Sydney Rare Book Auctions next sale will be on Saturday 10th December 2016 at 33 Nelson St Annandale. It’s also in your lounge room live online.
One of the highlights of the sale is the complete set of Automobile Year from the first edition in 1953. These books are all in mint condition and some are still in the original shrink wrapping and hence have never been opened. Sets like this rarely come onto the market. The first edition was published as Annual Automobile Review in in 1953 and was produced by Ami Guichard (1921–1986), a Swiss motoring writer and entrepreneur. He brought along the best writers and photographers he knew including Charles Faroux (the founder of the 24 Hours of Le Mans), Giovanni Lurani and Yves Debraine. One of the other contributors, Bernard Cahier was credited by Guichard for introducing him to the world of motorsport.Unlike the German and French editions, the English edition in 1956 underwent a name change when it became Automobile Year, relegating its original title to the book’s subtitle and banishing it the following year.
Other choice pieces from the sale include a complete set of Wisden. The cricketers bible. The early numbers of this set are facsimiles but from 1897 onwards they are original editions and include the first editions of the rare issues published during the war. There is also a first edition of Mien Kampf, as well as lots of maps and prints. There is a huge collection of antiquarian books including an early edition of the works of St Thomas Aquinas published in 1492. Also included are many fine bindings from the estate of the late Judge Terry Naughton who was an avid collector of fine bindings, photography books and Ancient History books as well as titles on Australian History.
