The charm of Babar’s ABC Rare and Antique books have just acquired a rare first edition of Babar’s ABC published by Methuen, London and what a charm it is! There is a double charm of the book: one that the book does not tell a story as Jean de Brunhoff’s other works did, and two,…
Looking after your book collection When it comes to rare and antique books, condition is crucial, so it’s important to look after a book collection carefully. Here are a few tips on how to preserve your treasured books: Storage: Keep your books upright on a shelf – unless they are large folio-sized and then it’s…
Rare and Antique Books at the London International Book Fair Last weekend (27 & 28 May), Rare and Antique Books exhibited at the PBFA London International Book Fair – ILEC Conference Centre. These are our highlights of what was a successful two days. Firstly it’s fair to say that, as booksellers, book selling is what…
Starting off a book collection. A question often asked is “Where do I begin with book collecting?” There is no straightforward answer but firstly you have to love what you collect! Starting off a book collection begins with finding an area of interest and keeping focused – it is very easy to get distracted with…
The unique Jean de Brunhoff One of the most beloved characters in children’s literature is Babar the Elephant. Created from bedtime stories that his wife used to soothe an ill son, Jean de Brunhoff went on to write and illustrate six books which have delighted children since their publication in the 1930s. Brunhoff managed to convey important…
Kipling’s Original Jungle Book The release of a new film about The Jungle Book has generated a good deal of interest in Rudyard Kipling’s tales of the jungle and allows an opportunity to reflect on the original story and influences behind this classic tale. Inspiration: It seems as if becoming a father inspired Kipling to write…
What makes a rare book? A question that is often asked. Why do some books sell for hundreds of thousands of pounds, while others are valued for pennies? Does that box in the attic contain collectable books that are worth anything? Firstly, from a book collectors point of view a rare book has to be…
The First Treasure Island Illustrations The thought of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island conjures up images of pirates and buccaneers of the sea. You would imagine that illustrations would be an essential addition to entertain readers of the book. In fact, the first publication of the story of Treasure Island contained only one illustration. This was…
The Charm of the Little Dumpy Book It was idea of the publisher, Grant Richards, to produce small, pocket sized books for children. The tiny size and uniform covers of a little Dumpy book contain charming stories and poems, each one a little different. One of the most well known publications, “The Story of Little…
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Ian Fleming’s venture into children’s literature It is well known that Ian Fleming was the author of the action-packed adventures of the 007 spy, James Bond. Yet Ian Fleming also turned his hand to writing the children’s adventure story, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: the tale about the magical car and the…
We have a varied collection of rare and antique books -many are signed or limited editions. We offer free international delivery.
enquiries@rareandantiquebooks.com
Rare & Antique Books
Chichester Place
18 Southernhay East
Exeter
Devon
EX1 1QD
ENGLAND
