Welcome to Arch Books

Arch Books is a specialist rare book business based in Richmond, London, dealing in first editions, fine bindings, travel and exploration books, illustrated books, military history, historical documents, and antique prints. We help private collectors, interior designers, gift buyers, and institutions source distinctive works on paper, with particular emphasis on condition, provenance, bibliographic accuracy, and presentation.

Founded in 2020 by Guy Nathan, his own interest in collecting works on paper began in 2005, following a visit to the Grosvenor House Art & Antiques Fair with his grandmother, Pauline Willes, herself a passionate collector. That experience ignited a lifelong fascination with historical documents, art, scientific illustration, military ephemera and literature.

For someone with a deep interest in history, collecting offered a particularly tangible way to understand the past - not simply through the events themselves, but through the objects, images and words by which they were recorded and experienced at the time. Whether a scientific drawing, a piece of military ephemera or a work of literature, each provides its own direct connection to a particular moment in history.

The thrill of holding a first edition of Shackleton’s South, for instance, lies in that sense of immediacy: experiencing the book much as its first readers did in 1919, and encountering his extraordinary story through the same pages that introduced it to the world.

Why Buy from Arch Books


PBFA Member
Arch Books is a member of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association, a trusted trade association for professional booksellers.

Specialist stock
First editions, fine bindings, travel and exploration, military history, illustrated books, and antique prints.

Private viewings
Based in Richmond, London, with private viewings by appointment.

Rare book sourcing
Personal sourcing for collectors, decorators, gift buyers, and institutions.

Clear descriptions
Condition, edition, provenance, and bibliographic details carefully described.

Looking for a particular book or print? Arch Books offers a personal sourcing service for collectors, gift buyers, and institutions.

Request a Book or Print
signatures or provenance, using terms like: "first edition," "antique print," "leather bound," "engraving," "illustrated," "vintage artwork," "signed copy," "collector's item," "provenance," "folio," "lithograph," "woodcut," "map," "atlas," "botanical print," "historical document," "Victorian era," "art nouveau," "early printing," "bibliophile," "fine binding," "ex-library," "foxing," "marginalia," "plate number,

A Family Connection to History

Established during the Victorian era, L&H Nathan became one of Britain’s leading theatrical costumiers and a supplier to the Royal Household, dressing members of the Royal Family as well as providing costumes for state occasions, theatre and, later, film.

Guy Nathan’s interest in history and collecting is also rooted in a family with longstanding connections to military service, performance and the preservation of historical objects.

His great-grandfather, Vyse Millard, was an infantry officer who was wounded at Ypres in 1915 before later serving with the Royal Flying Corps in North Africa, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. His grandfather, Archie Nathan, led L&H Nathan, whose work extended from the British Royal Household and the Royal Houses of Europe to some of the great theatrical and film productions of the twentieth century.

The company also played a less visible role in wartime history. During the Second World War, working under the guidance of MI9, L&H Nathan supplied specialist clothing for Special Operations Executive agents operating in occupied Europe.

Across the wider family, a remarkable collection of historical material has also survived, including letters from Charles Dickens, childhood drawings by Princess Elizabeth - later Queen Elizabeth II - and Princess Margaret, and theatre programmes from performances at Osborne House during the reign of Queen Victoria.

Growing up around objects with such direct connections to the past helped shape Guy’s particular interest in provenance and in the stories that physical objects can preserve. It is an approach reflected in Arch Books today, where books, prints, documents and other works on paper are valued not simply for their rarity, but for the history they embody and the people and events to which they provide a tangible connection.

Arch Books is a proud member of the Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association (PBFA).

Our membership offers customers the reassurance of authenticity, integrity, and professional standards - every book we sell is accurately described, responsibly sourced, and guaranteed genuine.

PBFA Website

Collection Specialists

Arch Books specialises in building collections. We offer tailored solutions and can source any book within seven days, whether it's the final piece of your collection or a complete set of twenty.

Build a Library

What People Say About Us:

"I wanted to say how pleasant it has been dealing with Guy Nathan of Arch Rare Books. I requested two beautiful hand-coloured prints. He managed to secure both for me - even though one was technically out of stock, and the other had to be sourced from overseas. Throughout, he was professional, polite, and simply 'made it happen'. A huge credit to this platform, and I recommend him and his products most highly."

Alexander, May 2025

Rare Book Sourcing

Our website shows only a small portion of our total inventory, as we're always adding new stock. If you're looking for a book that isn't currently listed online, we can help!

We offer a book search service and can usually find the title you need within seven days.

Please contact us below

Find a Book