Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1951-2002 (Creation)
Level of description
Extent and medium
7.33 linear metres (37 boxes)
Context area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Bloomsbury Book Auctions was founded in March 1983 by three former employees of Sotheby's. Lord John Kerr (chairman and head of the new auction house) was a known figure in the book trade and had been for eighteen years head of Sotheby's book department; Frank Herrmann (in charge of Bloomsbury's financial and marketing requirements) was a director in charge of Sotheby's overseas operations, and a publisher and author in his own right; and David Stagg (Managing Director and organiser of the sales) who had worked for many years at Sotheby's Hodgson's Rooms in Chancery Lane and subsequently run the 'fast' book sales at the Aeolian Hall.
The company was set up as Kerr Herrmann and Stagg Limited trading as Bloomsbury Book Auctions. The premises of the new auction house were initially in the basement of Frank Herrmann's own house at 6a Bedford Square, and sales were held in local hotels. Within a year it was obvious that larger premises which could include a sales room on site were needed, and in August 1984 the business moved into 3/4 Hardwick Street, originally a four storey toy warehouse in Islington.
Bloomsbury Book Auctions was the first book auction house to be established in London for over 150 years; and was the only one at the time which concentrated exclusively on selling antiquarian books and manuscript material. It specialised in books, manuscripts, atlases, maps and prints, and was particularly interested in the sale of working libraries of an academic or specialist nature. With such specialisation and a high reputation in the book trade its success was almost immediate. Buyers and sellers came from all over the world. In 1993 tenth anniversary celebrations were held; five years later the business was sold by the original directors. The auction house continues to trade, although from March 2004 the name changed to Bloomsbury Auctions Limited, another move was made to Maddox Street in Mayfair, and the scope of items to be sold was expanded.
Repository
Archival history
GB 0074 LMA/4449 1951-2002 Collection 7.33 linear metres (37 boxes) Bloomsbury Book Auctions , antiquarian book auctioneers
Bloomsbury Book Auctions was founded in March 1983 by three former employees of Sotheby's. Lord John Kerr (chairman and head of the new auction house) was a known figure in the book trade and had been for eighteen years head of Sotheby's book department; Frank Herrmann (in charge of Bloomsbury's financial and marketing requirements) was a director in charge of Sotheby's overseas operations, and a publisher and author in his own right; and David Stagg (Managing Director and organiser of the sales) who had worked for many years at Sotheby's Hodgson's Rooms in Chancery Lane and subsequently run the 'fast' book sales at the Aeolian Hall.
The company was set up as Kerr Herrmann and Stagg Limited trading as Bloomsbury Book Auctions. The premises of the new auction house were initially in the basement of Frank Herrmann's own house at 6a Bedford Square, and sales were held in local hotels. Within a year it was obvious that larger premises which could include a sales room on site were needed, and in August 1984 the business moved into 3/4 Hardwick Street, originally a four storey toy warehouse in Islington.
Bloomsbury Book Auctions was the first book auction house to be established in London for over 150 years; and was the only one at the time which concentrated exclusively on selling antiquarian books and manuscript material. It specialised in books, manuscripts, atlases, maps and prints, and was particularly interested in the sale of working libraries of an academic or specialist nature. With such specialisation and a high reputation in the book trade its success was almost immediate. Buyers and sellers came from all over the world. In 1993 tenth anniversary celebrations were held; five years later the business was sold by the original directors. The auction house continues to trade, although from March 2004 the name changed to Bloomsbury Auctions Limited, another move was made to Maddox Street in Mayfair, and the scope of items to be sold was expanded.
Deposited in 2002 (B02/096).
Records of Bloomsbury Book Auctions, 1951-2002. There are three series in the collection, the first (LMA/4449/01) covering the administration of the business, and the latter two (LMA/4449/02 and LMA/4449/03) dealing with the auctions and sales, including a series of catalogues.
The material is arranged in three series - LMA/4449/01 (1976-2002); LMA/4449/02 (1951-2002); and LMA/4449/03 (1983-2002).
Available for general access.
Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.
English
Fit
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
More information about the business may be found in Frank Herrmann's 1992 autobiography Low Profile - A Life in the World of Books.
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997. July to October 2009 Books Rare books Business enterprises Auctions Trade (practice) Business records Sales Communication personnel Booksellers Publications Antiquarian booksellers Information sources Documents Auction particulars Sales catalogues Management Business management People People by occupation Personnel Mercantile personnel Auctioneers Communications media Information sciences Antiquarian books Business administration Companies Bloomsbury Book Auctions , antiquarian book auctioneers Enterprises Business
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Deposited in 2002 (B02/096).
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Records of Bloomsbury Book Auctions, 1951-2002. There are three series in the collection, the first (LMA/4449/01) covering the administration of the business, and the latter two (LMA/4449/02 and LMA/4449/03) dealing with the auctions and sales, including a series of catalogues.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
The material is arranged in three series - LMA/4449/01 (1976-2002); LMA/4449/02 (1951-2002); and LMA/4449/03 (1983-2002).
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Available for general access.
Conditions governing reproduction
Copyright to these records rests with the Corporation of London.
Language of material
- English
Script of material
- Latin
Language and script notes
English
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
Please see online catalogues at: http://search.lma.gov.uk/opac_lma/index.htm
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Notes area
Alternative identifier(s)
Access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Compiled in compliance with General International Standard Archival Description, ISAD(G), second edition, 2000; National Council on Archives Rules for the Construction of Personal, Place and Corporate Names, 1997.
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Language(s)
- English