About: Ian Brabner

Brief biographical information, company history, professional affiliations


Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Ian Brabner is a rare book dealer specializing in 18th century and 19th century American history.

We buy, research, authenticate, catalog and offer for sale rare books and historic manuscripts. We also buy and sell ‘paper Americana’ and Visual Americana such as 18th and 19th-century broadsides, posters, banners, historical photographs, prints, graphics, and original artwork. 

Almost all of our inventory focuses on American history, featuring unique, notable, or unusual items. Examples include an 1820s New England mendicant pamphlet, a 1840s South Carolinian woman’s handwritten diary, a broadside announcing the hanging of John Brown, or a letter from an eccentric American inventor—materials that have played a unique or pivotal role in shaping American history.

A curated selection of our stock is available online, and we regularly issue short lists, print catalogs, and participate in antiquarian book fairs across America.

For over twenty-five years we have helped collectors begin or further advance their collections. We also play an active role in building noteworthy collections for both private and institutional clients, both in America and internationally.

Member: Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). The International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB). Manuscript Society. Ephemera Society. Ian Brabner is a member of The Grolier Club.