Rare canal books go for auction in November

Over 1000 rare and historic canal and river books will go up for sale by auction on November 4th, including works from Charles Hadfield’s own library.

One of the UK’s most prolific canal book collectors, Mark Baldwin, will see his private collection go to auction at Chiswick Auctions in west London. He bought his first waterway book ‘The Wanderings of the Beetle’ (1885) as a teenager in the 1950s and has been avidly collecting ever since, resulting in one of the biggest inland waterways libraries in the country. It was the acquisition of Charles Hadfield’s waterway collection in the 1970s which instigated Mark’s ascent into the world of more serious collecting, as it vastly extended his own collection and gave him the impetus to build one of his own. This was facilitated by becoming a book-seller in 1978, part-time at first before progressing to full-time in 1986. In between this time, Mark became an author, publishing the first comprehensive bibliography on British canals, in addition, he has also gone onto lecture on the subject.

Available in the auction will be a strong canal book collection featuring over 1000 items across over 200 lots of incredible material from not just the United Kingdom but around the world.
Star lots include:
Various Bradshaw’s Map of Canals, Navigable Rivers, Rail Roads. (1830’s)
A full set of Royal Commission reports on Canals and Inland Navigations of the United Kingdom. (1906 – 1911)
The Cromford Canal company’s record of 576 permits issued to individual canal boats from 9 October to 5 November 1829. (image right)
The first four books about cruises on Britain’s waterways including ‘The Thames to the Solent by Canal and Sea, or the Log of the Una Boat ‘Caprice’. (1868) and ‘The Waterway to London, as explored in the “Wanderer” and “Ranger”, with Sail, Paddle, and Oar, in a voyage on the Mersey, Perry, Severn, and Thames, and several canals.’ (1869)

You can see the full catalogue here and bid by visiting the saleroom at 1 Colville Road, Chiswick W3 8BL or online from your computer via the-saleroom.com. Alternatively you can request a telephone bid (020 8992 4442), or leave a commission bid prior to the sale. To see the collection in full the items will be available to view on Sunday 1st from 12 – 6pm, Monday 2nd from 10am – 6pm, Tuesday 3rd from 10am – 6pm and on Wednesday 4th before the sale starts from 10am – 1pm.

Information and images courtesy of Chiswick Auctions.