Category: Book Auction

Unique collection of first edition books from Wind in the Willows and Gulliver’s Travels illustrator is auctioned

Arthur Rackham

Arthur Rackham

A one off collection of first edition books by the celebrated 20th century illustrator goes under the hammer at Sworders’ Fine Art Auctioneers next week.

The collection is expected to fetch up to £30,000 and contains 26 books – all first editions.

Twenty-one of them are signed and inscribed with humorous pen and ink drawings by Rackham. He was widely regarded as one of the leading illustrators in the first 20 years of the last century when high quality illustrated books were in great demand in what was considered to be the ‘golden age’ of such work.

The books were all given as presents to his wife’s sister and her husband, and handed down through the family who live on the Essex/Hertfordshire border. Each book has a cloth cover with gilt embossed titles and all are in a good condition.

They’re being auctioned at the Books, Prints and Maps sale on Tuesday, November 12 at Sworders’ auction rooms in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Sworders’ managing director, Guy Schooling said: “We are very excited to be selling what we believe to be a unique collection of books. The vignettes are absolutely exquisite. They’re of a high quality and packed with humour. It’s a rare find.”

The books are being auctioned separately and prices range from £800 to £1,500.

Since his death in 1939 Rackham’s work has grown in popularity and his images have been widely used in the greeting card industry. His original drawings are highly sought after and there is expected to be a lot of interest in the auction next week. He illustrated classics such as A Christmas Carol, Wind in the Willows, and Gulliver’s Travels.

Stansted Mountfitchet Saleroom
GES and Sons Limited
Cambridge Road
Stansted Mountfitchet
Essex
CM24 8GE

Tel: 01279 817778
Fax: 01279 817779
Email: auctions@sworder.co.uk

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Rare book auction includes the white whale of first editions

 

 

Old-Melville-408x536

 

 

Source: Melville House

by Julia Fleischaker

Swann Auction Galleries has listed an extremely rare first edition of Moby-Dick.

Now’s your chance to own the white whale of rare literature! A first edition copy of Moby-Dick: or, The Whale, including extremely rare white endpapers is up for auction at Swann Auction Galleries. Part of their 19th and 20th Century Literature Auction, the edition is expected to go for a mere $35,000-$50,000.

Stephen J. Gertz at BookTryst notes that these endpapers add “upwards of $20,000 to the value of a standard, first American edition, first issue copy with orange endpapers.” So what makes these endpapers so special? According to this collectibles website, “In 1853 a fire at Harpers - the book’s publisher - destroyed all but around 60 copies, making the edition extremely rare. This example is one of only two known that feature white endpapers, further enhancing its desirability.”

Herman Melville isn’t the only bold-faced named included in the auction. Paul Fraser Collectibles takes note of some of the other interesting items:

A signed first edition of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath is also featured with an estimate of $18,000-25,000. It is inscribed: “For Jules and Joyce and also Joan with love John Steinbeck”.

It features the rare flying pig illustration that Steinbeck reserved for close friends. Jules Buck was a movie producer with whom Steinbeck worked on a screenplay that became Eli Kazan’s Viva Zapata.

The dust jacket is in excellent condition with virtually no rubbing or wear, and features the original price of $2.75.

William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury is offered as a first edition, with the original cloth-backed patterned boards and dust jacket. A masterpiece of modernism, the book relates the story of the Compson family – formerly wealthy southern aristocrats who have fallen on hard times.

The edition has been expertly repaired on areas of the spine, panel and folds and features a small split to the lower front hinge. It is expected to bring $15,000-20,000.

Other books include an inscribed first edition and one of only 500 copies of T.S. Eliot’s Prufrock and Other Observations ($6,000-$9,000), and a first edition of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter ($6,000-$9,000).

Setting your budget under a grand? There are plenty of options: first editions of Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut, an inscribed Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller, and In Cold Blood, signed by Truman Capote, are just some of the titles being estimated at under $1,000.

The auction starts on November 21, and Swann Galleries lets you bid live online, over email, or on the phone, so don’t forget!

From Swann’s description of Lot 197:

“ONLY FOUND ANOTHER ORPHAN” MELVILLE, HERMAN.Moby-Dick; or, The Whale. 12mo, original black cloth, boards slightly bowed, blind-stamped with heavy rule frame and publisher’s circular device at center of each cover, minor chipping to spine ends, short fray along front joint; white endpapers, double flyleaves at front and back, usual scattered light foxing, 6-page publisher’s advertisement at end, penciled ownership signature on front free endpaper; preserved in 1/4 morocco gilt-lettered drop-back cloth box. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1851

Estimate $35,000 - 50,000

unsophisticated copy of the first american edition, first state binding, containing thirty-five passages and the Epilogue omitted from the English edition (published a month earlier). Melville himself famously described his book thus: ‘It is the horrible texture of a fabric that should be woven of ships’ cables and hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of prey hover over it.’

Julia Fleischaker is Melville House's director of publicity.

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Upcoming Auctions of Easton & Franklin Books from the Library of Mark W. Lobst

H4128-C41028429

Hi. I just found out about this today. The first auction is tomorrow but the collection is "huge" so multiple auctions are upcoming. Online bidding is accepted and you can find auction details at ArtFact. The auctioneer is Levine Auction & Appraisal LLC from Scottsdale. Arizona. The auction is all "No Reserve". Opening bid on most lots is $10.00. Books are listed as in "excellent" condition.

I hope this will be helpful to yaw'll. Enjoy!

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Rare Book & Memorabilia Collector to Sell Collection for Ailing Daughter

Collection at auction
Date: October 26, 2012
Source: CBC Books

A Florida memorabilia collector who has spent decades amassing thousands of celebrity autographs and rare books is selling off his prized possessions to help his ailing daughter, the Associated Press reports.

Ken Kallin, 67, started collecting signed photos, books and trading cards in 1980 after meeting Bette Davis. Since then, he's added to his treasure trove by attending book signings, charity golf tournaments and celebrity appearances, scouring garage sales and buying from other collectors and friends.

However, his 43-year-old daughter and her husband have been struggling financially because she suffers from a rare autoimmune disorder, which sometimes involves taking powerful chemotherapy drugs. The family pays $2,200 a month for health insurance and her deductible is $1,250. The couple also has two children to support.

Kallin's collection, which includes 120,000 pieces of memorabilia, was described as "once-in-a-lifetime" by an expert not connected with the sale, and is expected to draw some big spenders this weekend.

The collection features more than 680 antique books, more than 7,000 contemporary books, rare letters, and tens of thousands of autographed photos, trading cards and sheet music dating back to 1864, and vintage Tin Tin books in French. The celebrity signatures in Kallin's possession include Michael Jackson, Elizabeth Taylor and Julia Child.

The collection hasn't been independently appraised, but the auction house and Kallin believe it's worth $4.5 million based on valuations for comparable items that have sold recently.

"It's for a higher purpose," Kallin said.

-With files from the Associated Press

Bids can be placed through LiveAuction. Lots are listed according to "Rare Books" - 680+ est USD 17,500 - 40,000, "Autographed Books" - 7,300+ est USD 175,000 - 375,000, "Autographed Letters" - 1,470+ est USD 1,750 - 15,000, as well as movie posters, autographed photos, autographed trading cards, and more...

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Edgar Allan Poe Book Decorated by Frida Kahlo at Auction

Source: Paul Fraser Collectibles

The doodles give some interesting insights into the life of the celebrated Mexican artist

A beaten-up copy of The Works of Edgar Allan Poe is expected to sell for over $20,000 at Leslie Hindman Auctioneers in Chicago on August 9.

It is no ordinary used book, however, as it belonged to celebrated Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, who covered the book with doodles, inscriptions, paint and collaged leaves.

To Frida, the book provided an outlet for her to engage in dialogue with Poe's mysterious and macabre poetry, and the result is one of the most intriguing artist's books to appear on the market.

LiveAuctioneers will provide Internet live bidding.

The most interesting inscription appears at the beginning of the book, where Frida has the written following in crayon: "Pues si, Frida Kahlo, Auxocromo Cromoforo, 1922, 1945, 23, 12, 35, always."

A close reading, offered by Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and Mexican Modernist expert Luis-Martin Lozano, points directly to Kahlo's relationship with her husband, Diego Rivera:

Frida Kahlo met Rivera in 1922; she wrote in the book in 1945; she met Diego when she was 12 (actually 15, but she claimed she was born in 1910 to appear younger) and he was 35; the 23 refers not only to the years between when Frida wrote in the book and when she met Rivera (1922-1945), but also to their difference in age.

These numbers and connections are coupled with the word 'always' and the symbol for infinity.

Poe book doodled by Frida Kahlo

Poe book doodled by Frida Kahlo

'Auxocromo Cromoforo', a phrase repeated at the end of selected poems throughout, further alludes to Frida's relationship with Rivera; the phrase first appeared in a poem Frida wrote in her diary, which translates:

"My Diego, Mirror of the Night ... You could be called Auxocromo - the one who takes color. I Cromoforo - the one who gives the color. You are all the combinations of the numbers."

"The inscriptions and collages form an extraordinary record of the artist's creative process," notes Hindman's director of Books and Manuscripts, Mary Williams. "Kahlo's works are exceptionally rare.

On the occasion one does appear at auction, prices quickly exceed $200,000, with the highest price ever fetched being $5.6m in May 2006. "The present collaged work is without precedent at auction," Williams added.

"We expect the artist's book to exceed its presale estimate of $20,000-$30,000."

The book was previously in the collection of Teresa Proenza, Diego River's secretary and close personal friend of Frida Kahlo.

Edgar Allen Poe books are valuable collectibles in their own right of course. One collector whose prized possessions include Poe artefacts is actor Johnny Depp.

Online Catalogues
Download Catalogs

Information for Sale 167 - Fine Books and Manuscripts at 1338 West Lake Street
9 Aug 2011 12:00 PM
Contact Information
Mary Williams
Email - marywilliams@lesliehindman.com

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Manuscripts bring history home to us... The Roy Davids Collection

Roy Davids exceptional collection will go up for auction at Bonhams in London on March 29, 2011.

Sale 19386 - Papers & Portraits: The Roy Davids Collection Part II
London, New Bond Street, 29 Mar 2011 at 10:30

Online bidding will be available for this auction. To participate, or for more information, contact them at: Bonhams Online Bidding!

An Introduction to 'Papers & Portraits: The Roy Davids Collection Part II' by Roy Davids

Source: Paul Frazier Collectibles

"The passionate collector's hoard Includes extraordinary writings by Keats, Gandhi, Blake and Churchill

Roy Davids, whose collection is now being offered at Bonhams, is the consummate collector, who has gathered fascinating items that bring the holder to a richer idea of persons and circumstances than the content of the pieces alone.

Davids studied history at London University, and his working life from then on revolved around history and historical manuscripts. He worked at the History of Parliament Trust writing biographies of 16th century MPs, and also for scholarly booksellers Hofmann and Freeman.

He joined Sotheby's in 1970 as a cataloguer of post-medieval manuscripts and worked there for well over two decades, rising to run the department he began work in, and then later the Books Department as well.
Keats love letter

My dearest Fanny… Keats’s tragic love letter My dearest Fanny… Keats’s tragic love letter

Later he started his own company, Roy Davids Ltd, to trade in manuscripts and portraits of writers, artists and musicians, and has been involved in the sale of papers and archives of Sir Winston Churchill, John Osborne, Edna O'Brien, George MacBeth, John Linnell, Peter Redgrove, Siegfired Sassoon, Douglas Dunn, John Wyndham, Tom Paulin, Julian Barnes, Alan Sillitoe, Sylvia Plath and especially Ted Hughes - including a series of letters.

Davids's own collection has likewise been composed mostly of manuscripts and portraits. Although many of those from whom he collects have published works, he explains that being a manuscript collector appeals to him more than collecting printed material for two reasons:

Firstly, that "…they range over virtually every field of human endeavour -- literature, art, music, exploration, science, medicine, finance, magic, cricket, hunting, cooking, yachting, cricket, religion, economics, space, architecture, aviation. The choice is almost limitless."

But also, as every autograph and memorabilia collector would agree, the original handwritten text holds much more interest than the content alone. He enthuses that handwriting is 'as individual as a fingerprint' and likens it to 'an abstract portrait', and speaks for many collectors when he adds:

"The paper, the age, the shape, the size, the colour, the ink, the bloom, the stains, the wear, the dust, the nibblings of rodents, the folds, the tears, the creases, the seals, the smell, the ties, the postal markings, the endorsements, the dockets, the spelling, the corrections, the revisions, the deletions, the writer, the recipient, the provenance, the handwriting, the style, the imagination, the thoughts expressed.

"All of these contribute to our senses of reality and contact. We respond emotionally, psychologically and intellectually. Manuscripts bring history home to us."

Davids's collection certainly covers an impressive range of intriguing pieces, as we've noted in recent weeks.

These include: a very rare love letter from the dying John Keats, a William Blake letter detailing his watercolour, The Last Judgement, and a remarkable letter from Edward Lear in his own form of nonsense writing, which has be found to include a tiny drawing of a dog.

Two very different, though equally celebrated, figures from politics are also represented in an unused speech by Winston Churchill (referring to 'glimpses of a better world') and a letter written by Gandhi in December 1919 - a crucial time in his changing political views.

Other types of collectibles are on offer too, some unique, such as a set of some of the very earliest X-ray photographs made in the UK.

Davids is not parting with his collection because he has shrugged off the collecting bug, nor is he close to death. However, he came very close to death a few years back and was saved only by very delicate surgery.

The auction at Bonhams then is not an end, but a beginning. How better to use a new lease of life than with a fresh collection?"

'Papers & Portraits: The Roy Davids Collection Part II' by Roy Davids take place at Bonhams in London on March 29th.

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Video of the Week... The Frank M Robinson collection of pulps and books

Source: Paul Frazier Collectibles

Video of the Week... The Frank M Robinson collection of pulps and books

In months to come, auctioneer Adventure House will be offering the Frank M Robinson Collection on their website.

Frank M Robinson is an author and editor who has worked for magazines such as Science Digest and Playboy. He's written a number of books including the thriller The Power, made into the movie of the same name.

More recently he's authored The Dark Beyond the Stars and Waiting... both science-fiction novels.

He is an avid collector in the world of Pulp and the book Pulp Culture, which he co-wrote with Lawrence Davidson, won the Pop Culture Book of the Year 1999 (Independent Publishers Association).

Robinson's collection includes nearly 10,000 pulps, digests, books and artwork all of which will be offered. The collection includes the highest grade run of Weird Tales, ever assembled.

Pulp can be big business. Hugh Joseph Ward's The Evil Flame, Spicy Mystery Stories pulp cover from 1936 sold at Heritage in the summer of 2010 for staggering $143,400.

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Department of Justice and Ebay Book Fraud

Fake Kurt Vonnegut Signature

Fake Kurt Vonnegut Signature

I thought I'd give yaw'll a firsthand look at EBay book fraud and its persecution. A few years ago (about 3 years, I think) I bought a "signed" first edition copy of Vonnegut's Breakfast of Champions. I do not remember what I paid for it but I assume it was not cheap. When it arrived, I checked the signature (I have many other signed Vonneguts from Franklin & Easton Press so had a good signature to compare it to.) Six or eight months later I received an email from the U. S. Department of Justice telling me that I was part of a case of a fellow who was charged with selling books with fake signature on EBay. They told me his name, FORREST SMITH, but not which book he had sold me. I asked very nicely but could not get the info from them. I was left looking at my bookshelves wondering which of my precious books it could be. I had never had much luck calling EBay but thought I'd give it a try. The man I spoke with at EBay started out giving me a run around but eventually cooperated and gave me the name of the book in the one transaction I had with Forrest Smith - Breakfast of Champions. Needless to say I was very disappointed (in part) but another part of me was relieved to have that resolved and my relationship with my collection rejuvenated. I received emails from the Department of justice every few months as the cheat went to court, was tried and sentenced to prison. He spent the last couple of years in jail and I just heard from them today telling me he is to be released to a "half way house" and will be there until November 13th. After that date he will be released with no parole. During the court case, I was always notified when he was due in court - time, date and location. I have never posted about this before because I find the whole affair to be a bit embarrassing...

Vonnegut First Edition with fake signature.

Today's email told me, "This notice is to inform you that FORREST SMITH has been approved for placement in a Community Corrections Center (CCC), otherwise known as a halfway house, and will transfer from this institution on May 18, 2011. After the transfer, the inmate will be located at CAPITOL PAVILION COMM CORR CTR in HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania."

Apparently he sold many books on EBay along with a female partner. He will have spent about 2 1/2 years in jail. I have no idea how many other fraudulent sellers there are on EBay but it feels pretty good to see this one prosecuted. EBay and other online resources can be very handy but we should all keep in mind that we could be buying fakes.

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Rare books from Hesketh family go under the hammer for £15m

Source: Northampton Chronicle

A RECORD-breaking auction of books and drawings once belonging by the family who own Towcester Racecourse has raised nearly £15 million.

Some of the world’s rarest books collected by Frederick, 2nd Lord Hesketh, went under the hammer at Sothebys in London this month.

The collection was built up by successive generations of the Fermor-Hesketh family, who lived at Easton Neston House and still own Towcester Racecourse.

Before the bibliophile’s collection went under the hammer it was predicted the sale would raise between £8 and £11 million, but the collection of 50 lots exceeded expectation and sold for a staggering £14,971,950.

Among the books sold was John James Audubon’s Birds of America which set a new world record for any printed book sold at auction when it fetched £7.3 million.

David Goldthorpe, Sotheby’s director, books and manuscripts department, said: “Lord Hesketh’s magnificent copy of Audubon’s Birds of America fully deserved the extraordinary price it achieved, which represents a record price for a printed book at auction.

“It is a remarkable work, both in terms of its scale, and in terms of the dedication that went into producing it.

“To have handled such rare and splendid volumes has been a privilege and a joy.”

A spokeswoman from Sotheby’s said there was a “fiery enthusiasm among four collectors bidding on the phones and in the room drove the price rapidly beyond pre-sale expectations.”

The book, which contains 435 individual hand-coloured plates, each one a life-size depiction of the birds, was eventually bought by London dealer Michael Tollemache, who described the work after the sale as “priceless”.

Also fetching impressive bids at the auction was a textually complete copy of the First Folio of William Shakespeare, described as “one of the most important books in English literature” and the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays, which sold for £1,497,250.

A watercolour called The Four Seasons Rose by Pierre-Joseph Redoute also set a record for a watercolour by the artist sold at auction.

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Dickens Signed First Editions Bring $104,000 Each

Source: Paul Fraser Collectibles

The pair of books had been a gift to one of Charles Dickens' friends and favorite writers back in 1840

At this time of year, the name of Charles Dickens is never far from many people's minds. His timeless classic 'A Christmas Carol' is as much a part of the holiday tradition as Santa Claus or eating too much turkey, and has been re-told countless times around the world.

But it was two of his other books that caught the attention of collectors, last week, as a couple of very rare signed first editions turned up at auction.

The sale at Sothebys' in London on December 16 featured first-edition copies of 'The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club' and 'The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby', both signed by Dickens and inscribed to his friend Walter Savage Landor.

Landor was a poet and writer famed for his eccentric nature, and Dickens immortalised him as the character Lawrence Boythorn in his novel 'Bleak House'. Both books were given to Landor in 1840 and inscribed "From his warm admirer Charles Dickens."

Both books had a pre-sale estimate of £30,000 - £50,000, but when the hammer went down each had sold for an impressive £67,250 (including buyer's premium).

Dickens' signature has proven highly sought-after with collectors in recent times, and the value of his autograph has risen by 396.9% in the last 10 years (according to the industry's PFC40 Autographs Index).

A rare letter hand-written by Dickens is currently available on the market for £2,950, and is certain to appreciate in value over time. Dickens work has remained so popular over the years that the majority of his books have stayed in print for over 160 years.

Indeed, his popularity is such that one website is even offering samples of his hair for sale as a truly unique investment. It seems Dickens' appeal for collectors could be as timeless as his stories, and as long as his books are read around the world there will always be value in his memorabilia.

* Click here to view Paul Fraser's Books & Manuscripts stock items for sale - (An amazing group of items!- Debra)

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