From April 4-6, 2014, the finest booksellers, map, autograph and manuscript dealers will fill the Park Avenue Armory with a vast assortment of the whimsical, the scholarly and the arcane.  Two hundred and two dealers from around the world will exhibit at this year’s fair; the largest in its history.  The fair opens with a preview on Thursday, April 3rd runs through Sunday, April 6.

The fair, the best of its kind in the United States, features material in a vast array of subjects.  Exhibitors bring volumes of fiction, non-fiction, pulp fiction and books designed and bound by artists, maps and drawings, works for children, autographed first editions, letters and photographs and much more. From science to literature to sex, drugs and rock and roll there is material on every subject and for every budget.

Amongst the highlights this year is a letter written by Lee Harvey Oswald requesting membership in the American Communist Party.  The letter, unseen for many years, is addressed from the same post office box address where he ordered his infamous mail-order rifle.  This spectacular letter will be in the booth of Justin Schiller and the asking price is $150,000.

On the literary front, there will be many prizes including a letter from J.D. Salinger in which he discusses the reviews of Franny and Zoey.  The letter begins with Salinger commenting on critic Alfred Kazin's early review of the book published in the August, 1961 issue of "Atlantic Monthly."  The essay was sarcastically titled "J.D. Salinger: Everybody's Favorite," For his part, Salinger acknowledges he's "not Kazin's type (or vice versa, for that matter)," but notes that "the piece is bound to be slow poison," calling Kazin "the perfect caricature, with arrivist [underlined] overtones, of the English Department mugwump and faker that my Franny Glass was at war with."  This rare letter will be featured by Royal Books and comes with a price tag of $27,500.

Priscilla Juvelis will offer a wide assortment of artist’s books including: The Witches Sabbath and a beautiful edition of Walt Whitman’s “Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Barry McCallion.   This unique artists edition sells for $3,250. 

Lovers of magic will be thrilled to see a handwritten note by Harry Houdini at Schulson Autographs.  For the myriad lovers of t Harry Potter, there’s an exceptional opportunity to view and/or buy The Ultimate Set of Signed Harry Potter first editions.  They’ll be in the booth of Lucius Books and priced at $140,000.

Sunday, April 6 is Discovery Day at the Fair.  Visitors may bring up to three items for discussion and informal appraisals from experts.


The New York Antiquarian Book Fair 
The Park Avenue Armory
Park Avenue and 67th Street
Opening:  Thursday April 3: 5-9
Friday, April 4:  12-8
Saturday April 5: 12-7
Sunday April 6: 12-5

Discovery Day, Sunday April 6
12-3