Tag Archive for: books and manuscripts
Coveted first editions dominate Potter & Potter’s Aug. 17 rare books sale
J.R.R. Tolkien, ‘The Hobbit or There and Back Again,’ estimated at $10,000-$15,000
CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions will hold a 382-lot sale of the collection of Robin and Kathryn Smiley, the co-publishers and editors of Firsts: The Book Collector’s Magazine, on Thursday, August 17, starting at 10 am Central time. The Smiley collection features modern firsts of literature, mystery and detective fiction, and western literature, with a special emphasis on books into film. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Audubon prints, many from ‘Birds of America,’ flock to Freeman’s, July 25
Ruffled Grouse print from John James Audubon’s ‘Birds of America,’ estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Courtesy Freeman’s
PHILADELPHIA — Freeman’s upcoming Books and Manuscripts auction, scheduled for Tuesday, July 25, puts important Americana front and center: the sale is led by more than 100 Americana lots, 57 of which are either examples from the signers of the Declaration of Independence or related to that most famous of American documents. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Curl up with an iconic first edition from Hindman’s Summer Reading sale, July 26
Assortment of coveted 20th-century books on offer in Hindman’s July 26 auction, various estimates. Courtesy Hindman
CHICAGO – Until Tuesday, July 26, Hindman presents Summer Reading: 20th-Century Literature and Biography from a Private Collection, featuring first editions of many of the most loved works by some of the most iconic authors of the 20th century. With strong offerings in fiction and biography, this private collection offers something for all readers, including everything from classics to fantasy to politics, and more. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
Swann trumpets two standout seasons of books & manuscripts sales
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.
Dickens met Lovecraft in the top 10 at Potter & Potter’s books sale
H.P. Lovecraft, ‘The Outsider and Others,’ $11,400
CHICAGO – Potter & Potter Auctions‘ June 1 Fine Books & Manuscripts sale achieved a total of $628,000. It featured 510 lots and had a 97% sell through rate. Absentee and Internet live bidding was facilitated by LiveAuctioneers.
Jane Austen first editions found favor at Hindman book sale
First edition of Jane Austen’s ‘Pride and Prejudice,’ $107,100
CHICAGO – First editions of each of Jane Austen’s major novels led Hindman’s May 11 Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts auction. The five books, including Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility, realized more than $300,000. Overall, the auction totaled more than $1.1 million and was more than 94 percent sold.
George Washington-owned and signed book commands $441K at Freeman’s
First edition of ‘The Transactions of the Royal Humane Society,’ previously owned by George Washington and signed by him on the half-title page, $441,000
PHILADELPHIA — Freeman’s May 3 Books and Manuscripts auction was marked by fierce bidding for presidential material and significant Americana, resulting in the remarkable $441,000 sale of a volume from the personal library of George Washington.
Legendary explorers and A-list authors honored equally at Hindman, May 11
Series of eight color sketches by Lieutenant Samuel Gurney Cresswell of the voyage of the H.M.S. Investigator, estimated at $15,000-$25,000. Image courtesy of Hindman
CHICAGO – Hindman’s Thursday, May 11 Fine Printed Books & Manuscripts, including Americana auction pays tribute to trailblazers with works related to explorers such as Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, and the crew of the H.M.S. Investigator, along with editions by leaders in the literary world such as Jane Austen and Ian Fleming. The Americana section includes an impressive selection of material by John James Audubon, Currier & Ives and figures of American history from colonial times to the modern day. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.
