Empire State Rare Book & Print Fair Debuts in NYC

The Empire State Rare Book and Print Fair, featuring more than 50 exhibitors from across the country, will take over St. Bartholomew’s Church (St. Bart’s) at 325 Park Avenue in New York City, beginning October 5 through October 7.

This fair will showcase thousands of beautiful and rare books, prints, works on paper, and ephemera from around the globe. Highlights include original artwork for the cover of Charlotte’s Web, a first printing of Harry Potter, a first British edition of The Great Gatsby in its iconic jacket, and a first edition Galileo from 1635. 

Eve and Edward Lemon founded Fine Books Fairs in 2022 with the aim of creating affordable and welcoming fairs that instill the joy of books in a new generation of collectors. The couple, who are in their 30s, are collectors and experts in the field and host five fairs throughout the year.

“As a Millennial couple, we wanted to breathe new life into the world of book collecting by making it fun, inviting, accessible and entertaining,” said Mrs. Lemon. “While technology reigns supreme, there is a growing population of younger enthusiasts who have discovered a passion for books and collecting. Our fairs allow people to not only explore their passion for books, but also enjoy the entire experience.”

Highlights include:

October 6:

• Panel on print collecting with Kimberly Henrikson, Executive Director at the Center for Contemporary Printmaking (CCP) and Allison Tolman, who represents leading Japanese artists whose principal medium is paper
• 'The Nation That Never Was' with Kermit Roosevelt III, the great-great-grandson of Theodore Roosevelt and author of The Nation That Never Was and The Myth of Judicial Activism
• 'Writing Fiction' with novelist Daisy Waugh, granddaughter of Evelyn Waugh
• VIP dinner with Hugo Vickers, biographer, author, lecturer and expert on the Royal Family

October 7:

• 'Book Collecting' with Jesse R. Erickson, Astor Curator and Department Head, Printed Books and Bindings at the Morgan Library, and Angelo J. Cifaldi, President and Managing Director of Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer, P.A.
• Poetry and Music with Christopher Peacocke, author and Johnsonian Professor of Philosophy at Columbia University, and Honorary Fellow of the Institute of Philosophy, School of Advanced Study, in the University of London

Admission is free on Saturday, 3pm- 5pm, and visitors may bring in their own books for a complimentary appraisal service by a leading expert. General admission on Friday and Saturday is $15, $10 for students, and free for those under 16. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will go to the Antiquarian Booksellers' Benevolent Fund.