Antiquarian and children’s books highlight PBA Galleries sale, June 16
Inscribed copy of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein, est. $3,000-$5,000
BERKELEY, Calif. – PBA Galleries will hold an auction of Antiquarian Books with Fine Press & Fine Bindings as well as illustrated books with fore-edge paintings on Thursday, June 16. The sale will offer more than 450 lots featuring works of the fine press, finely bound books, and a large selection of fore-edge paintings as well as scarce and antiquarian books, illustrated and children’s books and examples of graphic design. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Major lots include The Displaying of Supposed Witchcraft: wherein is affirmed that there are many sorts of deceivers and impostors … by John Webster. It is a 17th-century text wherein witchcraft is “utterly denied and disproved,” including the claim that witches can transmogrify into cats. It is estimated at $3,000-$5,000. Also offered is The Newe Testamente: The Gospells of S. Mathew, S. Marke, S. Luke, and S. John published by Anvil Press. This work represents Victor Hammer’s contribution to the fine press tradition of Bible printing, and it is a masterpiece.
The Newe Testamente: The Gospells of S. Mathew, S. Marke, S. Luke, and S. John, published by Anvil Press, est. $1,000-$1,500
Some lots of particular interest are also slightly stepping out of the book section. A complete set of 12 postcards by Leon Bakst will be offered during the sale. It is a set of the Feya Kukol (The Fairy Doll) postcards created to benefit the St. Eugenia Red Cross Society in 1904. The images are taken from Bakst’s costume designs for Feya Kukol, a ballet produced at the Hermitage Theater in February of 1903 for the Tsar’s family. The group of postcards is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.
Complete set of Feya Kukol postcards with book, est. $5,000-$8,000
The children’s book section, with nearly 60 lots, is also significant. It features a copy of The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein. The offered copy is signed by the author with the most excellent inscription: “The Johnson family owns this copy of the very good book called … The Giving Tree – by Shel Silverstein.” It is estimated at $3,000-$5,000. Other sale highlights include Poems by Alfred Lord Tennyson, published by Edward Moxon in 1845, a lovely example of a Doves binding, estimated at $1,500-$2,500.
For more information about upcoming sales, to schedule a Zoom preview or phone bidding for a future auction, please contact PBA Galleries at 415.989.2665 or pba@pbagalleries.com.
View top auction results on LiveAuctioneers here: https://www.liveauctioneers.com/pages/recent-auction-sales/
