SAN FRANCISCO – PBA Galleries will feature a rare, true first edition of Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D. H. Lawrence in their December 5th auction. Internet live-bidding services will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.
Signed by the author at the limitation statement, this first edition of Lady Chatterley’s Lover was published by the Italian press Tipografia Giuntina and is one of only 1,000 copies privately printed in Florence, Italy, in 1928. It is bound in early quarter pigskin (estimate $7,000/$10,000).
Other fine literature highlights include the First American Edition of Virginia Woolf’s To the Lighthouse, published in 1927 by Harcourt, Brace and Company. In a complete and unrestored dust jacket designed by Vanessa Bell, it is housed in a custom two-part box (estimate $2,500/$3,500). An Advance Proof Copy of Eric Ambler’s second novel, Uncommon Danger, in plain brown paper wrappers is offered in a custom clamshell box. Ambler is recognized as having raised the suspense novel to the level of literature. Also noted for his screenplays, this novel was published in 1937 before gaining fame in Hollywood (estimate $2,500/$3,500).
It is not well-known but Dr. Seuss wrote two books for adults. The first, The Seven Lady
Godivas, was published in 1927 by Random House. A rare first edition, first printing in the original dust jacket, it is inscribed from Dr. Seuss to his wife’s piano teacher. The lot also includes the Random House Godiva Book Mark (estimate $3,000/$5,000).
A complete set of the first editions of the Christopher Robin books by A. A. Milne and illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard are offered with three of the volumes in original dust jackets. Originally appearing in Punch as space fillers, the verses were expanded to a full page and illustrations were added by Shepard, the magazine’s political cartoonist. The verses were collected in the first book, When We Were Very Young, which had a first edition of only 5175 copies (estimate $4,000/$6,000). In addition, a complete set of American first editions of The Chronicles of Narnia will be available in Sale 521. All are in original dust jackets and all except The Silver Chair are from the files of The Horn Book (estimate $4,000/$7,000).
An original pen and ink drawing by prominent illustrator Garth Williams depicts Stuart Little being washed overboard from his sailboat in Central Park. The image appears on page 40 of the first edition of Stuart Little published in 1945 (estimate $3,000/$5,000). The rare Japan Vellum edition of George Bernard Shaw’s This is the Preachment On going to Church includes seven watercolor illuminations by Bertha Hubbard, wife of Elbert Hubbard, the founder of Roycroft Press. The watercolor sketches appear within the margins and initial letters are colored by hand. This vellum edition has not been seen in an auction since 1963 ($2,500/$3,500).
There will be nearly 600 lots of books, original artwork, periodicals and other material, capturing literary and illustrative achievement spanning the centuries. For more information, please contact PBA Galleries at 415-989-2665 or pba@pbagalleries.com.
View the fully illustrated catalog and sign up to bid absentee or live via the Internet at www.LiveAuctioneers.com.
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ADDITIONAL LOTS OF NOTE
