A. S. W. Rosenbach. Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile. Boston: Little, Brown, and Company, 1927. Signed Limited First Edition. Hardcover is in Very Good+ condition, 311 pp. A double dose of provenance with two different ex libris on inside cover.
Product Overview
An exceptional piece of bibliophilic history. Written by Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach—the legendary "Napoleon of the Book World" who dominated 20th-century auction rooms and built many of America’s greatest private collections—Books and Bidders remains one of the most engaging memoirs in the field of rare book collecting.
This copy is No. 286 of 785 hand-numbered copies signed by A. S. W. Rosenbach on the limitation page, printed on large paper, and housed in its original publisher's slipcase.
Bibliographic Details
Author: A. S. W. Rosenbach
Title: Books and Bidders: The Adventures of a Bibliophile
Publisher: Little, Brown, and Company, Boston
Publication Date: 1927
Edition: First Edition, Signed Limited Issue (1/785)
Limitation Number: Copy No. 286
Binding: Original publisher's quarter brown cloth over tan paper-covered boards, front panel embossed, printed paper spine label
Inclusions: Includes the original publisher's slipcase
Condition Report
Book: Very Good+. The original paper spine label is remarkably clean, crisp, and fully legible with dark typography and distinct hand-written limitation numbering ("286"). Light, characteristic softening and minor fraying at the head of the spine; light shelf rubbing to board edges. Content clean and bright throughout with untrimmed pages.
Slipcase: Included. Structurally sound with light age-toning and edge wear typical for paper slipcases of this vintage.
Collector's Note
Dr. Rosenbach's anecdotes—spanning high-stakes auctions for Gutenberg Bibles, First Folios, and early American manuscripts—are essential reading for any serious book hunter, cataloger, or bibliophile. Copies of the signed limited issue retaining their original slipcase and legibly labeled spine are increasingly scarce on the open market.
