Extraordinarily rare ‘ashcan’ comics by DC offered at PBA March 28

Double Action Comics #2, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Part 2 of the DC Universe Collection, titled Pre-Hero, Ashcans and Oddities, comes to PBA Galleries on Thursday, March 28. The 166-lot sale focuses on the earliest days of DC (then known as National Allied Publications), beginning with its first publication, Fun, released in February 1935. The complete catalog is now available for review and bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

As the sale is comprised entirely of pre-super hero titles, the majority of the lots are more historic than top-dollar, though condition is generally quite good. As a result, there will be tremendous buying opportunities for those looking to complete their collections with pre-Detective Comics titles from National Allied Publications. Founded by former U.S. Army Cavalry Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson, the company was the first to publish entirely original content in a magazine format versus recycling newspaper comics, which had been the norm.

One of the more interesting elements to the sale is the inclusion of ‘ashcan’ comics. DC was a pioneer in the practice, which involved creating ‘dummy’ comics — often with black-and-white covers using recycled artwork — to fool United States Patent and Trademark Office clerks into issuing copyright protection to, say, a new name for a comic. As such, often only two copies were ever made — often by hand: one for the USPTO clerks, and one for DC’s files.

Flash Comics #1 is considered the holy grail of DC comics collecting. Produced in December 1939 with cover art recycled from Adventure Comics #41 and interior content from All-American Comics #8, it tops Gerber’s Photo-Journal Guide Scarcity Index with a solid 10 (“Unique: Less than 5 copies known”). At the time, the company had rebranded to National Periodical Publications and found themselves in a creative battle with rival Fawcett Publications over the use of the term ‘Flash.’ Fawcett was set to launch Captain Marvel under the ‘Flash Comics’ brand, but this ashcan secured the naming rights for NPP instead. The ashcan edition is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Schuster are well-known as the creators of Superman, who debuted in NPP’s Action Comics #1 in April of 1938. Less well known is that Siegel and Shuster, before coming to NPP, self-published what today would be known as a ‘fanzine’ titled Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization. The sale includes #3 of the self-published series, and is the only known copy to have been later signed by both Siegel and Shuster. Most notably, #3 marks the first appearance of the Superman character in a story titled Reign of the Superman. This publication carries an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.

Described by Comic Book Marketplace as “one of the 20 rarest Golden Age books” is Double Action Comics #2. Released in January 1940, only eight copies are known. Since it recycled content from various earlier publications, some collectors were led to believe it was an ashcan edition, but PBA quotes a comment from Reddit as the best explanation: “Double Action Comics was an experiment by DC to see if black and white comic books would sell, and was apparently printed in small numbers and test marketed at newsstands in Connecticut in late 1939.” It is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Flash Comics #1 ashcan edition, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Flash Comics #1 ashcan edition, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Science Fiction: The Advance Guard of Future Civilization #3, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Double Action Comics #2, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Double Action Comics #2, estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

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.

PBA charts new territory with Americana-Exploration-History-Maps March 7

Alcoholics Anonymous book signed and inscribed by Bill Wilson to John Frankenheimer, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at PBA.

BERKELEY, Calif. – PBA Galleries starts off March with nearly 500 lots of Americana, maps, and books featuring some extremely historic figures in U.S. history. The Thursday, March 7 catalog is now open for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Published between 1854 and 1858, Henry Lewis’ Das Illustrirte Mississippithal (The Illustrated Mississippi) is a collection of 80 color-lithographed and hand-finished illustrations of his travels up and down the mighty river. The highly sought-after book is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

Alcoholics Anonymous founder Bill Wilson inscribed a 1957 copy of his book Alcoholics Anonymous Comes Of Age to John Frankenheimer, the noted film and television director. His inscription reads Dear John Frankenheimer, Please have my gratitude for your treasured friendship – Devotedly Yours, Bill Wilson. The director had just completed Days of Wine and Roses for CBS Playhouse 90, which included a prominent mention of AA. The book is estimated at $8,000-$12,000.

Under the orders of the new United States government, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set out to find the source of the Missouri River, and in doing so, charted a vast swath of the Pacific Northwest. Though the expedition ran from 1804 to 1806, their official account based on notebooks and diaries would not be completed and published until 1814. PBA has a two-volume first edition from an initial run of just 1,400 copies, and it is estimated at $6,000-$9,000.

Fidel Castro’s Cuban government sought to tell the story of its revolution in terms children might understand. The result was Ãlbum de la Revolucion Cubana: 1952-1959, published around 1960 by Revista Cinegrafico in Havana. It consists of 268 color picture cards in cartoon style giving the history of the Cuban Revolution. This example has 266 cards with one duplicate, and is a unique testament to Cuban history. It is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

Henry Lewis's 'Mississippi Valley' in color lithography, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at PBA.

Henry Lewis's 'Mississippi Valley' in color lithography, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at PBA.

Alcoholics Anonymous book signed and inscribed by Bill Wilson to John Frankenheimer, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at PBA.

Alcoholics Anonymous book signed and inscribed by Bill Wilson to John Frankenheimer, estimated at $8,000-$12,000 at PBA.

1814 first edition of 'Lewis & Clark', estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA.

1814 first edition of 'Lewis & Clark', estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA.

'Album de la Revolucion Cubana: 1952-1959' from 1960, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA.

'Album de la Revolucion Cubana: 1952-1959' from 1960, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA.

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.

Abraham Lincoln photographs bring the 16th US president to life at PBA Feb. 22

Alexander Gardner, Abraham Lincoln 'Gettysburg Portrait' from 1863, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA Galleries.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Five period photographs of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865) offering intriguing insight into the man are all included in the upcoming Fine Photography sale scheduled for Thursday, February 22 at PBA Galleries. The complete catalog is available for bidding now at LiveAuctioneers.

Mathew Brady (circa 1822-1896) is arguably the most famous photographer of the 19th century, having documented the American Civil War from the perspective of the Union Army. Brady was an early adopter of the daguerreotype form of photography, and he is best remembered for photographing a number of U.S. presidents, including Abraham Lincoln. On January 8th, 1864, Brady had a photography session with Lincoln, from which this carte de viste (visiting card) was drawn. Published by Anthony Bros. of New York in 1864, the card is estimated at $1,500-$2,500.

Alexander Gardner (1821-1882) was originally from Scotland, but came to America to pursue a career in photography. This photogravure of Lincoln is today known as The Gettysburg Portrait, having been captured by Gardner on November 8, 1863, just eleven days prior to Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. It was published under license by Gilbo & Co. of New York in 1901, it now carries an estimate of $1,000-$1,500. The sale also includes this Gardner carte de visite of Lincoln seated and holding both paper and reading glasses from the same session. It is estimated at $700-$1,000.

Taken on March 6, 1865, this photo is often referred to as the ‘final’ image captured of President Lincoln prior to his assassination on April 14 at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.. It was the work of Henry F. Warren, who, according to period accounts, asked Lincoln’s son, Tad, to persuade his father to sit for the image. The irked look on Lincoln’s face is presumably a reflection of having been talked into the sitting by his son. Published in 1865, the vintage albumen vignette photograph is mounted to a sheet and is in what the lot notes call “near fine” condition. It is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

A carte de visite by George Ayers, who originally photographed Lincoln after his nomination to the Republican Party ticket in 1860, is an undated but later view of the president. The original image has been remounted onto later paper to preserve it, and it is estimated at $400-$600.

Mathew Brady carte de visite of Abraham Lincoln, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at PBA Galleries.

Mathew Brady carte de visite of Abraham Lincoln, estimated at $1,500-$2,500 at PBA Galleries.

Alexander Gardner, Abraham Lincoln 'Gettysburg Portrait' from 1863, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA Galleries.

Alexander Gardner, Abraham Lincoln 'Gettysburg Portrait' from 1863, estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA Galleries.

Alexander Gardner carte de visite of Abraham Lincoln dating to 1863, estimated at $700-$1,000 at PBA Galleries.

Alexander Gardner carte de visite of Abraham Lincoln dating to 1863, estimated at $700-$1,000 at PBA Galleries.

Henry F. Warren, final photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken in March 1865 and estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA Galleries.

Henry F. Warren, final photograph of Abraham Lincoln, taken in March 1865 and estimated at $1,000-$1,500 at PBA Galleries.

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.

Antiquarian books on early America, Arts & Crafts and Einstein featured at PBA Feb. 8

Henry Lewis, 'Mississippi Valley' in color lithography, estimated at $50,000-$80,000 at PBA.

BERKELEY, Calif. – PBA Galleries kicks off its first Rare Books & Manuscripts sale of 2024 on Thursday, February 8 with a 97-lot collection of items ranging from early Albert Einstein publications to probably the finest illustrated collection of mid-19th century Mississippi River views ever created. The complete catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

Henry Lewis (1819–1904) was born in England but moved to the United States in 1833 and soon headed for St. Louis, where he would begin a lifelong fascination with the great and powerful Mississippi River. His artistic skills were honed as a scenery painter at the St. Louis Theater, but he was soon sketching hundreds of images of life in and around St. Louis and the river. He became known for creating immense paintings of river scenes 12 feet tall and more than 1,000 feet in length that would be slowly unrolled before adoring audiences, in an early form of pre-film entertainment.

Unfortunately, none of his huge movie-like panoramas survive, but he did manage to get one volume of his smaller illustrations published: Das Illustrirte Mississippithal, a volume in both English and German with a total of 80 color lithographed plates. PBA’s copy has had expert restoration performed on it, making it a prime example of how Lewis spent the summers of 1846 and 1847, floating down the entire course of the Mississippi River. The book is estimated at $50,000-$80,000.

The Dun Emer Press and Cuala Press were early speciality publishing houses set up and run by the family members of W. B. Yeats. This collection of Dun Emer and Cuala first editions “constitutes one of the most important private presses of the 20th century – if not of the fine press movement as a whole,” as noted by PBA. The publishing houses are described as having been “at the confluence of the Irish Literary Revival and the Arts & Crafts Movement, [when] the early 20th century witnessed the germination and flowering of the modern Irish nation.” The set of first editions, some never opened, is estimated at $40,000-$60,000.

Three papers written by Albert Einstein (1879-1955) that constitute the most important parts of his research — including winning the Nobel Prize for one – come to market at PBA. Collected in Annalen der Physik, Folge Vierte, Band 17 and published in 1905, the papers cover “the photon, atom, and relativity … Einstein‘s photon paper forms the basis of the quantum paradigm, and he was awarded the Nobel Prize for this paper; his paper researching Brownian Motion established the reality of the atom (and within the next year he established the atom‘s actual size); and his paper on relativity reformulated the nature of space and time – directly leading to the world‘s most famous equation, E = mc², and ultimately to a new theory of gravity (General Relativity).” The volume carries an estimate of $20,000-$30,000.

David Roberts (1796–1864) was an English illustrator who, in partnership with Belgian stone lithographer and colorist Louis Haghe (1806-1885), created what is today considered the most acclaimed views of Egypt of the mid-19th century. Egypt and Nubia from Drawings Made on the Spot was published between 1846 and 1849 and contains 121 duotone lithographs of Giza, Karnac, and Luxor. The folio of three volumes rebound into two is estimated at $20,000-$30,000.

Henry Lewis, 'Mississippi Valley' in color lithography, estimated at $50,000-$80,000 at PBA.

Henry Lewis, 'Mississippi Valley' in color lithography, estimated at $50,000-$80,000 at PBA.

First edition collection of Dun Emer and Cuala Press works, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at PBA.

First edition collection of Dun Emer and Cuala Press works, estimated at $40,000-$60,000 at PBA.

Three of Albert Einstein's most important papers in 'Annalen der Physik, Folge Vierte, Band 17,' estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

Three of Albert Einstein's most important papers in 'Annalen der Physik, Folge Vierte, Band 17,' estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

David Roberts and Louis Haghe, 'Egypt and Nubia from Drawings Made on the Spot,' estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

David Roberts and Louis Haghe, 'Egypt and Nubia from Drawings Made on the Spot,' estimated at $20,000-$30,000 at PBA.

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.

Hunter S. Thompson’s signed and annotated Gideon Bible opens a new chapter at PBA Galleries Jan. 25

Hunter S. Thompson's Gideon Bible, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at PBA Galleries.

BERKELEY, Calif. – More than 450 lots of fine literature and ephemera with science fiction, fantasy, mysteries, Beat Generation and counterculture items along with a selection of surfing memorabilia and poster art will come to PBA Galleries on Thursday, January 25. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

A personally signed and annotated Gideon Holy Bible taken from a Las Vegas hotel room by ‘gonzo journalist’ Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005) is a leading contender for the oddball of the sale. With a publication date of 1958, this copy would have been exceedingly old by the time Thompson made a name for himself with 1967’s Hells Angels, his breakthrough work. It was purchased directly from Thompson’s Woody Creek, Colorado home in the mid-1990s. As Thompson wrote in 1998’s Generation of Swine, “I have stolen more quotes and thoughts and purely elegant little starbursts of writing from the Book of Revelation than anything else in the English language – and it is not because I am a biblical scholar, or because of any religious faith, but because I love the wild power of the language and the purity of the madness that governs it and makes it music … [the Gideons] have saved me many times, when nobody else could do anything but mutter about calling security on me unless I turned out my lights and went to sleep like all the others … ” The Bible is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

An early entrant to the realm of science fiction literature is 1884’s Flatland, A Romance of Many Dimensions by Rev. Edwin Abbott (1838-1926). A 1980 reissue of the work – which was encased in aluminum and features an accordion-fold format – has text that can be opened to read as a square, and, when unfolded, extends to 33 feet per side. The first half of the book is printed on one side, the second on the opposite. With an introduction by sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury, and signed by him, this copy is number 120 of 275 and is estimated at $3,000-$5,000.

An 1876 first printing of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain (aka Samuel Clemens, 1835-1910) is notable for retaining its original sheepskin binding, a rarity among Tom Sawyer editions printed by the American Publishing Company of Hartford, Connecticut. It is estimated at $7,000-$10,000.

By the time Jack Kerouac typewrote and signed this 1968 letter to his niece – focusing primarily on the antics of his two house cats – the Beat Generation writer’s original vision for the ‘counterculture’ was spinning out of control in American politics and popular culture. “Pitou just ran out again. He’s white as snow from the white sand around here. He has a favorite tree in the yard and he goes way out on the limb and looks down at me with the stars above him.” The letter carries an estimate of $7,000-$10,000.

One of the most beloved authors and illustrators of all time, Beatrix Potter (1866-1943) created a wonderful world of animal characters known to generations. Her 1904 release of The Tale of Benjamin Bunny continued the series, and this first edition copy published by Frederick Warne and Co. in London is in remarkable condition despite it having been clearly loved by its original owner. The lot also includes a later edition, and the pair are estimated at $1,000-$1,500.

Hunter S. Thompson's Gideon Bible, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at PBA Galleries.

Hunter S. Thompson's Gideon Bible, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at PBA Galleries.

Rev. Edwin Abbott, 'Flatland, A Romance of Many Dimensions,' with an introduction by sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury and signed by him, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at PBA Galleries.

Rev. Edwin Abbott, 'Flatland, A Romance of Many Dimensions,' with an introduction by sci-fi legend Ray Bradbury and signed by him, estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at PBA Galleries.

1876 first printing of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' by Mark Twain, with its original sheepskin binding, estimated at $7,000-$10,000 at PBA Galleries.

1876 first printing of 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer' by Mark Twain, with its original sheepskin binding, estimated at $7,000-$10,000 at PBA Galleries.

Signed Jack Kerouac letter from 1968, estimated at $7,000-$10,000 at PBA Galleries.

Signed Jack Kerouac letter from 1968, estimated at $7,000-$10,000 at PBA Galleries.

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.

Antiquarian books with beautiful engravings, samizdat, and a Bible in Braille offered at PBA Galleries Jan. 11

Edward Donovan, 'An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China,' estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA Galleries.

BERKELEY, Calif. — More than 300 antiquarian books and papers, many rarely if ever seen in the marketplace, will cross the block on Thursday, January 11 at PBA Galleries as part of its Antiquarian Books-Natural History-Fine Press sale. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The sale’s top-estimated lot, at $6,000-$9,000, is An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China by Edward Donovan (1768-1837). Released in 1798, the book is illustrated with 50 hand-colored copper-engraved plates of various Chinese insects (mostly butterflies) and is accompanied by descriptive letterpress leaves and tissue-guards. Donovan was the founder of the London Museum and Institute of Natural History, which contained his extensive natural history collection. The collection was sold at auction in 1817.

An interesting group of handmade Jewish religious holiday calendars from the Soviet Union period in Russia is another feature of the sale. One of a variety of printed works dubbed ‘samizdat’ — a word that describes dissident publications made without the approval of the government — the calendars were used by Jews to retain their religious holidays despite them having been removed from official Soviet timekeeping publications. The calendars date to the 1970s and early 1980s, just a handful of years before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Containing 35 pieces in all, the lot is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

Equally interesting is a first-edition 20-volume bible, presumably the torah or Old Testament, in the Hebrew Braille language for blind Jewish people. Released after World War II, it is one of only a handful still in existence. The set is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

The Foulis Press of Glasgow, Scotland was renowned for its quality and accuracy, two elements woefully missing from the early days of movable type printing. Brothers Andrew and Robert founded the press, which worked closely with the University of Glasgow in the publication of scholarly works. A limited folio edition of the Tragedies of Aeschulus in Greek, printed by Foulis Press in 1795 and including 31 full-page engravings by John Flaxman, is estimated at $5,000-$8,000.

When it was released in 1791, James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson set a new standard for biographical works that still stands to this day. Within the book was a collection of Johnson’s writings, plus Boswell’s writings that give the historical context in which Johnson wrote. This first edition, estimated at $3,000-$5,000, contains numerous typographical errors and errata that would be corrected in later editions, definitely dating it to the first release.
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Edward Donovan, ‘An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China,’ estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA Galleries.

Edward Donovan, 'An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China,' estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA Galleries.

Edward Donovan, 'An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of China,' estimated at $6,000-$9,000 at PBA Galleries.

35 samizdat Soviet-Jewish calendars, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

35 samizdat Soviet-Jewish calendars, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

First Hebrew Bible in Braille, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

First Hebrew Bible in Braille, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

Foulis Press, 'Tragedies of Aeschylus' in Greek, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

Foulis Press, 'Tragedies of Aeschylus' in Greek, estimated at $5,000-$8,000 at PBA Galleries.

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.

Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz and Mickey Mouse share spotlight at PBA Galleries Oct. 19

Ansel Adams, 'Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, 1960,' estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at PBA Galleries.

BERKELEY, Calif. — Signed Ansel Adams items, a Walt Disney-signed Mickey Mouse illustration and other fine art and motion picture artifacts share the spotlight at PBA Galleries’ Photography, Fine Art & Movie Posters on Thursday, October 19. The catalog is now available for bidding at LiveAuctioneers.

The wide-ranging sale encompasses 389 lots and reflects a composite of collections and collecting passions. The 17 lots associated with Ansel Adams (1902-1984), for example, reflect a focus on both signatures as well as the background of one of America’s pioneering photographers, with numerous reference books included. An Alan Ross print of Ansel Adams’ Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, 1960, unsigned, is the top lot of the category, with an estimate of $3,000-$5,000.

Another photographic force included in the sale is Alfred Stieglitz (1864-1946). Though he had a varied and fascinating life, including being married to artist Georgia O’Keeffe, his early work in photography showed what the medium could be capable of. A series of 1911 photogravures from the New York waterfront, including this one, titled Excavating, estimated at $2,500-$3,500, offers a glimpse at a time in history that is almost forgotten.

Walt Disney original signatures are highly valued, even if they appear on drawings of his famed characters which he did not personally render. This pen, ink and watercolor drawing features a staff-drawn image of a 1950s Mickey Mouse with a personal inscription “from Mickey Mouse and Walt Disney.” It is estimated at $10,000-$15,000.

Looking like an angel from on high, silent movie star Mary Pickford’s wedding portrait in her full gown, taken by Adolph de Meyer in 1920, is another gem in the sale catalog. Measuring 9.5 by 7.5in, this original print is estimated at $2,000-$3,000.

Ansel Adams, 'Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, 1960,' estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at PBA Galleries.

Ansel Adams, 'Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite, CA, 1960,' estimated at $3,000-$5,000 at PBA Galleries.

Alfred Stieglitz, 'Excavating - New York,' estimated at $2,500-$3,500 at PBA Galleries.

Alfred Stieglitz, 'Excavating - New York,' estimated at $2,500-$3,500 at PBA Galleries.

Original Disney staff-rendered Mickey Mouse drawing, signed and inscribed by Walt Disney, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at PBA Galleries.

Original Disney staff-rendered Mickey Mouse drawing, signed and inscribed by Walt Disney, estimated at $10,000-$15,000 at PBA Galleries.

Photo portrait of Mary Pickford in her wedding dress, estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at PBA Galleries.

Photo portrait of Mary Pickford in her wedding dress, estimated at $2,000-$3,000 at PBA Galleries.

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.

A Charlotte Bronte letter and a Walt Whitman-signed photo lead the treasures at PBA Galleries, Sept. 7

Walt Whitman’s own copy of a famed 1860 portrait that he signed and dated in ink, offered with an 1855 first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass, together estimated at $120,000-$180,000 at PBA Galleries.

BERKELEY, Calif. – A wistful and chatty letter from Charlotte Bronte to her editor headlines PBA Galleries’ next Rare Books & Manuscripts auction, which takes place Thursday, September 7. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Dated July 27, 1850, Bronte wrote the letter to the man whose firm, Smith, Elder, & Co., accepted the manuscripts for the debut novels of all three Bronte sisters, who had submitted them under the masculine pen names of Currer (Charlotte), Ellis (Emily) and Acton (Anne) Bell.

At the time she wrote the letter, Charlotte was the sole survivor of the three, having lost Emily and Anne to tuberculosis in 1848 and 1849, respectively, at the painfully young ages of 30 and 29. Also, by late July of 1850, the true identities of the Bronte sisters had been revealed.

Charlotte begins the three-page letter with a nod to the era when she and her sisters needed to masquerade in print as men, saying, “My dear Sir, The long and interesting letter you sent me reminded me of the old days – (they seem old days now) when you wrote to me as ‘Currer Bell Esq’…”

Within 54 lines, she speaks of a portrait she sat for and has yet to see, and shares an opinion on country living, stating, “where there is so little of human and social interest to give a lasting charm,” and goes on to say, “In Scotland, for instance, though the narrowness and prejudice of which you complain, may indeed be found, yet that stagnation of ideas, that insensibility to natural beauties, that extreme pettiness of feeling scarcely, I should think exist. I am bound, however, to confess that all these weeds grow rank enough in the cold, Moorish soil of the North of England….”

The letter, which is protected by a circa-1920s green leather folder that bears the armorial bookplate of Max Aitken, the first Lord Beaverbrook and publisher of the British tabloid The Daily Express, has an estimate of $40,000-$60,000.

Another standout lot in the September 7 sale lineup is an 1855 first edition, first issue of Walt Whitman’s immortal Leaves of Grass, offered with Whitman’s own copy of his famed 1860 photographic portrait, which he signed in ink. The lot carries an estimate of $120,000-$180,000.

Perhaps the prettiest author’s inscription to come to auction this year belongs to that on the first book in a complete set of first editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Estimated at $35,000-$45,000, Tolkien inscribed the book to Hal Coomer, with whom he had appeared on a radio program in 1958.

Also demanding mention is The Magic Volume! an 1840 book that might be unique. Dubbed a “blow book,” it features more than one hand-colored illustration of Queen Victoria as the Queen of Hearts. As the lot notes explain, “The book appears to change its contents depending on how the pages are flicked through, an effect achieved with different-sized tabs along the fore-edge.” Its estimate is $8,000-$12,000.

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley

Sheila Gibson Stoodley is the associate editor for Auction Central News. She has written and edited for Robb Report, Art & Antiques magazine, and Andrew Harper online. She also authored The Hot Bid, a blog devoted to intriguing and delightful lots coming up at auction.

Steve Ditko’s copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1, graded 0.5, earns $12K+

This copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 sold for $12,500 despite bearing a CGC grade of 0.5. Its provenance made it a prize: It had belonged to Spidey’s co-creator, Steve Ditko. Image courtesy of PBA Galleries
This copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 sold for $12,500 despite bearing a CGC grade of 0.5. Its provenance made it a prize: It had belonged to Spidey’s co-creator, Steve Ditko. Image courtesy of PBA Galleries
This copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 sold for $12,500 despite bearing a CGC grade of 0.5. Its provenance made it a prize: It had belonged to Spidey’s co-creator, Steve Ditko. Image courtesy of PBA Galleries

BERKELEY, Calif. – Steve Ditko’s own copy of Amazing Spider-Man #1 sold for $12,500 at PBA Galleries on August 3. Some 27 bidders were ‘watching’ it on LiveAuctioneers as it achieved a price at the top end of its estimate.

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Pre-code horror comics among highlights of PBA Galleries sale, Aug. 3

Steve Ditko’s personal copy of Amazing Spider-Man No. 1, estimated at $8,000-$12,000
Steve Ditko’s copy of Amazing Spider-Man No. 1, estimated at $8,000-$12,000

BERKELEY, Calif. – PBA Galleries will hold an auction titled Comic Books: Atlas, Pre-Code Horror, Steve Ditko Collection, and More to take place on Thursday, August 3. PBA’s ninth comic book sale contains more than 300 lots of pre-Code Atlas comic books, pre-Code horror comics, the last 19 Amazing Spider-Man comics from Steve Ditko’s personal collection, as well as some Marvel keys and original Eric Stanton artwork. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

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