Bernard Shapero

Bernard John Shapero (born August 1963) is a British dealer in antiquarian rare books and works on paper, the founder of Shapero Rare Books of 94 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London.^[1] In 2005, Slate called him "London's most successful rare-book dealer and arguably the top dealer in the world today".^[2]

Bernard Shapero
Born	August 1963 (age 61) London
Education	Highgate School
Occupation	Rare book dealer
Spouse	Emma Lewis
Children	3

Early life

Bernard John Shapero was born in August 1963,^[3] and started dealing in books in the late 1970s, while still a pupil at Highgate School.^[4][5] His father was a collector of armour and gold coins.^[2]

Career

Shapero Rare Books, Bond Street, London

In October 2005, Shapero purchased the Doria Atlas for £1.46 million, the highest price ever paid for an atlas, although this record was surpassed by the Cosmographia the following year.^[6] In April 2004, the atlas had been saved from a fire at Wardington Manor in Oxfordshire, when local residents formed a human chain to remove items from the library.^[7]

Shapero Rare Books owned about 6,000 books, ranging in price from £50 to over £200,000, and £6,000 on average. The business was sold by Shapero to Philip Blackwell, a director of the family business Blackwell Publishing.^[8]

Personal life

Shapero lives in Hampstead, London, in a house which is half Victorian and half an "ultra-modern" extension,^[1] with his wife Emma Lewis, and their three children.^[9]