The Washington Antiquarian Book Fair Returns and Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary, 3/6-7

It's time to put down your e-readers and experience a bit of history! Have you ever seen a $30,000 book? Or a book that is hundreds of years old? Now is your chance when the 40th annual Washington Antiquarian Book Fair returns to the nation's capital from March 6-7, 2015.

The Washington Antiquarian Book Fair is the rarest, most curated antique book fair in the D.C. region. Visitors can touch, discover and purchase rare books, manuscripts, autographs, maps and more, while experiencing the thrill of the hunt.

Items of Interest:

• Most expensive book: $30,000 first American edition of world-renowned novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" by Mark Twain. Hailing from B&B Rare Books in New York, NY (Booth #13), attendees will have the opportunity to touch this piece of history.

• Most expensive item: $75,000 "Pansies" painting by Elizabeth Bishop fromJames S. Jaffe Rare Books LLC (Booth #30). Bishop's paintings are extremely rare - only about 40 are known and were painted privately for the poet's pleasure. "Pansies" is perhaps the most important painting, presented by Bishop to her lover Lota de Macedo Soares.

• Quirkiest: The Hermit of Siskiyou, or The Twice-Old Man is a 19th-century poem by L.W. Musick with one very interesting feature: it is the first mention in book form of the legend of Big Foot (Sasquatch). Brian Cassidy, local bookseller, will be bringing this unique find to the fair (Booth #10).

• Oldest book: Icones Biblicae Veteris et N.Testamenti dates back almost three centuries (1729) and is illustrated by Jan Luyken, one of the most important illustrators of his time. The book is complete with 62 full-page engravings and is brought to the festival by Rosenlund Rare Books and Manuscripts (Booth #51).