Inaugural Americana Sale at Bloomsbury New York a Success First Deed for Land on Long Island Fetches $156,000

Nov. 2, 2007

New York–The inaugural Americana auction held at Bloomsbury Auctions in New York Nov. 2 included reports by Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, and featured some of the earliest known documents in American history, namely a 1636 deed for land on Long Island that sold for $156,000. Live Internet bidding for this and all Bloomsbury Auctions sales was provided by www.LiveAuctioneers.com.

Signed by Dutch Colonial Governor Wouter van Twiller at “Eylandt Manhatans” on June 6, 1636, the document confirms the purchase of 3,600 acres of land from the Lenape Indians. The area, known as Keskachauge, constitutes a large portion of present day Brooklyn and Long Island. The issuance of this document was a significant event from the early days of New York, as it was among the earliest examples of private land ownership in the colony controlled by the Dutch West India Company.

Jeremy Markowitz, Americana Specialist at Bloomsbury Auctions said, “We were delighted with the outcome of our first Americana auction in New York. Most items sold far higher than estimated and were in high demand.”

To view the fully illustrated auction catalog, with prices realized, please visit www.LiveAuctioneers.com.