Coup de Foudre LLC and its predecessor firms have been in business since 1978 specializing in rare and important books, manuscripts, prints, drawings and photographs.  Since 1994 we also have bought and sold Americana, antiquities and authentic ethnographic material (arts premiers) with aesthetics and authenticity being our primary concerns in these areas. We buy and sell on the basis of,  Is it beautiful or interesting? and,  Was it used in ceremony?  Rarely, we buy something executed strictly as an item for the market, so-called 'tourist art' (but there are times when even these things speak to us!)

While we are far from the largest firm in these specialties, our customers include many important and prominent institutions, collectors and dealers — as well as the serious collector of moderate means.  Whether in books and manuscripts (hard, human, exact & mechanical sciences; medicine; intellectual history; mountaineering and wine) or our other ventures, our holdings have included some of the most notable and important items to ever spring from the mind and hand of man. These include the 'Big Three' in science: De Revolutionibus Orbium Coelestium (Copernicus, 1543); Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica (Newton, 1687); On the Origin of Species (Darwin, 1859); medical items such as De Humani Corporis Fabrica (Vesalius, 1543); the sole available copy of the only known large-scale black & white lithograph executed by Audubon (The Clapper Rail, Philadelphia, 1842); a sofa from the workshop of Duncan Phyfe (NY, circa 1825); and a European cache of that nectar of the gods, 1947 Chateau D'Yquem!

Among the standard services offered to our customers are bidding at auction, artefact authentication, collection planning and valuations for insurance, gift or estate purposes. These activities are undertaken on a case by case basis in the areas of our expertise or, with other fields, referred out to qualifying specialists. Verbal authentications and valuations are usually provided free of charge, though, of course, these hold no weight for legal purposes. We respond to on-line questions as time permits, usually within one week. We are always interested in the purchase of important single items or whole collections (whether in the United States or elsewhere.)  We have ceased mailing sales catalogues, opting instead for listing our inventory on-line, a long-term process we hope to bring current sometime in 2003.  Some of the commonly asked questions we receive may be found, with their answers, at  Frequently Asked Questions.  Also, please take a look at our Privacy policy and, before you make a purchase, Terms & Conditions of Sale.

We look forward to meeting you when you turn your passion into a purchase!