Under the Hammer

Book excerpt: This work examines book auctions since the 17th century. The auction has provided a commercial focus for sectors of the book trade for over four centuries. Initiated on the continent of Europe, the practice was adopted in London in the late 17th century, rapidly becoming a primary system for the collecting and dispersal of books. The development in the 19th century of the great London-based auction houses created a new commercial environment in which books and works of art became part of a worldwide cultural agenda. This volume is the 20th in the Publishing Pathways series.