Welcome to Carl williams Rare books.
CARL WILLIAMS RARE BOOKS specializes in unique selections of rare books, including fascinating titles on counterculture, erotica, and occult books. Estd. 2015
Like all good rare booksellers, I buy as well as sell and will travel anywhere to see good, rare books, manuscripts, archives, and more. I always ask for evidence of title and ownership when making a purchase from a customer. I also undertake valuations of archives and collections, and I am proud to say that I valued Felix Dennis's Oz archive for London's Victoria and Albert Museum, which was subsequently acquired by the Performance Department of the V&A in July 2018. My specialization includes topics like the occult, counterculture, erotica, contemporary and modern art, and protest movements from the sixties and beyond. With over twenty-five years of experience in the rare book trade, I helped start the UK branch of a dotcom in '99 dealing with rare and secondhand books before working for Maggs Bros until 2015. During my time at Maggs Bros, I was also seconded to Julio Mario Santo Domingo's LSD Library for three years. As an independent dealer for the last decade, I've organized small shows featuring works related to Aktionsraum, Joseph Beuys, Sheila Rock's punk photos, and original calendar art from India. I prefer to sell large collections en bloc, such as protest posters produced by the Berkeley Poster Workshop, which I sold to The Houghton Library. Additionally, I have produced three printed catalogues of material from the LSD Library titled 'The Search For Soma', 'Still Kicking', and 'LSD 3.1 & 3.2'.
All purchases of rare books, including unique works on paper, photographs, and even titles related to counterculture, erotica, and occult books, remain the property of Carl Williams Rare Books until paid for in full. Postage and packing are usually charged extra at cost. All tariffs, administrative, broker, or import/export duties must be covered by the purchaser. We reserve the right to charge for any merchant fees incurred if a refund is issued. In the event of items being returned due to customer non-compliance with import regulations and tariffs in the destination country, Carl Williams Rare Books reserves the right to deduct any costs incurred from all issued refunds. These may include shipping, handling, and processing payment fees. Image: Jane & Louise Wilson - The Poster Room of the LSD Library.
Open today | 09:00 – 17:00 |
