8 Aug 2025
August at Sotheran’s and Comellas Rare Books: an open-book operation
This summer, our bookshop is pleased to present an original initiative, born from friendly exchanges between two independent houses sharing the same taste for rare books: Henry Sotheran Ltd, in London, and Comellas Livres Rares, in Paris and Barcelona.
This is not a major event, but rather a mutual nod between booksellers: each has chosen a few titles from their own shelves to introduce to the other’s clientele.
The books do not change place (which is perhaps just as well, in these times of great summer migrations), but they travel differently — through words, images, and shared curiosity.
A natural meeting
This initiative was imagined by Chris Saunders, Director of Collections at Sotheran’s, whom we have the pleasure of knowing. Here is how he presents himself:
Henry Sotheran Ltd was founded in 1761 and is the oldest antiquarian bookseller in Europe. Over the years we've dealt with highlights such as Charles Dickens's library, the Warwick Castle Shakespeare Library for the Folger collection, and the world's most valuable binding, an Omar Khayyam that went down with the Titanic.
In our most modern iteration we operate from premises in the heart of London's rare book quarter and deal in a wide range of subjects but with special interests in literature, natural history, travel and the avant-garde.
Julien has been dealing mainly with Chris Saunders, Director of Collections at Sotheran's, whose twenty-one years of service are the blink of an eye in such an old company. His specialisms are science and natural history but, like everyone at Sotheran's, he finds his attention can be grabbed by anything rare and beautiful. There are always new discoveries to be made, which is why he began book dealing in the first place and hasn't been able to give it up.
A shared selection
At Comellas, we have therefore chosen to briefly highlight a handful of books from Sotheran’s shelves, which we found worthy of interest — for their content, their history, or their beauty.
And in turn, a few books from our own collection will be presented to their readers, in store or online, as a small sample of our work.
A modest but genuine exchange
This initiative does not aim to revolutionise bibliophily, but simply to remind us that bookshops are also places of dialogue and circulation. Showcasing the choices of a fellow bookseller, highlighting a book from elsewhere, is a discreet way of opening another door for curious readers.
We therefore invite you to discover below a short selection of titles chosen in London, and we hope that this collaboration, unpretentious but driven by a genuine pleasure in sharing, will spark your interest.
For any enquiry, please write to sotherans@livres-rares.com
24 Feb 2017
Charles of Habsburg, February, 24th, and the number 5
When one looks into history, there are details and coincidences which defy belief, but which we know you are fond of ! And so are we !
Today, we are especially addressing those of you who have a taste for astrology, numerology, arithmancy... or for the history of the Spanish Golden Age!
This 24th of February, 55th day of the year, marks the anniversary of Charles of Habsburg, better known as Charles V, born in 1500.
Most interestingly, the latter was crowned Emperor Charles, 5th of the name, in the year 1530... on February, 24th ! And what do you say about the fact that the monarch withdrew in favour of his younger brother Ferdinand on... Take a guess... February, 24th, 1558 !
In honour of this extraordinary man, and in order to help you solve the mysteries of these fascinating coincidences, we are pleased to present to you De Statu Religionis et Reipublicae, Carolo Quinto Cesare, Commentarij , a biography of Charles V in the context of the Reform by the historian and diplomat Johannes Sleidanus.
Friends of letters, friends of numbers, please share with us other synchronies and concordances of the sort !
Today, we are especially addressing those of you who have a taste for astrology, numerology, arithmancy... or for the history of the Spanish Golden Age!
This 24th of February, 55th day of the year, marks the anniversary of Charles of Habsburg, better known as Charles V, born in 1500.
Most interestingly, the latter was crowned Emperor Charles, 5th of the name, in the year 1530... on February, 24th ! And what do you say about the fact that the monarch withdrew in favour of his younger brother Ferdinand on... Take a guess... February, 24th, 1558 !
In honour of this extraordinary man, and in order to help you solve the mysteries of these fascinating coincidences, we are pleased to present to you De Statu Religionis et Reipublicae, Carolo Quinto Cesare, Commentarij , a biography of Charles V in the context of the Reform by the historian and diplomat Johannes Sleidanus.
Friends of letters, friends of numbers, please share with us other synchronies and concordances of the sort !
27 Jan 2017
"Next Stop: Lesseps !"
Let us evoke this week one of our most illustrious compatriots who lived here in Barcelona, the diplomat and entrepreneur Ferdinand de Lesseps (1805-1894). While many inhabitants of Barcelona may only have a vague idea of the personality of the founder of the Suez Canal enterprise, the Lesseps name is known here to everyone: many have passed through the Plaça Lesseps, served by a metro stop of the same name, and the most Francophiles of course know the prestigious Ecole Française Ferdinand de Lesseps, founded by the former Consul-General of France who had won the hearts of the Barcelonese during the popular uprising of 1842.
In 1849, at the height of his diplomatic career, the emissary had been entrusted with a mission of conciliation between the Republicans in power in Rome and the Vatican. Finally disavowed by Napoleon III, in the tumultuous context of Italy's Wars of Unification, he was accused of collusion with the enemy and called to appear before the Assembly and the Council of State. Ferdinand de Lesseps published several writings in response to these accusations. The last of them was this rare memoir, of which we are pleased to present this remarkable copy, bound at the time in ornamented calf. The book constitutes, to some extent, the diplomatic will of the man who, deeply wounded by the injustice he considered himself a victim of, would put an end to a diplomatic career for which his name is now known to all the Barcelonese.
In 1849, at the height of his diplomatic career, the emissary had been entrusted with a mission of conciliation between the Republicans in power in Rome and the Vatican. Finally disavowed by Napoleon III, in the tumultuous context of Italy's Wars of Unification, he was accused of collusion with the enemy and called to appear before the Assembly and the Council of State. Ferdinand de Lesseps published several writings in response to these accusations. The last of them was this rare memoir, of which we are pleased to present this remarkable copy, bound at the time in ornamented calf. The book constitutes, to some extent, the diplomatic will of the man who, deeply wounded by the injustice he considered himself a victim of, would put an end to a diplomatic career for which his name is now known to all the Barcelonese.
13 Jan 2017
Zola's Campaigns
« J’accuse ! »… Everybody knows about Zola’s famous open letter, which was published in the French daily L’Aurore on January 13th, in 1898...and which is 119 old today.
As we celebrate its anniversary, let us quote the journalist turned novelist, who was always eager to reconcile literature and journalism: « One returns to [the press] as to old loves. It is life, it is action, exhilarating and triumphant. Whenever one leaves it, one can never swear that it will be forever... ».
A reputed writer, Zola would continue to give great importance to the press, by means of which he led his numerous public campaigns.
« Une Campagne » is precisely the title he gave to one of the collections of press articles he published. Dealing wih the current political and literary issues of his time, the articles were originally published in the French daily Le Figaro between 1880 and 1881. The « polemical articles » were published in a single volume in 1882, and we are pleased to present to you an exceptional copy of its first edition, one of the ten copies printed on China paper.
As we celebrate its anniversary, let us quote the journalist turned novelist, who was always eager to reconcile literature and journalism: « One returns to [the press] as to old loves. It is life, it is action, exhilarating and triumphant. Whenever one leaves it, one can never swear that it will be forever... ».
A reputed writer, Zola would continue to give great importance to the press, by means of which he led his numerous public campaigns.
« Une Campagne » is precisely the title he gave to one of the collections of press articles he published. Dealing wih the current political and literary issues of his time, the articles were originally published in the French daily Le Figaro between 1880 and 1881. The « polemical articles » were published in a single volume in 1882, and we are pleased to present to you an exceptional copy of its first edition, one of the ten copies printed on China paper.
