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.

Freeman’s handles printed books across an array of categories, including science and medicine, travel and exploration, literature, natural history, incunables, fine press and printing, livres d’artiste, and fine bindings. The Books and Manuscripts team also handle maps and atlases, for which the firm have set several auction records in the field. Manuscripts are offered from a wide range of authorship, including American and European political and historic figures, authors, scientists, artists and entertainers, and architects. The antique book auctions also showcase illuminated manuscripts and leaves, and illustration art.

A book was the first item ever sold by the firm’s founder, Tristram Bampfylde Freeman, in 1805. The Books and Manuscripts department has sold countless books in the intervening two centuries, and still treats each one—and every consignor—with respect and professionalism.

Recent successes include the record-shattering $4.42M sale of signer Charles Carroll’s copy of the Declaration of Independence, which marked the second-highest price ever paid at auction for a copy of the Declaration of Independence, and the highest price ever paid at auction for an American document printed in the 19th century.

The department has been entrusted with several important single-owner collections, including Lincoln's Legacy: Historic Americana from the Life of Abraham Lincoln ($7.9M), the Library of a Midwestern Collector ($1.9M), works deaccessioned by the Virginia House Museum from The Collection of Ambassador & Mrs. Alexander Weddell ($1.5M); Fine Books from the Dorros Family Collection ($1.5M); Property from the Estate of Steve and Peggy Fossett ($1.8M); The Library of Jack Charles Davis, Sold to Support Charitable Institutions; The Alexander Hamilton Collection of John E. Herzog; and Selections from the Library of Victor Niederhoffer ($1.3M).