Bernard Quaritch
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1847
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
Bernard Quaritch firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Bernard Quaritch
- Legal name
- Bernard Quaritch Ltd
- Website
- https://quaritch.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1847
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Bernard Quaritch industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Antiquarian Bookselling
- NAICS
- Book Retailers and News Dealers (45921), Book Retailers and News Dealers (4592), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores (CRALAAAB)
Keywords
Where Bernard Quaritch is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Bernard Quaritch business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Rare Book and Manuscript Sales: One-time sale of individual antiquarian books, manuscripts, and photographs. Each item is catalogued individually with pricing. No subscription or recurring revenue model.
- Archives & Valuations Services: Professional valuation services for collections, mentioned as part of their department offerings.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual antiquarian items sold at listed prices |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Bernard Quaritch product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Bernard Quaritch sells individually catalogued antiquarian rare books, medieval and Islamic manuscripts, illuminated leaves, early printed books, and historical photographs through 11 specialist subject departments. The firm also provides professional Archives & Valuations services for institutions and collectors, publishes scholarly catalogues and books under the Quaritch Publications imprint, and serves a global client base through its London showroom, website catalogue, and international book fair presence.
Product overview
Bernard Quaritch Ltd is an antiquarian bookseller established in 1847, offering rare books, manuscripts, and photographs. The company operates through specialized departments including Art & Architecture, Continental, English Literature, Foreign Literature, Human Sciences, Islamic, Medieval Manuscripts, Music, Photography, Science, and Travel. Additional services include Archives & Valuations, published Catalogues, and Quaritch Publications. The inventory spans historical periods from medieval manuscripts through early printed books (incunabula) to modern first editions, with particular strengths in illuminated texts, scientific works, travel narratives, and literary rarities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Quaritch Publications: The company's publishing arm that produces catalogues and publications related to rare books and manuscripts.
Products and services
- Rare Books Individually catalogued antiquarian rare books spanning literature, science, history, travel, and art from various historical periods, sold to private collectors and institutional clients globally.
- Manuscripts Medieval manuscripts, illuminated leaves, Islamic manuscripts, early Christian works, and historical handwritten documents, including individual cuttings such as historiated initials from choirbooks.
- Historical Photographs Historical photographs and photographic archives sold to collectors and institutions.
- Archives & Valuations
Quantifiable outcome
- Global reach through online catalogue and international book fair presence
Companies that use Bernard Quaritch
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Bernard Quaritch technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Bernard Quaritch partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA)coreProfessional membership body for antiquarian booksellers in Great Britain. Bernard Quaritch observes the ABA Code of Good Practice, demonstrating commitment to professional and ethical standards.
- British Antique Dealers' Association (BADA)coreLeading trade association for antique dealers in the UK. Membership indicates professional standing and ethical trading practices.
- International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB)coreInternational federation of antiquarian booksellers. Membership provides global credibility and network access for international trade.
- Fill RefillminorZero waste closed loop household refill company. Used by Bernard Quaritch to supply their Bedford Row premises with eco-responsible cleaning products, demonstrating sustainability commitment.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Bernard Quaritch competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Bonhams: London-headquartered international auction house with a books and manuscripts department; an alternative transaction channel for the same institutional and collector supply.
- Christie's: Global auction house with dedicated Books and Manuscripts department; sets public price benchmarks for high-end antiquarian material and competes with dealers for trophy consignments.
- Heritage Auctions: Largest US auction house with a significant rare book and manuscripts department; competes for the same institutional and collector consignments via auction rather than private treaty sale.
- Sotheby's: International auction house operating a Books and Manuscripts category; directly competes for institutional and private rare book consignments, particularly at the high end of the market.
Regional players
- Ader Nordmann: Paris-based antiquarian bookseller specializing in rare books, manuscripts, and prints; comparable product offering with a primarily French/Continental European client base, rather than UK institutional focus.
Direct peers
- Maggs Bros Ltd: London-based antiquarian bookseller founded in 1853, operating across similar subject departments (manuscripts, rare books, prints) and serving the same private collector and institutional client base.
- Bauman Rare Books: US-based antiquarian rare book dealer with showrooms in New York and Philadelphia; comparable one-off retail model, scholarly cataloguing approach, and focus on first editions and historical manuscripts.
- Peter Harrington: London antiquarian bookseller specializing in rare books, manuscripts, and prints across literature, history, and science — directly comparable in product mix, customer segments, and sales channels to Bernard Quaritch.
Emerging players
- AbeBooks: Online rare and antiquarian book marketplace (owned by Amazon); competes with dealers on discoverability and price transparency for individual rare book transactions, particularly at lower price points.
- Biblio.com: Aggregator marketplace for independent antiquarian booksellers globally; a digital channel that competes with traditional dealers for online collector transactions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Bernard Quaritch social profiles
Digital presenceBernard Quaritch compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Bernard Quaritch financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Bernard Quaritch leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Bernard Quaritch funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Bernard Quaritch M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Bernard Quaritch
What does Bernard Quaritch do?
Bernard Quaritch sells individually catalogued antiquarian rare books, medieval and Islamic manuscripts, illuminated leaves, early printed books, and historical photographs through 11 specialist subject departments. The firm also provides professional Archives & Valuations services for institutions and collectors, publishes scholarly catalogues and books under the Quaritch Publications imprint, and serves a global client base through its London showroom, website catalogue, and international book fair presence.
Is Bernard Quaritch a public or private company?
Bernard Quaritch is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Bernard Quaritch founded?
Bernard Quaritch was founded in 1847. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Bernard Quaritch based?
Bernard Quaritch is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Bernard Quaritch make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Rare Book and Manuscript Sales are the primary driver. The others are archives & Valuations Services.
Who are Bernard Quaritch's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Bonhams, Christie's, Heritage Auctions and Sotheby's. Ader Nordmann is listed as a regional player. Direct peers are Maggs Bros Ltd, Bauman Rare Books and Peter Harrington. Emerging players are AbeBooks and Biblio.com.
Does Bernard Quaritch have an API?
No public API is recorded for Bernard Quaritch.
What industry is Bernard Quaritch in?
Bernard Quaritch's product category is Antiquarian Bookselling. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALAAAB, Used, Rare & Antiquarian Bookstores. Its NAICS code is 45921 and its SIC code is 2731.