Tag Archive for: African Americana

1925 London first edition of Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ in an unrestored dust jacket, offered in the March 2 Fine Books & Autographs sale, $30,000. Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries

Swann trumpets two standout seasons of books & manuscripts sales

/in /by
1925 London first edition of Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ in an unrestored dust jacket, offered in the March 2 Fine Books & Autographs sale, $30,000. Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries

1925 London first edition of Virginia Woolf’s ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ in an unrestored dust jacket, offered in the March 2 Fine Books & Autographs sale, $30,000. Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries

NEW YORK — Books and manuscripts had a standout winter-spring season at Swann Galleries. “As a company whose origins are as a book auction house, it is reaffirming to see this growth, over 25%, in our book department over the last year. Even more exciting is that the results reflect not only strength in our established departments but also great momentum in our latest specialized sale, Focus on Women,” said President Nicholas D. Lowry. The top auctions of the season included two record-breakers in their respective categories: Printed & Manuscript African Americana and Early Printed Books. Both sales recorded their highest totals in history at the house: African Americana earned $1,378,838 on March 30, and the timed online auction of Early Printed Books closed on May 4 at $1,326,560. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated through LiveAuctioneers.

Read more

First and only issue of the Harlem Renaissance-era literary magazine ‘Fire!!,’ $32,500

Swann marks strongest Printed & Manuscript African Americana sale to date

/in /by
First and only issue of the Harlem Renaissance-era literary magazine ‘Fire!!,’ $32,500

First and only issue of the Harlem Renaissance-era literary magazine ‘Fire!!,’ $32,500

NEW YORK — Swann Galleries’ annual Printed & Manuscript African Americana auction on March 30 was, by a wide margin, the most successful in its 28-year history. The event set records, with $1,377,463 in total sales and an even 94% sell-through rate. Eight lots hit the $50,000 mark — after only 14 lots hit that mark in the previous 27 years combined. It was the third-largest sale in the long history of the house’s book department, behind only two noted single-owner sales, the Epstein sale of 1992 and the Ford sale of 2012.

Read more

Complete run of Our Sports magazine from 1953, edited by Jackie Robinson, est. $800-$1,200

Swann’s March 24 sale salutes African American icons

/in /by
Complete run of Our Sports magazine from 1953, edited by Jackie Robinson, est. $800-$1,200

Complete run of Our Sports magazine from 1953, edited by Jackie Robinson, est. $800-$1,200

NEW YORK — Swann Galleries’ Thursday, March 24 sale of Printed Manuscript & African Americana will feature important material ranging from slavery through the civil rights era and into the current period. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Read more

Frederick Douglass, photographed by Samuel Montague, February 1864, est. $2,500-$3,500

African Americana takes center stage at Hindman, Feb. 23

/in /by
Frederick Douglass, photographed by Samuel Montague, February 1864, est. $2,500-$3,500

Frederick Douglass, photographed by Samuel Montague, February 1864, est. $2,500-$3,500

CINCINNATI – Hindman will offer more than 300 lots detailing the African American experience in the United States from the Antebellum period through the Civil Rights movement to the modern day in its February 23 African Americana auction. The sale brings together property from several important collections and estates, most notably the estate of Ambassador Edward J. Perkins of Washington, DC, who served as US Ambassador to Liberia, South Africa, the United Nations and Australia, as well as the collection of Tom Charles Huston, which features 19th and 20th-century political imprints and ephemera. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Read more

An early draft of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail sold for $185,000.

MLK letter triumphs at Swann printed and manuscript sale

/in /by
An early draft of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail sold for $185,000.

An early draft of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s 1963 Letter from Birmingham Jail sold for $185,000.

NEW YORK—Swann Galleries’s March 25 sale of Printed & Manuscript African Americana brought strong results that crossed all categories, with the sale totaling $1,075,786, and 88% of lots finding buyers. “This sale reflected an increased recognition of the importance of Black history, driven by the events of the last year. The material is getting into the hands of the passionate collectors and dedicated museums and archives who will help preserve this history for future generations,” noted Rick Stattler, the house’s vice president and specialist for the sale. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.

Read more

Frederick Douglass, photograph by Samuel M. Fassett, 1878. $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy Swann’s Auction Galleries

Swann’s African Americana auction launches March 25

/in , /by
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., early draft, 'Letter from Birmingham Jail,' 1963, $15,000-25,000. Image courtesy Swann's Auction Galleries

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., early draft, ‘Letter from Birmingham Jail,’ 1963, $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy Swann’s Auction Galleries

NEW YORK — Printed and manuscript African Americana is featured in Swann Galleries upcoming auction, launching Thursday, March 25 at 10:30 a.m. Eastern. The sale includes an exceptional offering of material with highlights from important figures and historical movements, including Frederick Douglass; slavery and abolition; the civil rights movement, with items relating to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and Black Panthers. Online bidding will be provided by LiveAuctioneers.com. Read more