Aldus Manutius stands as one of the most pivotal figures in the history of printing and publishing during the Italian Renaissance. A highly respected scholar and classicist, he is renowned for his groundbreaking work in editing and publishing numerous ancient works. In fact, a significant number of these works were editiones principes—the first printed editions of classical texts in their original languages, ensuring their survival for future generations.

Explore how Aldus revolutionized the book by popularizing pocket sized editions

From hefty to handy: Aldus transforms the book

The fall of Constantinople in 1453 heralded a flood of classical scholars and material to Europe, often via Venice, which became host to the largest Greek diaspora at the time. This led to a great cultural synthesis: a revival of Greek studies that was instrumental in the development of Renaissance humanism.

How the fall of Constantinople fueled a humanist love for Greek-style bindings

All about alla greca

When something is in demand with consumers, it doesn’t take long for others to want a piece of the pie. This was certainly true in the case of the Lyonese counterfeits of Aldus’s immensely popular editions of the classics and with the opulent French bindings of the sixteenth century.

From pirate Aldines in Lyon to fraudulent bindings in Brussels

Counterfeits and forgeries

In 1998, T. Kimball Brooker studied a group of seven Roman bindings in brown or black goatskin, with the initials L.T. and other decoration in gold on their covers.

How a half obliterated inscription unveiled the identity of the elusive “L.T.”

The key to unlocking “L.T.”

Magnificent illuminations

New York

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Richard Austin

Senior Vice President | International Senior Specialist | Books & Manuscripts

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Cataloguer | Books & Manuscripts

Fenella Theis

Associate | Books & Manuscripts

Caroline Cook

Pre-Sale Coordinator | Books & Manuscripts

Caroline Woodward

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Sotheby’s is proud to present the second installment, of three, of what is certainly the crown jewel of Bibliotheca Brookeriana: The Aldine Collection. This unprecedented group of volumes was published by Aldus Manutius, one of the most revered and influential book publishers of all time, and his successors and collected by T. Kimball Brooker in earnest from the mid-1960s. Numbering approximately 1,000 volumes published from the 1490s to the 1590s, the collection is the largest assemblage of Aldines to come to market in a century, and the only private library of its kind ever amassed outside of Europe. The Aldine Collection D-M boasts an astounding selection of editiones principes&nbsp;and fine bindings by figures including Dante, Demosthenes, Homer, Horace and Livy, to be offered in a live auction on 18 October 2024.

Bibliotheca Brookeriana: A Renaissance Library. The Aldine Collection D-M