57th California Antiquarian Book Fair Returns to Pier 27 Late February

A rare lithoprint edition of the Smyth report that includes the secret text on plutonium will be among more than 100 specialist offerings when the 57th California International Antiquarian Book Fair takes over two floors of the Pier 27 cruise terminal on the Embarcadero, running Feb. 27 through March 1, 2026. The Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America presents the three-day event with daily hours set for Friday 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Organizers and national networks are listed prominently in promotional materials: ABAA is the presenter and the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers lists the fair on its events page with the same Feb. 27–Mar. 1 dates. Secret San Francisco describes the fair as one of the largest antiquarian book fairs in the country and notes it alternates annually between San Francisco and Los Angeles; the Secret San Francisco preview also cites over 100 expert exhibitors occupying two floors of Pier 27 at 27 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94111.

Programming at Pier 27 includes multiple speaker presentations and a curated Cultural Row. Secret San Francisco identifies a deep dive into LGBTQ+ rare books co‑sponsored by the GLBT Historical Society and a presentation of student works from the San Francisco Art Institute Archives co‑sponsored by SFMOMA. Local institutions confirmed in promotional listings include the American Bookbinders Museum, UC Berkeley’s Bancroft Library, and Argonaut Book Shop.

International and specialist dealers are sending notable material. Shapero Rare Books will bring a 104‑item catalogue that spans travel and exploration, modern first editions, natural history, photography, Russian avant‑garde, science, literature, and illustrated works. Shapero’s preview lists Robert Frank’s Les Américains (1958), John Thomson’s Street Life in London (1877–78), signed Kurt Schwitters’ Camp Almanac (1940), Lebedev’s Constructivist ABC (1925), first editions of Eleazar Albin’s A Natural History of Birds (1731, 1734, 1738), and Lydia Byam’s A Collection of Exotics and A Collection of Fruits from the West Indies, described as one of the rarest American floras. Shapero’s London gallery at 94 New Bond Street can be reached at +44 (0)20 7493 0876.

Logistics for visitors are laid out in exhibitor and visitor navigation on ABAA’s event pages. Pier 27 will offer free parking on a first‑come, first‑served basis, and ABAA’s site includes dedicated sections for Ticketing Information, Visitor Information, Exhibitor Registration, and an Exhibitor List. A Facebook post from the California Antiquarian Book Fair and ABAA on January 29 at 12:46 p.m. reiterated the dates, two‑floor layout, and invited readers to learn more or buy tickets; the promotional image attached to that post contains an OCR snippet naming Gazelle, KQED, BIBLIO.com and the San Francisco Chronicle.

The fair follows Rare Books Pasadena, which is scheduled Feb. 21–22 at the Raymond Theatre, creating back‑to‑back regional book‑fair weekends for dealers and collectors. One technical anomaly in listings: ILAB’s event page carries the same Feb. 27–Mar. 1, 2026 dates but also displays a header referencing “SF 2024,” an apparent page artifact in otherwise consistent 2026 promotional copy. With two floors of manuscripts, maps, autographs, ephemera and first editions on offer, the Pier 27 run will be the Bay Area’s major antiquarian trade event at the end of February.