The Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts department specializes in a broad range of categories, including books, maps and atlases, autograph letters and archives, Americana, historic ephemera, and early photography.

A book was the first item sold by Freeman’s founder, Tristram Bampfylde Freeman, after his appointment as Philadelphia’s official auctioneer by Governor Thomas McKean. In the more than two centuries since, Freeman’s has established an international reputation for presenting some of the finest and most significant printed works ever offered at auction. Today, with the addition of medieval illuminated manuscripts to the department’s areas of expertise, we offer collectors a comprehensive service spanning more than a millennium of the written word.

One of the hallmarks of the department is its presentation of single-owner collections as dedicated auctions, allowing libraries to be preserved and celebrated. Among the distinguished collections entrusted to Freeman’s are Lincoln's Legacy: Historic Americana from the Life of Abraham Lincoln ($7.9 million), The Library of a Midwestern Collector ($1.9 million), Across Continents: Property from The Collection of Ambassador & Mrs. Alexander Weddell, The Virginia House Museum ($1.5 million), Fine Books from the Dorros Family Collection ($1.5 million), property from the Estate of Steve and Peggy Fossett ($1.8 million), and The Library of Stephen J. Farber, a white-glove sale that realized more than $1 million.

Beyond rare books, the department has become a leading destination for important historical documents, manuscripts, artifacts, and photography. Recent highlights include the record-shattering $4.42 million sale of Signer Charles Carroll's copy of the Declaration of Independence—the highest price ever paid at auction for an American document printed in the 19th century—as well as the gloves worn by President Abraham Lincoln to Ford's Theatre on April 14, 1865 ($1.5 million), and a drawing of the destruction of the Bastille presented to President George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette ($1.9 million).

Our specialists combine deep scholarly expertise with decades of market experience, producing original research that places every object in its proper historical context. Whether handling a single rarity or an entire library, the department is committed to presenting exceptional material with the scholarship, care, and global reach it deserves.