50th Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair 2011

January 28-30, 2011, Württembergischer Kunstverein (Stuttgart)

"Rare Booksellers are generally regarded as highly individual and are not easy to move to participate in joint ventures", wrote former VDA President Günther Mecklenburg in his foreword to Catalogue 1 of the 1st Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair in 1962. A rather pessimistic statement – that soon turned out to be the contrary. In 1962, the Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair was the initial spark. It triggered a boom that invigorated and changed the antiquarian book market in Germany as only the Internet has done since then. As the oldest antiquarian book fair in Germany and the second oldest fair in Europe (after the London International Antiquarian Book Fair), it has resisted all economic crisis. Rare book dealers and collectors from all over the world have made the Stuttgart Fair one of their annual meeting places to buy and sell what is unusual, rare and beautiful.

The 50th Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair will be held from January 28 to 30, 2011 – with bibliophile treasures from 100 to 1.45 million euros, a new catalogue design, lectures, a book presentation and an exhibition about “Rare Booksellers in Exile”. Ernst Fischer, Professor at the Gutenberg University (Mainz) is highly regarded for his research on the history of the book and the book trade. His biographical handbook “Verleger, Buchhändler und Antiquare aus Deutschland und Österreich in der Emigration nach 1933” covers the lives in exile of hundreds of publishers, literary agents and rare book dealers who had to leave Germany after 1933. Fischer’s monumental work is published by the German Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association. The VDA is proud to present it on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Stuttgart Fair.

80 exhibitors from Germany, France, Italy, Great Britain, the USA, France, Switzerland, Hungary and the Netherlands will show treasures spanning five centuries of printing, book art and related subjects at the 50th Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair from January 28 to 30, 2011, including a magnificent “Bible Historiale”, created in Northern France around 1470 with more 50 beautifully illuminated miniatures and 60 gilt intitials (Bibermühle/Tenschert € 1,450,000). Other highlights are Albert Einstein’s very personal correspondence with his former wife Mileva which shows the “person of the century” (Time) as a vulnerable and cynical human being (Kotte € 250,000), and one of the most beautiful modern illustrated books: Longus’ “Daphnis et Cloé” with the original lithographs by Marc Chagall (Schmidt & Günther € 240,000).

Incunabula and early prints, manuscripts and autographs, illustrated natural history works and travel books, modern first editions, prints, children’s and illustrated books, a tableau of human (papier mache) heads and threatening letters written by (former) cannibals: the Stuttgart Fair presents highlights of the trade alongside with extraordinary and unique items from all fields of interest.

Stargardt offers an autograph letter by Karl Marx, dated London 1878 (€ 18,000), Voerster presents a letter by Franz Kafka to his friend Max Brod (€ 48,000). Fine examples of handwritten travel reports can be admired in the showcases of Junk and Koestler, whereas Stenderhoff presents the Spanish manuscript of the rules and regulations of a religious order from Toledo.

The 50th Stuttgart Fair is, as always, well stocked with important books on travel and geography. Brockhaus/ Antiquarium brings a small collection of “pustaha”, books of magic, from the Batak, including some threatening letters. Michael Banzhaf presents a tableau of modelled human faces depicting South Sea natives. This tableau, made for Karl Ernst Ritter von Baer in the early 19th century, was until now presumed lost (€ 35,000). Ralf Eigl shows the “Voyage autour du monde sur la frigate la Vénus”, one of the rarest Pacific voyages for sale at € 89,000, and Schwarzfischer offers Aurel Stein’s “Detailed Report of Archaeological Exploration in Chinese Turkestan”, printed in only 300 copies (€ 25,000). Neidhardt has Shelley’s beautifully coloured “Monograph of the Nectarindiiae, or family of Sun-Birds” (€ 18,000), while Kiefer recommends Gould’s classic “Birds of Europe” with 448 coloured lithographs (€ 95,000).

Much more could be mentioned: A “book object”, six books bound together so that they can be opened from all four sides, bound in Germany in 1580 (Reiss € 28,000), early editions of “De bello Gallico” from the private property of the Aldus biographer Renouard (Tusculum 16.000 €), a very rare early edition of Cervantes’ „Primera y segunda parte del ingenioso hidalgo don Quixote de la Mancha“ (Donhofer 26,000 €), Pontanos „De rebus coelestibus“ bound for the famous Renaissance collector Ottheinrich von Pfalz-Neuburg (Tusculum € 28,000) and Torquato Tasso’s “La Gerusalemme Liberata”, one of the most beautiful Venetian prints offered by Libreria Editrice Goriziana (€ 24.000).

Old and modern prints, literature and illustrated books are eye-catchers and much sought after: C. G. Boerner offers Adriaen van Ostade’s etching “Der Brillenverkäufer” (€ 12,000). Boerner has been exhibiting in Stuttgart since 1962, as well as F. Neidhardt (Böblingen), J.A. Stargardt (Berlin), August Laube (Zurich) and Hellmut Schumann (Zurich). The latter shows with “Les Liaisons Dangereuses” one of the most famous and frivolous French books (€17,000). Grimm’s Fairy Tales, illustrated by David Hockney, are presented by Peter Kiefer (€11,000), Hirschfeld-Mack’s "Bauhaus Postcard Nr. 15" (Linke € 4,800) and “Die Neue Linie” (KaraJahn) are famous works of Bauhaus artists, whereas the Dutch and Hungarian avantgarde are represented by a complete set of the “Internationale Revue 1-10” (Abeceda € 14,500) and examples of Hungarian Futurism shown by Zoltan Földvari from Budapest. The London gallery Sophie Schneideman exhibits in Stuttgart for the first time: She shows Russell Lowell’s “Vision of Sir Launfal” in a beautiful Sangorski & Sutcliffe binding, priced at € 18,750.

Opening hours

Friday 11 am – 7.30 pm
Saturday and Sunday 11 am – 6 pm

Lectures

“Wie viele Bücher braucht der Mensch? Denis Scheck und Rainer Moritz klären diese und andere Fragen”

Monday, January 24, 8 pm, Literaturhaus Stuttgart

Rare Booksellers in Exile

Book presentation of Ernst Fischer’s „Verleger, Buchhändler und Antiquare aus Deutschland und Österreich in der Emigration nach 1933. Ein biographisches Handbuch", with lectures by Professor Ernst Fischer and Professor Dr. hc mult K.G. Saur

Saturday, January 29, 6.30 pm, Württembergischer Kunstverein, Stuttgart

Rare Booksellers in Exile

An exhibition during the 50th Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair
Friday – Sunday, 11 am – 6 pm, Württembergischer Kunstverein


>>> Highlights 2011

>>> Browse the First Catalogue 1962 (click on the picture)

>>> 50th Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair

>>> Calendar of Events