Peter Harrington

What do these books have in common? Aside from being new additions to the shelves of our New York gallery, all of them have been censored! Artist Clara Tice and author Henry Miller were beacons of bohemian culture in Greenwich Village and Paris, and their explicit portrayals of that lifestyle were seen as threats to “decent society”. But attacks on art and literature didn’t stop then: Art Spiegelman’s Maus, a graphic novel about Spiegelman’s parents’ experience in the Holocaust, was restricted as recently as 2022 after being labelled explicit for a depiction of a naked mouse. Read more about these censored books in our recent blog post and explore other new additions to our New York gallery on our website.

In honour of Memorial Day in the US, we’re highlighting John J. Pershing’s Pulitzer Prize winning memoir, My Experiences in The World War. Pershing details his experience as a commander in WWI before eventually becoming the Chief of Staff of the US Army. He shares his great admiration for the Army and the men within it, expressing his wishes to provide insight for future members of the Armed Forces. This copy is especially meaningful, as it is inscribed to one of those future soldiers: his son Francis Warren Pershing, who went on to fight in WWII.

On Thursday night, Dr Matt Wills hosted an exclusive evening in our London flagship shop exploring the importance of Sino-British relations in shaping the development of the modern world. The decisions made in Britain and China had - and still have - far-reaching implications. Thank you to all who explored this history with us through a selection of rare and unusual items from our bookshelves, whilst asking what lessons we might learn for the future from the print culture of the past. We hope to see you at our next event!

The Chelsea Bindery’s is dedicated to preserving and saving rare books, achieved through years of experience. Specialised machinery and tooling are just a few of the vital pieces of equipment that the team use for their work, whether producing their beautiful creations or repairing historical works.

Haven’t made it to our stand Firsts London yet? Here’s a look at just a few of the highlights we have on show; from J. R. R. Tolkien to Adam Smith. There’s still one more day to visit our stand, B17. We look forward to seeing you there! #peterharrington #rarebooks #firstslondon #tolkien #adamsmith #bookfair #saatchi #london

It’s been a busy couple of weeks for our New York gallery! Alongside the New York book fair, we hosted three events; an intimate evening with the renowned Stephen Massey offering items from his carefully chosen collection, a bustling open house in preparation for the fair, and a fascinating talk about Asia throughout history, in collaboration with Asia Society To find out about future events, sign up to our newsletter at the link in our bio 🔗

“...they call me ‘Peter Rabbit’!!” Exploring the connection between literature, biography and portraiture, the National Portrait Gallery exhibition Writers Revealed has moved to Shanghai Museum The exhibition invites you to learn more about the real lives and interactions of icons of western literature – and one such figure is Beatrix Potter. On display is our manuscript letter from Beatrix Potter to an eager young reader of her works, in which she discusses her forthcoming book, The Tale of Pigling Bland, “I have been drawing dozens of pigs!” In the letter, Potter goes on to share insights about her books being published and her growing renown in Sawrey, where she lived. 🗓️ Open until July 13 2026 📍 The Shanghai Museum East Images: © Shanghai Museum

It’s time for the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair! This opulent hand-painted scroll is an example of a mid-17th century Nara emaki, known for their rich colouring and use of gold. The meticulous illustrations are in the style of the Tosa school, most popular for depicting scenes from folklore, legend, and literary history. The story follows Yuriwaka Daijin, a parallel to Odysseus, who is sent to fight the Mongol hordes, is betrayed and stranded on an island by a former friend, and then must win back his lands by stringing and firing a bow. 📍 Find us at Booth A10, Park Avenue Armory

What an incredible evening! A few days ago, at our Dover Street shop, we celebrated the opening of our Winnie the Pooh: Where It All Began exhibition. Dr Phil Errington, our senior specialist in Children’s Literature, welcomed us with a talk about everything E. H. Shepard, followed by the exclusive chance to view the previously unseen sketches - with some honeyed treats and tipples on hand, of course! Thank you to all who attended; “And really, it wasn’t much good having anything exciting (like floods), if you couldn’t share them with somebody.”

Currently on display in the Freud Museum for their latest exhibition on Leonora Carrington are our copies of all four published numbers of the surrealist magazine, VVV, an important publication in Surrealist history. VVV was conceived as an outlet for the continued expression of displaced European surrealist titans such as Breton, Duchamp, Ernst, and, of course, Leonora herself. The avant-garde publication was noted as a technical achievement that beckoned the minds and hands of its readers: its spinning volvelles, die-cut leaves, and textured surfaces were produced to be as revelatory as the printed illustrations and text. 🗓️ March 25 2026 - June 28 2026 📍 Freud Museum, London