The Book Merchant Jenkins

Name: The Book Merchant Jenkins
Address: PO Box 366, Geeveston, TAS, 7116, AU
Telephone: +61413469509

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Geeveston, TAS
The Book Merchant Jenkins

Antiquarian bookshop selling new, used, and rare books in all genres with a focus on Sexuality, LGBT

15/05/2026

All set up and ready to go for the first full day of my first Firsts on the first floor.

Lots of firsts, lots of books...

13/05/2026

A highlight from our list for

Alphonse Mucha, Emile Gebhart

Cloches de Noel et de Paques
Paris: F. Champenois & H. Piazza et Cie, 1900.

Copy No. 1 of 10 on Japon containing an original Mucha drawing.

Emile Gebhart’s three medieval tales: Les trois rois, La derniere nuit de Judas, and Alleluia! presented in one of the great illustrated books of the Art Nouveau period. Alphonse Mucha provided the complete decorative programme: cover design, title-page decoration, limitation page, colophon, and 78 individual headpiece compositions with elaborate floral borders enclosing the text, each hand-coloured by au pochoir.

This copy, No. 1, contains an original full-page mixed-media drawing in pencil and watercolour on Japon, signed ‘Mucha’ at lower right, depicting a young woman in flowing drapery and broad knotted sash, her hair loose to her waist beneath a patterned headband, in profile with her hands raised to her collarbone, a detailed study for the main figure featured in the vignette on page 69. Also bound in are a complete suite in colour on Japon of the 78 borders and vignettes and the three designs for the title, limitation, and colophon, together with a second state in black on China paper. The original wrappers and prospectus are retained. The prospectus established a hierarchy of 252 copies in five categories, of which the ten copies on Japon with original watercolours (priced at 550 francs each) ranked only below the unique parchment and satin copies (priced at 1,000 and 800 francs), both entirely reworked by the artist, and above 25 further copies on Japon without watercolour and 215 copies on velin de Rives. The prospectus also noted explicitly that trade discount on the watercolour copies excluded “the cost of the watercolour executed by the artist”, formally distinguishing the value of the Mucha original from that of the book at the point of publication.

Provenance: Acquired in 1947 by Albert Quesnot (1882-1954), first violinist with the Paris Opera, thence by descent, retained in the family home until 2026, when acquired at auction in Paris. Fresh to the market after nearly eighty years of unbroken family ownership.

12/05/2026

My list for Firsts London (May 14-17) is online now. From fine bindings to filthy pages, and so much more.

Browse the full list on the website, and if you are in London, come find me on the first floor at Saatchi Gallery, stand H63. Send a DM for a ticket.

02/05/2026

From the Huon to the Seine in under a fortnight ahead of

First stop: the Bibliothèque nationale de France, where a Coronelli celestial globe and a complete Gutenberg Bible on vellum are among the exhibits. Had the hall to myself for a good 15 minutes.

From the BnF to several auction sessions at Hôtel Drouot and beyond. Countless shop visits to some old favourites and made some new friends. A couple of boxes are already on their way back to Australia, and a few special finds are in the suitcase to be catalogued in time for London.

Finally, the Musée du Luxembourg for an exhibition of works by Leonora Carrington.

More to come from London...

20/04/2026

Until then order books on the website, and an exciting line up of rare book fairs for 2026. First up, London!

25/03/2026

The shop has been loaded into a container and is on its way to Tasmania. We are down to the final bookshelves. Mostly big ones left, a few mediums. Must be collected by Sunday. Pickup Woolloongabba. Phone 0413469509

18/03/2026

Brisbane folks. Need bookshelves? I have bookshelves. So many bookshelves. Some I have had for 20 years, some come from Brisbane bookshops past. There are big ones, small ones, ones in between. If you or someone you know needs a bookshelf, or ten, get in touch asap and grab yourself a shelf of Brisbane bookshop history. Many more available than what is pictured here. Cash on pickup from Woolloongabba.

08/03/2026

Last chance to jump on the moving sale. Ends 9 March. Today and tomorrow at www.thebookmerchantjenkins.com and in-store from 11am-4pm.

04/03/2026

Beautiful bindings to be found in the moving sale. Final days as I close the doors Monday 9 March ahead of moving the shop to Tasmania.

Everything on the website marked down.
In store 11am to 4pm everyday too.
Lastly, have a farewell drink and a browse this Saturday 7 March, 4pm to 6pm.

26/02/2026

With the February auction now concluded, I am pleased to announce the Moving Sale is officially underway.

After twenty years of selling books in Brisbane, I will be relocating the business to Tasmania's Huon Valley. In preparation, the entire online catalogue has been substantially reduced, with discounts ranging from 20-90% (most titles approximately 50% off).

Those in Brisbane you are welcome to browse in person, everyday from 11am until 4pm. On Saturday March 7 from 4pm to 6pm we will be having a small social gathering and I invite you to join us for a celebratory drink, snack, and chat.

The sale runs until 9 March, my last day of trading at Woolloongabba.

The business is continuing in Tasmania, though it will take some time to establish the new book house. Until then, 2026 brings a full and exciting book fair itinerary. You will find me exhibiting at:

London Rare Book Fair:  14 - 17 May
Melbourne Rare Book Fair:  30 July - 1 August
Berlin Rare Book Fair:  18 - 20 September
Sydney Rare Book Fair:  22 - 24 October

Address

PO Box 366
Geeveston, TAS
7116

Telephone

+61413469509

Website

https://thebookmerchantjenkins.com/

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