Bernard John Shapero (born August 1963) is a British dealer in antiquarian rare books and works on paper, the founder of Shapero Rare Books of 106 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London.[1] In 2005, Slate called him "London's most successful rare-book dealer and arguably the top dealer in the world today".[2]
Bernard Shapero | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1963 (age 60) London |
| Education | Highgate School |
| Occupation | Rare book dealer |
| Spouse | Emma Lewis |
| Children | 3 |
Early life edit
Bernard John Shapero was born in August 1963,[3] and started dealing in books in the late 1970s, while still a pupil at Highgate School.[4][5] His father was a collector of armour and gold coins.[2]
Career edit
In October 2005, Shapero purchased the Doria Atlas for £1.46 million, the highest price ever paid for an atlas, although this record was surpassed by the Cosmographia the following year.[6] In April 2004, the atlas had been saved from a fire at Wardington Manor in Oxfordshire, when local residents formed a human chain to remove items from the library.[7]
Shapero Rare Books owned about 6,000 books, ranging in price from £50 to over £200,000, and £6,000 on average. The business was sold by Shapero to Philip Blackwell, a director of the family business Blackwell Publishing.[8]
Personal life edit
Shapero lives in Hampstead, London, in a house which is half Victorian and half an "ultra-modern" extension,[1] with his wife Emma Lewis, and their three children.[9]
References edit
- ^ a b "The modern Hampstead pad of rare-book seller Bernard Shapero". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 24 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ a b Weisberg, Jacob (7 November 2005). "Book Hunting in Britain". Slate. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Bernard John SHAPERO – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". Companies House, Government of the United Kingdom. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "Mr. Bernard Shapero". london-wealth.com. Archived from the original on 10 August 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ "News – Highgate School". highgateschool.org.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ^ Milmo, Cahal (6 October 2006). "Atlas favoured by Columbus goes on sale for £1 million". Independent. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ Bennett, Will (31 May 2005). "Rare atlases snatched from fire". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- ^ "Antiquarian Bookseller Completes Successful Stock Market IPO « May - 2014 « Rare Book Hub - Rare Books, Book Auctions, Antiquarian Book Collecting". rarebookhub.com. Retrieved 10 April 2023.
- ^ "Sheila Markham Rare Books". sheila-markham.com. Archived from the original on 28 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.