Posted March 21, 2001.

The International Auction House Directory, 2001

The International Auction House Directory, 2001 Edition is the most comprehensive compendium of antiques, collectibles, and fine arts auction market information available today. The book lists over 5,000 auction houses in more than 50 countries, and also contains helpful articles about appraisal, types of auctions, and the auction marketplace in general.

Every auction house entry in the directory lists the company's name, address, telephone and fax numbers, email and internet addresses, key personnel, specialist departments, client services, branch offices (when applicable), and policy guidelines for buyers and sellers. Auction houses are listed alphabetically and then cross-indexed by specialty. The directory covers just about every conceivable collecting discipline ranging from art, aircraft, and animation to Doulton Ware, horse-drawn vehicles, tools, tobacco art, trains, and wines.

The International Auction House Directory is a fantastic resource for collectors and sellers alike. In order to get the best merchandise, serious collectors can use the book to locate and contact auction houses worldwide that specialize in what they collect. Likewise, serious sellers can maximize their profits by selling through those firms that specialize in what they have for sale. As in the retail end of the business, specialist auction houses know the most about what they specialize in, have access to all the major collectors, get the best merchandise, buy and sell at the highest prices, and weed out the fakes, forgeries, and other questionable pieces.

International Auction House Directory, 2001 Edition edited by Lisa Reinhardt, Gordon's Art Reference, Inc., Phoenix, 2001, hardbound, 1486 pages, 8 7/8 by 11 1/4, $245.

Available from Gordon's Art Reference, Inc., 306 West Coronado Road, Phoenix, AZ 85003-1147 or call 1-800-892-4622 or visit the Gordon's Art Reference website.

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19th Century Japanese Photography

Portraits in Sepia , a comprehensive survey of early Japanese photography, is written by photo-historians and photography collectors, Torin Boyd and Naomi Izakura. The book is one of the best, if not the best, reference for 19th century photographic activity in Japan. Text is in both English and Japanese.

Portraits in Sepia contains extensive listings of over 1,150 Japanese photographers, photography studios, photography publishers, photographic researchers, foreign photographers working in Japan, and Japanese photographers working abroad between the 1840's and 1912. All entries include useful information like dates of operation, studio addresses, photographic formats used, professional status, and biographical data. The book also has over 200 color and duotone illustrations of carte de visite photographs from Boyd's and Izakura's personal collection, a guide for dating Japanese carte de visites, a geographical index, and a fold-out chart for identifying 19th century photographic processes.

Portraits in Sepia From the Japanese Carte de Visite Collection of Torin Boyd and Naomi Izakura by Torin Boyd and Naomi Izakura, Torin Boyd and Naomi Izakura, Tokyo, 2000, hardbound, dust jacket, 328 pages, 9 1/4 by 12 inches, $75.

Available from Carl Mautz Publishing, 228 Commercial St., PMB 522, Nevada City, CA 95959 or call 1-530-478-1610 or visit the Carl Mautz Publishing website.