Bernard Shapero
| Bernard Shapero | |
|---|---|
| Born | August 1963 (age 53) |
| Residence | Hampstead, London, UK |
| Nationality | British |
| Education | Highgate School |
| Occupation | Rare book dealer |
| Spouse(s) | Emma Lewis |
| Children | 3 |
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 32 St. George Street, Mayfair, London, a Georgian townhouse opposite the auctioneers Sotheby's.[1] In 2005, Slate called him "London's most successful rare-book dealer and arguably the top dealer in the world today".[2]
Early life
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
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, which had been sold to the US John Wiley & Sons in 2007 for £572 million to become Wiley-Blackwell.[8]
In 2012, Shapero bought Dutch businessman Joost Ritman's collection of 300 old religious books and 60 manuscripts for €9.5million, with finance coming from a Ukrainian oligarch.[8]
Personal life
Shapero lives in Hampstead, London, in a house which is half Victorian and half an "ultra-modern" extension,[1] with his wife Emma Lewis, who is a script editor, and their three children.[9]
References
- 1 2 "The modern Hampstead pad of rare-book seller Bernard Shapero". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- 1 2 Weisberg, Jacob (7 November 2005). "Book Hunting in Britain". Slate. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Bernard John SHAPERO – Personal Appointments (free information from Companies House)". companieshouse.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 June 2016.
- ↑ "Mr. Bernard Shapero". london-wealth.com. 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". Telegraph. Retrieved 12 June 2016.
- 1 2 "MIDAS SHARE TIPS: Rare book dealer Scholium plans float to buy fine collections | This is Money". thisismoney.co.uk. Retrieved 10 September 2016.
- ↑ "Sheila Markham Rare Books". sheila-markham.com. Retrieved 17 June 2016.