Vellum · Antiquarian Library
A quiet survey of the holdings
Insurance values, recent provenance entries, current exhibitions and the pulse of the collection at a glance.
Volumes catalogued
15
7 pinned
Insured value
$22.24M
across the collection
On display
4
1 on loan
In restoration
1
currently with binders
Acquisition spend
Capital deployed by year · 7 years recorded
Total spend
$22.24M
Peak year
2019 · $9.80M
By era
Distribution across periods
Dominant era
Renaissance
3 vols · 1400–1600
Total value
$22.24M
across all eras
Oldest entry
1492
acquired year
Top eras
2 of 7
Renaissance
1400–1600
3· 20%
$1.90M
Baroque
1600–1750
3· 20%
$8.81M
Highlights
Pinned cornerstone volumes
Romantic
The Birds of America (Folio)
The Birds of America (Folio)
John James Audubon · 1827
Baroque
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies
Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies
William Shakespeare · 1623
Renaissance
Don Quijote de la Mancha (Part I)
Don Quijote de la Mancha (Part I)
Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra · 1605
Enlightenment
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Isaac Newton · 1687
Recent acquisitions
Last five entries in the provenance ledger
Philosophiæ Naturalis Principia Mathematica
Sotheby's London
£540,000
May 9, 2024
Le Petit Prince
Drouot — Aristophil dispersal
€28,000
Feb 28, 2024
Les Fleurs du Mal
Pierre Bergé Auction, Paris
€92,000
Jan 8, 2024
Sidereus Nuncius
Christie's New York
$412,000
Nov 2, 2023
An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations
Forum Auctions, London
£320,000
Jun 22, 2023
Active & upcoming
Exhibitions and institutional loans
Shakespeare in Print
Morgan Library & Museum · New York
Mar 1, 2026
active
The Astronomical Eye
Royal Observatory Pavilion · Greenwich
May 12, 2026
upcoming
Audubon: A Continental Survey
Bibliothèque Royale de Belgique · Brussels
Jun 15, 2026
upcoming
Anatomies
Wellcome Collection · London
Sep 14, 2026
upcoming
Condition profile
Cataloguing-grade rating
Quality score
Weighted across all graded volumes — assessed quarterly by the registrar.
80%
fine / very-good
1
Philosophiæ Naturalis
Insured value
$22.24M
Last assessment
Feb 28, 2024