Books and Manuscripts

Christie’s Books and Manuscripts department offers for sale the best of the world’s printed books, maps, medieval manuscripts, autograph letters and archives.

Our auctions in New York, London and Paris are populated by the greatest figures of Western history and thought, from Virgil, Shakespeare and Mary Shelley to J.S. Bach, Abraham Lincoln and Albert Einstein. Our expertise covers 2,000 years of textual history, from the earliest codex in private hands to first editions of major works of science and literature, and from the Gospels of a Frankish queen and illuminated Renaissance prayerbooks to cartographic masterpieces and dazzling livres d'artistes.

In parallel with our auctions, we regularly negotiate private sales of the most important and rarest works in the field to collectors and institutions worldwide. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch for a free and confidential valuation, or to simply discuss the market.