Rare book highlights
Search Blog Posts
Jack London was the most successful writer in America in the early 20th century, and his books have been cherished by travelers, environmentalists, and activists for decades. Born and raised in the Bay Area, he was the first American novelist to achieve worldwide celebrity status from his fiction alone. His works surrounded radical topics at the time,…
Read More >
Renowned novelist Jane Austen died in 1817, and still today her works are common course material for grade school English and writing classes around the world. Her six major novels, including Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey, and Emma, serve as both social commentary and romantic entertainment for her readers. Her ability to pinpoint the unseen…
Read More >
Herbert George or H. G. Wells, best known for his books The Time Machine and The War of the Worlds, had enormous influence on our thinking of the future and the science fiction genre in general as his career took off during the turn of the 20th century. He is often referred to as the “Father of Science…
Read More >
English author Virginia Woolf was considered one of the greatest modernists of the 20th century. Woolf was born in London as Adeline Virginia Stephen by parents Julia and Leslie Stephen, a notable author, historian, and mountaineer. Her parents home-schooled her in a household of three children from three marriages total, as both parents had been previously married and widowed. Leslie’s prominence…
Read More >
From Darwin to Dalloway, our Spring 2016 Catalog offers an excellent collection of fine and rare books. In this collection, you’ll find landmark works in topics such as classic literature, children’s literature, sciences, travel, politics, and more. Some of these works include a rare, signed portrait of Charles Dickens and an extremely rare presentation copy of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. Here…
Read More >
Deep in the southern Vermont countryside, you will find an ornate Italianate villa simply packed with sumptuous books worthy of any collector’s bookshelf. Welcome to Raptis Rare Books and the world of husband-and-wife bookselling team Matthew and Adrienne Raptis. Matthew and Adrienne specialize in fine first editions, signed and inscribed books, and books that are…
Read More >
Roald Dahl has touched the lives of many children with his imaginative, somewhat dark and funny stories. The British novelist is a household name and a brilliant storyteller, writing some of the most famous children’s books throughout the world. Dahl was born in 1916 in Llandaff, Cardiff, Wales. He experienced great tragedy as a small…
Read More >
Vellum refers to parchment made from calf skin that can be found on old and rare books. Very old Bibles were printed on it, and so was the Declaration of Independence. Vellum is not like calf leather in that it is not tanned, but it does vary in softness and smoothness based on the quality of…
Read More >
The famous Kennedy family first sailed to America from Ireland in 1849. Sometimes called the “Royal Family of America,” the Kennedy’s political influence began with P.J. Kennedy and was carried all the way through John F. Kennedy’s presidency, while his brothers Robert and Ted held positions as prominent senators. But while everyone knows the Kennedy’s in…
Read More >
Edith Wharton was a distinguished novelist, writer, and designer that was well acquainted with other successful literates of her time, including Theodore Roosevelt. She wrote over 40 books in 40 years and, as a female author, broke through many social oppressions in the literary world. Her twelfth novel, The Age of Innocence, won the 1921…
Read More >