Maggs Bros Ltd
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Antiquarian bookselling |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Founder | Uriah Maggs |
| Headquarters | London , United Kingdom |
Key people | Ed Maggs (Chairman), Ben Maggs, Fuchsia Voremberg (Managing Director) |
| Products | Antiquarian books and manuscripts |
| Owner | Employee trust and Maggs family |
| Website | www |
Maggs Bros. Ltd. stands as one of the oldest established antiquarian bookselling firms worldwide, having been founded in 1853 by Uriah Maggs, who was born circa 1828 in Midsomer Norton, Somerset. Following Uriah's retirement in 1894, the business was taken over by his four sons—Benjamin, Henry, Charles, and Ernest—who all became actively involved.
The name "Maggs Brothers" originally referred to Benjamin and Henry Maggs. In 1908, B. D. Maggs held the position of President of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association (ABA). During the early 1990s, the company underwent restructuring that resulted in the majority ownership transferring to an employee trust, while the Maggs family maintained a substantial share. Ed Maggs was Managing Director from approximately 1990 until 2024 before transitioning to Chairman; his son Ben Maggs continues to play a significant role in the firm. The Managing Director role was assumed by Fuchsia Voremberg in 2024, who is also recognized for her expertise on the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow.
Transactions of note
In a remarkable acquisition in 1916, Maggs Bros purchased the preserved penis of Napoleon Bonaparte from descendants of Abbé Ange Paul Vignali, the priest who administered Napoleon’s last rites and secretly removed the item. This unusual artifact was subsequently sold in 1924 to Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach and exhibited at the Museum of French Art in 1927.
One of the firm’s most notable interwar achievements occurred in 1932 when it successfully negotiated with Soviet authorities to obtain both a Gutenberg Bible and the renowned Codex Sinaiticus. In 1931, Ernest Maggs accompanied by Maurice Ettinghausen visited the Soviet Union; following Ettinghausen’s suggestion to acquire the Codex Sinaiticus, discussions culminated in a £100,000 purchase price—a record sum for a book at that time. The British government contributed half of this amount and guaranteed the remainder until public funds were raised.
Maggs Bros has repeatedly set benchmarks for book prices: in 1947 it acquired a second Gutenberg Bible—the Dyson Perrins copy—for £22,000 on behalf of Sir Philip Frere; this volume was later sold to Mrs. Doheny of California and today remains Japan’s sole Gutenberg Bible. In 1998, the firm paid £4.2 million for William Caxton’s The Canterbury Tales, marking then the highest price ever paid for a printed book.
Warrants and customers
Throughout its history, Maggs Bros. Ltd. has been granted royal warrants as antiquarian booksellers by King George V, King Edward VIII, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, King Manuel II of Portugal, Queen Elizabeth II, and presently King Charles III.
Bryan Maggs, a great-grandson of founder Uriah Maggs, was active in the company during the 1960s and later served as librarian at John Paul Getty Jr.’s Wormsley Park library starting in 1989. Distinguished clients have included John Paul Getty Jr. and Quentin Crisp.
Premises
The business operated from its location at 50 Berkeley Square until 2015 before moving to 46 Curzon Street in 2016; it subsequently expanded into larger premises at 48 Bedford Square.