Association of America (ABAA), takes place February 9-11, 2024, at Pier 27 (cruise ship terminal). Widely recognized as one of the world's largest exhibitions of antiquarian books for sale, more than 100 exhibitors from around the world will present rare books, maps, illustrations, historical documents, and ephemera on a vast array of subjects and genres.

The fair boasts offerings in every conceivable genre including the first-ever catalog on the history of artificial intelligence (AI) from Novato book dealer and ABAA member Jeremy Norman. Part of this timely collection is an extremely rare, first edition pamphlet published in 1832 by Russian statistician and inventor Semyon Korsakov on what is believed to be one of the first machine-learning devices. Korsakov was a pioneer in the concept of “mechanized thought,” or artificial intelligence. The nearly 200-year-old AI print ephemera will be on exhibit and offered at the purchase price of $35,000.

The fair’s specialties encompass art, science, medicine, literature, history, gastronomy, fashion, first editions, Americana, philosophy, children’s books and much more. As highlighted in The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal, rare books and other objects have increasingly captured the attention of young collectors seeking one-of-a-kind offerings at more accessible price points. Book fair prices range from $100 to millions.

This year, the fair welcomes international exhibitors from 9 different countries including the UK, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany and The Netherlands.

An impressive number of US exhibitors also highlight the wealth of material available stateside. Exhibitors will present a vast treasure trove of items: rare books, maps, manuscripts, fine bindings, illustrations, historical documents, prints and print ephemera. One of the rare maps up for purchase is Augustus Chevalier's stunning large-scale 1911 map of San Francisco, the premier map of the city following the San Francisco Earthquake and one of the most impressive and beautiful urban plans in the history of American mapmaking. The purchase price is $45,000 from S.F. Bay Area-based ABAA dealer, Neatline Antique Maps.

Another extraordinary find is a piece of LGBTQ+ science fiction history discovered at an estate sale in Oakland– the original cover art for Ursula K. Le Guin’s groundbreaking “The Left Hand of Darkness.” The novel was one of the first examinations of androgyny in science fiction and explored the effect of sex and gender on society. Mark Funke, Novato book dealer and ABAA member, will exhibit the illustration art at the San Francisco fair. The purchase price is $20,000.

“This is one of the most important events in the country for rare book enthusiasts, and we are thrilled to return to San Francisco after enjoying nearly a decade of success in Oakland,” says Julie Roper, Director of the 56th California International Antiquarian Book Fair. “Post-pandemic, we are seeing resurgent demand for in-person fairs, where a global community of the top dealers offers the most sought-after collections of books, maps, illustrations, and ephemera. The experience of attending in person is like no other – it’s a real-life treasure hunt.”

Exhibitors 2024

210     Abraham Lincoln Book Shop, Inc.107     Libreria de Antaño108     Appledore Books234     Argonaut Book Shop241     Athena Rare Books142     Auger Down Books157     B Street Books160     Antiquariat Michael Banzhaf215     Bauman Rare Books253     Simon Beattie Ltd127     Stuart Bennett Rare Books240     Antiquariat Reinhold Berg eK120     David Bergman225     Between the Covers Rare Books226     Biblioctopus209     Blackwell's Rare Books207     Blank Verso Books 246     Carl Blomgren Fine Books247     Bolerium Books228     The Book Bin155     Bookleggers Fine Books113     Books of Wonder127     Brick Row Book Shop125     Bromer Booksellers, Inc.214     Edmund Brumfitt Rare Books Ltd251     Buckingham Books120     Pablo Butcher132     Capitol Hill Books 148     Captain Ahab's Rare Books152     Caroliniana Rare Books242     Carpe Diem Fine Books218     Jeffrey D. Carr260     Cavendish Rare Books227     Librairie Rodolphe Chamonal117     Librairie Clavreuil116     Stéphane Clavreuil Rare Books Ltd137     Deborah Coltham Rare Books254     Justin Croft Antiquarian Books Limited116     Daniel Crouch Rare Books Limited105     James Cummins Bookseller141     Daniel / Oliver Gallery129     Dark Parks Books & Collectibles213     Wilfrid M. de Freitas - Bookseller145     Nat DesMarais Rare Books223     Antiquariaat De Roo104     Discovery Bay Old Books208     Dungeness Books149     Editio Altera 140     Christopher Edwards258     Scott Emerson Books123     The First Edition Rare Books, LLC100     Antiquariaat Forum BV245     Robert Frew Ltd237     mark funke, bookseller119     Elena Gallego Rare Books118     Garcia-Garst, Booksellers ABAA248     Geographicus Rare Antique Maps106     Globus Rare Books & Archives130     Hackenberg Booksellers138     Amanda Hall Rare Books156     David A. Hamilton Americana Books212     Peter Harrington154     Heritage Book Shop, LLC147     Jeff Hirsch Books200     John Howell for Books102     HS Rare Books209     Hyraxia Books203     Inlibris Gilhofer239     Jarndyce Books151     johnson rare books & archives201     Jonkers Rare Books217     Ben Kinmont Bookseller222     Eric Chaim Kline Bookseller203     Kotte Autographs206     Michael Laird Rare Books & Manuscripts 144     Langdon Manor Books, LLC146     JF Letenneur Livres Rares205     Liber Antiquus, Early Books & Manuscripts233     Locus Solus Rare Books114     Lucius Books109     Maggs Bros Ltd126     Marshall Rare Books131     McBride Rare Books252     Bruce McKittrick Rare Books135     Kate Mitas, Bookseller250     Kunsthandel Mitmannsgruber236     J.B. Muns, Fine Arts Books & Musical Autographs249     Munster & Company, LLC128     Neatline Antique Maps224     Jeremy Norman & Co., Inc.216     Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books & Manuscripts259     Bud Plant & Hutchison Books133     John Price Antiquarian Books219     Bernard Quaritch Ltd158     Janette Ray Booksellers110     William Reese Company LLC220     Rootenberg Rare Books & Manuscripts204     Barry Lawrence Ruderman121     Ken Sanders Rare Books112     Antiquariaat Schierenberg256     Sophie Schneideman Rare Books139     Susanne Schulz-Falster136     Marc Selvaggio, Books & Ephemera238     Shapero Rare Books221     Sokol Books Ltd202     Sophia Rare Books255     Benjamin Spademan Rare Books111     David Spilman Fine Books122     Michael Steinbach Rare Books257     Stellar Books & Ephemera232     Douglas Stewart Fine Books243     Swan's Fine Books261     Symonds Rare Books262     Ten Pound Island Book Co.134     Michael Thompson Rare Books235     Triolet Rare Books150     Tschanz Rare Books211     Voewood Rare Books153     Whitmore Rare Books, Inc.231     John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller115     lizzyoung bookseller143     Zephyr Used & Rare Books