Catalogue 180: Miscellanea; Americana, Art & Architecture etc.

Kraus, Hans. Peter (October 12, 1907 – November 1, 1988). Catalogue 180: Miscellanea; Printed wrappers, 4to, 106, [3] pp, ills. 186 items. Contents:Americana Nos. 1-11. Art & Architecture 12-16 Lithography 17-23 Bindings 24-28 Classics 29-33 Economics 34-38 England & English Lit. 39-53 France & French Lit. 54-61 Games of Chance or Skill 62-66 Germany 67-71 History 72-76 Illustrated Books 77-83 Italy & Italian Lit. 84-97 Philosophy 98-101 Photography 102-105 Poland & Russia 106-111 Political Science 112-115 Portugal 116-124 Reformation 125-129 Science including Medicine 130-166 Spain 167-169 Theology 170-179 Typography 180-186. The first catalogue to be issued after the death of Hans Peter Kraus. With a subject index and an index of authors and editors. Fine.

Hans Peter Kraus, also known as H. P. Kraus or HPK, was an Austrian-born book dealer described as "without doubt the most successful and dominant rare book dealer in the world in the second half of the 20th century" and in a league with other rare book dealers such as Bernard Quaritch, Guillaume de Bure and A.S.W. Rosenbach. Kraus specialized in medieval illuminated manuscripts, incunables (books printed before 1501), and rare books of the 16th and 17th centuries, but would purchase and sell almost any book that came his way that was rare, valuable and important. He prided himself in being "the only bookseller in history...to have owned a Gutenberg Bible and the Psalters of 1457 and 1459 simultaneously," stressing that "'own' here is the correct word, as they were bought not for a client's account but for stock." -wiki