Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair

Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair

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The ABAA's annual fall gathering for book lovers and collectors. Save the Date! Fine and decorative prints will also be featured.

November 11-13, 2022

The Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair returns in 2022! This event is one of the oldest and most respected antiquarian book shows in the country. Over 100 rare book dealers from the United States, England, Germany, Argentina, France, Spain, The Netherlands, and more will exhibit and sell rare, collectible and antiquarian books, modern first editions, manuscripts, autographs, maps, atlases, and a plethora of other literary ephemera.

05/29/2026

Don't miss this exhibition at the Boston Public Library Central Library in Copley Square! On display through next February, so add this to your itinerary if you're planning to visit the November 6-8.

"BECOMING BOSTON: Eight Moments in the Geography of a Changing City."

Maps trace the complicated history of places, and we can use them to document geography in much the same way we use diaries and letters to document biography. In the eight cases of this exhibition, we follow the changing spatial forms of the place we now call Boston—from before the landscape carried that name all the way through the struggles, clashes, and dreams that continue to reshape the city today.

IMAGE: Charles C. Perkins, Plan of Boston proper: showing changes in street and wharf lines, 1795 to 1895 (1895).



https://bpl.bibliocommons.com/events/67ed385ff97aac3d000b236d?_gl=1*1upfryw*_ga*MTA4NzU1NDcyMS4xNzgwMDYzMzg5*_ga_G99DMMNG39*czE3ODAwNjMzODgkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODAwNjUyMjUkajUwJGwwJGgw*_ga_MHZN5EZEPR*czE3ODAwNjMzODgkbzEkZzEkdDE3ODAwNjUyMjMkajUyJGwwJGgw

48th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair 05/27/2026

The books have been packed from New York and London, and what a run it's been! 🎉 But the season isn't over (not even close!) The Boston Book Fair is up next, and it's the last in-person ABAA fair in the U.S. this calendar year. Don't miss it!

Exhibitor registration is open → www.abaa.org/bostonbookfair Deadline: June 30 🗓️

Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) International League of Antiquarian Booksellers

48th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair The Boston Book Fair is the annual fall gathering for book lovers and collectors, featuring the top selection of items available on the international literary market. Mark your calendars for the 48th annual gathering of U.S. and international dealers, sanctioned by the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Ass...

05/20/2026

We're thrilled to announce our renewed partnership with Artscope Magazine for the 2026 Boston Book Fair!

This gorgeous publication champions local and international artists exhibiting throughout the Northeast and beyond. Check out the latest edition online: https://artscopemagazine.com/

Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library 05/11/2026

The English language’s oldest poem is “Caedmon’s Hymn,” nine lines of verse composed by a Northumbrian herdsman who lived in the seventh century C.E. Caedmon couldn’t read or write, but after he dreamed of a stranger telling him to sing of “the beginning of things,” he began speaking “verses which he had never heard.”

The cowherd moved into a monastery, learned biblical scripture and reportedly produced much vernacular poetry on sacred Christian themes. But of all his work, only “Caedmon’s Hymn” survives. “Now let us praise Heaven-Kingdom’s guardian,” it begins.

Now, researchers fr4om Trinity College say they’ve discovered an important lost copy of “Caedmon’s Hymn”—dating back some 1,200 years. This version prominently records the poem in Old English rather than in Latin, suggesting that one of the languages of early medieval Britain held its own even against the tongue of the old Roman Empire.

Lost Copy of Earliest-Known English Poem Found in Roman Library The earliest surviving poem in the English language has been discovered in the National Central Library of Rome

05/10/2026

❤️✉❤️- Join us at the Boston Expo, May 23-30! The Ephemera Society of America will be on hand as thousands of postal history enthusiasts fill the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center for the 12th US International Philatelic Expo . Chat with us at our information table! ESA members have prepared displays of their collections, and the "Bourse" will include several ESA dealer-members.

đź“« Are you a postcard fan? Competitive postcard exhibits from around the world will be showcased in Room 151B for the run of the Expo. Right next door, in 151A, the New England Postcard Club will hold a Postcard Show May 23-25. Details in the Expo calendar of events (link in bio or tinyurl.com/expoeventlist).

✨ PLUS, you won’t want to miss our celebration of Boston’s great public ephemera collections, May 26, 2-5pm. Open to all with no charge! Join us in Meeting Room 157B on Level 1 for colorful presentations by

--John Buchtel, Curator of Rare Books and and Head of Special Collections at the Boston Athenaeum

--Kyle Roberts, Executive Director of the Congregational Library and Archive

--Lorna Condon, Chief Curator at Historic New England

--Mary Yacovone, Curator of Rare Books and Visual Materials at the Massachusetts Historical Society

--Chris Tanguay, Processing Archivist, Distinctive Collections, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

❤️ See you there! Again, details in the Expo calendar of events (link in bio or tinyurl.com/expoeventlist)

05/05/2026

The ABAA is now accepting entries for the 2026 National Collegiate Book Collecting Contest, where more than $6,000 in prizes will be awarded to student collectors.

The contest is open to all prizewinners of college contests, whether or not first prize, and to interested students whose institutions do not offer contests. Please encourage contest winners to apply.

All entries should be submitted by June 10, 2026.

For more info or to enter the contest, visit: https://www.abaa.org/articles/2026-national-collegiate-book-collecting-contest-open

Group Panel: Demystifying ABAA Book Fairs 03/27/2026

Exhibitor registration opens NEXT WEEK for the November 6-8, 2026, ABAA Boston Book Fair! Details to come.

Thinking about exhibiting as a first-timer? Check out the ABAA's recent discussion Demystifying ABAA Book Fairs for insider tips on how to maximize these annual in-person events: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BxJ9dJ1ezU

Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America (ABAA) International League of Antiquarian Booksellers

Group Panel: Demystifying ABAA Book Fairs This informative webinar is to help members—especially those who may feel hesitant about participating—gain a clearer understanding of how ABAA book fairs wo...

Photos from Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair's post 12/02/2025

Save the date for next year's Boston Book Fair! November 6-8, 2026

Photos from Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair's post 11/09/2025

A lovely day to go to the . Hope to see you there!

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Website

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/48th-abaa-boston-international-antiquarian-book-fair-t

Address


Boston, MA

Opening Hours

Friday 4pm - 8pm
Saturday 12pm - 7pm
Sunday 11am - 4pm