Manuscripts and Letters

Historical Manuscripts at Forum Auctions

Our Manuscripts and Letters specialists have over the years enjoyed cataloguing some of the most remarkable and important manuscript pieces to ever come to market. Whether it is deciphering the scribe of an illuminated religious manuscripts from the Middle Ages, such as the famous books of hours with their glorious miniatures and rich use of gilt and colour, establishing the route of a journey made by some mariner or explorer of antiquity via their logbooks or diaries, discovering what passed for standard fare in the kitchens of yore, or identifying persons & places of significance in complex documents and deeds replete with wax seals, Historical Manuscripts provide an invaluable and rewarding resource, the ultimate tool in historical research perhaps.

Literary Manuscripts at Forum Auctions

Alongside the more Historical Manuscripts, Forum Auctions do also manage the sale, via auction and private treaty, of autograph items of literary significance, ranging from fragments, pages and chapters through to complete autograph drafts of short stories, essays and even novels by well known authors.

Letters & Other Autographed Items

Historical autograph letters, postcards and notes are a wonderful way of connecting with the past, as well as connecting with particular people of importance from those bygone eras. The Manuscripts and Letters department regularly feature such items from across the centuries, including letters and other memorabilia relating to famous writers, poets, politicians, scientists, artists, musicians, sportsmen & women and more. From astronauts to zoologists, if it is hand-written or signed then Forum's Manuscripts and Letters auctions are where you will find them.