see her artistic process,” Ms. Romney said. “And it’s right next to someone else’s art that she was consuming while creating something new.” The Ginsberg text is the centerpiece of Ms. Winehouse’s 220-book collection, which Ms. Romney’s company, Type Punch Matrix, near Washington, D.C., is in talks to sell as a unit for $135,000. “It shows a life lived through books,” she said.
Ms. Romney is an established seller known to “Pawn Stars” fans as the show’s rare books expert. But at 37, she represents a broad and growing cohort of young collectors who are coming to the trade from many walks of life; just across the aisle, Luke Pascal, a 30-year-old former restaurateur, was presiding over a case of letters by Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.

Michael F. Suarez, the director of the Rare Book School at the University of Virginia, said that these days, his students are skewing younger and less male than a decade ago, with nearly one-third attending on full scholarships.

...

Brynn Whitfield, a 36-year-old tech publicist, started collecting antique chess books five years ago. “I’m getting more and more compliments about having these items in my house,” she said. “People think it’s cooler than typical coffee table books.”Though used book sales thrive online, most sellers believe there’s a serendipity that only browsing in person can offer.“In our time, so much is trying to sell you what the machine thinks that you want already,” said Josiah Wolfson, the 34-year-old proprietor of Aeon Bookstore, a subterranean shop in Lower Manhattan. “I don’t want to presuppose what everybody is looking for, even if they are collecting a specific thing.”

Extract from New York Times, 7 May 2022 by Kate Dwyer

The full article can be downloaded with a subscription HERE.