Our Story
Founded in Dalkey, County Dublin, in 2011, Ten Bells Auction House is an independent antiquarian business now based in Gothenburg, Sweden. We research and offer rare books, historical photography, manuscripts, ephemera and intact private archives.
The Dalkey Years
Ten Bells began in 2011 as a physical antiquarian shop in the historic Tramyard on Castle Street, Dalkey, County Dublin. The shop offered rare and signed books, historical photographs, manuscripts, printed ephemera and other unusual material, each with a story to tell.
A photograph from our Dalkey years records a meeting with Michael Simonds, proprietor of the Exchange Bookshop, a familiar part of the village’s literary community.
Dalkey's literary and artistic community, together with visiting collectors and curious readers, helped shape the character of the shop. The business developed through conversations with customers, research into individual objects and a wide-ranging stock.
An important part of that early network was Vartry Books in Ashford, County Wicklow, whose extensive holdings included more than 30,000 books and related material. Ten Bells also maintained relationships with dealers and collectors elsewhere in Ireland, including Norman Ludgate of Treasure Chest Antiques in Blackrock.
What began as a local antiquarian shop established the approach that remains central to Ten Bells: careful research, clear descriptions and respect for the history of the material.
First antiquarian shop opens at the Tramyard on Castle Street.
Research, private collecting and the sale of historical material continue.
The business establishes its Swedish base and develops relationships with institutions and collectors.
Rare books, photography, archives and documentary history offered internationally.
The Present Work
After the Dalkey premises closed, Ten Bells continued through specialist dealing, collecting and historical research. In May 2026, the business established its current base in Gothenburg, Sweden, serving private collectors and cultural institutions internationally.
For the present, the House operates online, with a separate private storage facility in Gothenburg and a postal address for correspondence and returns; there is no public walk-in shop. We are looking for suitable commercial premises in Gothenburg and hope to establish a physical space around February–March 2027, subject to availability. Consultations and acquisitions may be arranged by appointment.
Ten Bells is an active commercial antiquarian business. Its material is researched, catalogued and offered for sale, with particular attention to rare and association books, Irish historical material, Swedish historical material, and coherent private archives. Each record aims to explain not only what an object is, but also its historical context, physical condition and documented provenance.
Photographs are investigated for their studios, subjects, locations and dates; manuscripts and printed documents are read in their historical context. Albums and private archives are kept intact when the relationships between their contents form part of their significance.
The House has sold historical photographic material to major Swedish research collections, including the National Library of Sweden and the University of Gothenburg Library. These were commercial sales, not donations. The same research-led approach guides its work with private collectors and institutions in other countries.
Former online trading record. Our previous eBay seller account recorded 100% positive buyer feedback. The account is no longer an active sales channel. View historical feedback ↗