Thomas Jefferson’s set of Aeschylus tragedies leads Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts sale Feb. 6

Seven-volume collection of the works of Greek tragedian Aeschylus from the library of President Thomas Jefferson, estimated at $80,000-$120,000 at Freeman's.

PHILADELPHIA — A seven-volume set of Aeschylus tragedies specially made for President Thomas Jefferson is the highest-estimated lot at Freeman’s Books and Manuscripts sale scheduled for Tuesday, February 6. The complete sale catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Jefferson wasn’t just a book collector; he enjoyed creating unique volumes from original editions that suited his reading style. Beginning in March 1820, Jefferson tasked Philadelphia-based bookseller John Laval (1769-1839) to acquire different editions of Aeschylus for the express purpose of constructing this multilingual set. It features translations in Greek, French, English, and Latin, and has numerous notations throughout, presumably in Jefferson’s hand. The set also includes an ownership inscription from New York politician and attorney Gulian C. Verplanck on the front endpaper in the first volume, which reads: “Bought at the sale of the Library of Thomas Jefferson. Washington March 3d-1829. The volumes were compiled by himself and bound by his direction. This mode of binding together translations commentaries &c being a favorite with him. Many of the classics in the Library of Congress are examples of it. G.C.V.” The set carries an estimate of $80,000-$120,000.

John Hills was one of the foremost cartographers of the American Revolution and one of the leading mapmakers of the United States’ first capital, Philadelphia, following independence. He served in the British Army as a cartographer during the Revolutionary War, but resigned in 1784 and remained in America. In 1796, with the support of Philadelphia mayor Matthew Clark, Hills completed this map, which has come to be considered ‘the most important survey of the city of the Post-Revolutionary generation’ and which is, according to the Stanford Libraries, “today a landmark of early American urban cartography.” Notably, this map was part of the Martin P. Snyder collection, the famed Philadelphia historian. Only one other example of this map has appeared at auction since 1990. It is estimated at $12,000-$18,000.

Nineteenth-century monographs with color plates of animals and birds remain a strong category among collectors, having been pursued and preserved for more than a century. Color plates, or color images, were extremely novel in the early to mid-19th century, and acquiring a book that featured them was an expensive endeavor. The best surviving examples come from ornithologists such as John Gould, an English scientist and author who famously identified the birds that would become known as Darwin’s finches (Charles Darwin would cite Gould’s work in his seminal book On the Origin of Species). A Monograph of the Odontophorinae, or Partridges of America is Gould’s fourth work and was published between 1844 and 1850. This example is a “handsome copy” according to Freeman’s, and has an estimate of $10,000-$15,000.

Seven-volume collection of the works of Greek tragedian Aeschylus from the library of President Thomas Jefferson, estimated at $80,000-$120,000 at Freeman's.

Seven-volume collection of the works of Greek tragedian Aeschylus from the library of President Thomas Jefferson, estimated at $80,000-$120,000 at Freeman's.

John Hills, 'This Plan of the City of Philadelphia and it's Environs' map, estimated at $12,000-$18,000 at Freeman's.

John Hills, 'This Plan of the City of Philadelphia and it's Environs' map, estimated at $12,000-$18,000 at Freeman's.

John Gould, 'A Monograph of the Odontophorinae, or Partridges of America,' estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Freeman's.

John Gould, 'A Monograph of the Odontophorinae, or Partridges of America,' estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at Freeman's.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Historic maps and atlases chart course to Swann Dec. 7

Pieter Goos, Paskaerte van Nova Granada en t'Eylandt California, $7,000-$10,000 at Swann Auction Galleries.

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NEW YORK — Chronicling the advancement of knowledge of the world from the 16th through the 20th centuries, nearly 300 lots of historic maps and atlases head to market on Thursday, December 7 at Swann Auction Galleries. The catalog is now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Featured are maps of the American continent from its early colonial settlements, charts detailing the period of expansion in the West, and a 1929 chart illustrating the earliest established commercial airline flight paths in America.

Interestingly, the map sale’s top lot isn’t a map at all. Printed in 1834 and 1855, John Gould’s A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans is a set of two publications as referenced by the dates. The former is the original publication, while the latter is entitled Supplement to the First Edition. It features an uncolored anatomical plate and 53 vividly hand-colored lithographed plates of tropical toucans by Edward Lear and John and Elizabeth Gould. Printed in folio size (21.5 by 14.5in), the set is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

Dated to the period between 1688-1697 is a set of 24 engraved gores (portions of a map) that would have been used to create Vincenzo Coronelli’s monumental 42in terrestrial globe. The lot consists of segments of laid paper, about 25.25 by 11in at each’s widest point. Engraved in late 17th-century Venice, the set carries an estimate of $18,000-$22,000.

An interesting anomaly from early cartography was the depiction of California as an island separated from the main of North America by a wide gulf, akin to the Sea of Cortez separating Baja California from the balance of Mexico. One of the earliest depictions of this phenomena was drawn by Pieter Goos in 1666 Amsterdam. Measuring 20 by 24.5in, his double-page engraved chart of California is “pleasantly designed and balanced with rhumb lines, scaled borders and attractive carto-ornamentation,” according to Swann’s specialist Caleb Kiffer. The map is estimated at $7,000-$10,000.

William Henry Cotton (1880-1958) began his career as an accomplished portraitist, but transitioned to caricatures when he began contributing to Vanity Fair magazine in 1931. His 1938 pastel and printed clippings collage ‘map’ titled Carriers of the New Black Plague features his trademark style lampooning various controversial world leaders of the period. It appeared in an issue of Ken magazine, a short-lived political commentary magazine that had many literary notables contributing, including Ernest Hemingway. The original illustration is estimated at $3,000-$4,000.
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John Gould, ‘A Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans,’ estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at Swann Auction Galleries.
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Vincenzo Coronelli, set of 24 engraved gores for his 42in terrestrial globe, estimated at $18,000-$22,000 at Swann Auction Galleries.
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Pieter Goos, ‘Paskaerte van Nova Granada en t’Eylandt California,’ estimated at $7,000-$10,000 at Swann Auction Galleries.
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William Henry Cotton, ‘Carriers of the New Black Plague,’ estimated at $3,000-$4,000 at Swann Auction Galleries.
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Andreas Cellarius, ‘Haemisphaerium Stellatum Boreale Cum Subiecto Haemisphaerio,’ estimated at $2,500-$3,500 at Swann Auction Galleries.
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Beautiful birds lifted Freeman’s May 20 sale above $500K

Plate from John Gould’s ‘Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans,’ which sold for $63,000
Plate from John Gould’s ‘Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans,’ which sold for $63,000
Plate from John Gould’s ‘Monograph of the Ramphastidae, or Family of Toucans,’ which sold for $63,000

PHILADELPHIA – Freeman’s is pleased to announce the results of its May 20 Books and Manuscripts auction, which featured a 98% sell-through rate and impressive sales of Pennsylvania material, WWII posters, rare editions, and more. The 131-lot auction achieved $525,861 in total, surpassing its presale estimate.

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JFK letter to Churchill, toucan monograph lead Freeman’s May 20 sale

Lithographic plate from John Gould’s monograph on toucans, estimated at $20,000-$30,000
Lithographic plate from John Gould’s monograph on toucans, estimated at $20,000-$30,000
Lithographic plate from John Gould’s monograph on toucans, estimated at $20,000-$30,000

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. — On May 20, Freeman’s presents a Books and Manuscripts auction beginning at noon Eastern time. The 131-lot auction will showcase a number of historically and culturally significant books, posters, prints, and letters, including an annotated draft of a missive from President John F. Kennedy to former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill; a selection of important World War II posters; many first and limited editions from such prominent authors as Henry David Thoreau, Charles Dickens, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Mark Twain, and T.S. Eliot; as well as significant scientific and medical texts. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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