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Auction Update Review

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Forty-eight auctions archived, 5 sales upcoming this week

For the week ended Saturday, December 17th, 48 auctions were archived to the Rare Book Hub Transaction Database; 18 denominated in euros, 7 in British pounds, and 23 in US dollars.  Turnover was a robust $29,194,875 as 21,308 lots were offered and 14,782 sold for a 69% success rate.  Bidders were both fussy and aggressive.

 

5 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars: 

Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: $9,433,072 
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: $3,425,565 
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: $3,009,125 
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: $1,386,702 
RR Auction. Autographs and Artifacts - Internet bidstart 11/18 on December 7th: $1,001,088 


13 auctions saw total sales exceed 100% of the high estimates of all lots offered in the sale: 

Dorotheum . Books and Decorative Prints on December 12th: 168.88% 
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books, Prints on December 12th: 167.70% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 152.98% 
Henri Godts Books and Prints Auctions. Antiquarian Books on December 13th: 138.55% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 128.56% 
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 127.12% 
Bonhams. Entertainment Memorabilia on December 15th: 125.90% 
Ader. Ancient and Modern Prints on December 7th: 122.41% 
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: 120.89% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 118.17% 
ALDE. Autograph Letter and Manuscript on December 12th: 109.87% 
Bloomsbury Auctions. Fine and Important Books and Works on Paper on December 15th: 107.25% 
Artcurial. FROM THE WILLY RONIS SUCCESSION STÉPHANE KOVALSKY COLLECTION on December 13th: 104.84% 


13 sales saw at least 80% of their lots sell: 

National Book Auctions. Books on December 10th: 100.00% 
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 99.62% 
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: 98.52% 
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 98.23% 
Aspire Auctions. Fine Art - Prints - Internet Bidstart 12/2 on December 10th: 96.88% 
Potter and Potter Auctions. Winter Magic: The Rex Conklin Library and Other Fine Conjuring Collections on December 3rd: 94.82% 
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Deck the Halls: December Exposition Auction on December 10th: 93.75% 
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 93.26% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 90.32% 
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 85.50% 
Waverly Auctions. BooksWaverly Rare Books Catalog Auction on December 1st: 84.19% 
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 81.13% 
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: 80.16% 
 

Top 25 Lots Reported This Past Week.
  1. Christies Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica on December 14th Actual price: USD $3,719,500.
  2. Sothebys Evening Service of Roshashanah, and Kippur, or The Beginning of the Year, and The Day of Atonement on December 15th Actual price: USD $468,500.
  3. Sothebys THE TALES OF BEEDLE THE BARD TRANSLATED FROM THE ORIGINAL RUNES, 2007 on December 13th Actual price: USD $468,313.
  4. Vermot de Pas Asterix on December 10th Actual price: USD $312,000.
  5. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Go: Washington'' to François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux (1734-1788), Mount Vernon, 25 April, 1 May 1788. on December 14th Actual price: USD $307,500.
  6. Christies A SCIENTIFIC MANUSCRIPT, in Latin, manuscript on paper on December 14th Actual price: USD $295,500.
  7. Sothebys FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION ... EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS ADDRESSED TO PROFESSOR HENSLOW BY C. DARWIN, ESQ. on December 13th Actual price: USD $269,875.
  8. Christies The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, as Agreed Upon by the Federal Convention, September 17, 1787 on December 14th Actual price: USD $247,500.
  9. Christies THE COUNCIL OF VIRGINIA. A True Declaration of the estate of the Colonie of Virginia, With a confutation of such scandalous reports as have tended to the disgrace of so worthy an enterprise on December 14th Actual price: USD $223,500.
  10. Christies Ulysses on December 14th Actual price: USD $223,500.
  11. Sothebys AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED ("JA"), TO HER SISTER CASSANDRA, on December 13th Actual price: USD $190,500.
  12. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Th:Jefferson''), Paris, 2 September 1785, to François Jean de Beauvoir, Marquis de Chastellux (1734-1788) on December 14th Actual price: USD $187,500.
  13. Sothebys COLLECTION OF 36 PAMPHLETS IN ONE VOLUME: on December 13th Actual price: USD $174,625.
  14. Christies Leaves of Grass on December 14th Actual price: USD $162,500.
  15. Christies Autograph letter signed (''Go: Washington'') to François Jean de Beauvoir, Chevalier de Chastellux (1734-1788), Mount Vernon, 1 February 1784. on December 14th Actual price: USD $150,000.
  16. Christies Comedies, Histories and Tragedies. Published according to the true Originall Copies. on December 14th Actual price: USD $150,000.
  17. Sothebys Pinkas Mattersdorf (Autograph Commentary of the Hatam Sofer on the Haggadah, Shabbat ha-Gadol, and Liturgical Readings for Passover), [Mattersdorf], 1799-1800. Bound with Ma'aleh Beit Horin (a printed Haggadah on December 15th Actual price: USD $143,750.
  18. Bubb Kuyper The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke. Ed. J. Dover Wilson. on November 25th Actual price: USD $143,451.
  19. Christies Autograph letter signed ("Go: Washington") as Commander-in-chief, to François Jean de Beauvoir, Chevalier de Chastellux (1734-1788), Princeton, New Jersey, 12 October 1783. on December 14th Actual price: USD $137,500.
  20. Sothebys Sefer ha-Hinnukh, Pinhas ben Joseph ha-Levi of Barcelona, on December 15th Actual price: USD $137,500.
  21. Sothebys A VERY LARGE COLLECTION OF WORKS, PAMPHLETS AND TRACTS IN 31 VOLUMES: on December 13th Actual price: USD $134,938.
  22. Christies A briefe relation of the Discovery and Plantation of New England: and of Sundry Accidents therein occurring, from the yeere of our Lord M.D.CVII on December 14th Actual price: USD $125,000.
  23. Sothebys A Magnificent Decorated Ketubbah on December 15th Actual price: USD $125,000.
  24. Christies Prufrock and Other Observations on December 14th Actual price: USD $118,750.
  25. Christies The Dialoges of Creatures Moralysed. Applyably and edificatyfly, to euery mery and iocounde mater, of late tra[n]slated out of latyn into our Englysshe tonge right profitable to the gouernaunce of man. And they be to sell, vpo[n] Powlys churche yarde. on December 14th Actual price: USD $112,500.


48 total sales reported this week:

PIASA. Photographs on December 15th: 24.11%
De Baecque and Associes. Ancient and Modern Books - Autographs and Documents on December 15th: 61.27%
Bloomsbury Auctions. Fine and Important Books and Works on Paper on December 15th: 64.53%
Waverly Auctions. BooksWaverly Rare Books Catalog Auction on December 1st: 84.19%
Vermot de Pas. Comic Strips and Original Boards, 3D, Japanese Animation on December 10th: 64.82%
Adams Amsterdam Auctions. Kees van Dongen – His Illustrated Books - and - Fine Art on December 13th: 70.80%
Bonhams. Entertainment Memorabilia on December 15th: 70.20%
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers. Fine Prints on December 14th: 71.90%
Sothebys. Important Judaica on December 15th: 80.16%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Children's and Illustrated Books on December 15th: 90.32%
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Books, Maps and Documents on December 14th: 85.50%
Artcurial. FROM THE WILLY RONIS SUCCESSION STÉPHANE KOVALSKY COLLECTION on December 13th: 75.61%
Artcurial. Photography on December 13th: 61.97%
Artcurial. Limited Editions on December 12th: 66.30%
Keys Fine Arts Auctioneers. Books, Prints on December 12th: 48.00%
Vermot de Pas. NASA Photographs on December 8th: 41.03%
Ader. Ancient and Modern Prints on December 7th: 73.63%
Bruun Rasmussen. Books on December 13th: 78.46%
Bruun Rasmussen. Prints on December 13th: 93.26%
Christies. Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, including Americana on December 14th: 81.13%
Henri Godts Books and Prints Auctions. Antiquarian Books on December 13th: 77.33%
Knotty Pine Auction Service. Antique and Estate Book Sale on May 7th: 78.60%
National Book Auctions. Books on December 10th: 100.00%
Jeschke van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH. Books, Prints on December 9th: 32.21%
Bloomsbury Auctions. The Sporting and Country Life Sale on December 13th: 51.35%
Sothebys. English Literature, History, Children's Books & Illustrations on December 13th: 64.09%
Mid Hudson Auction Galleries. Contemporary Art, Antiques and Fine Art on December 10th: 59.15%
Guernseys. The Neil Leifer Photographic Collection - Day 2 on December 3rd: 29.17%
Guernseys. The Neil Leifer Photographic Collection - Day 1 on December 2nd: 55.00%
ALDE. Autograph Letter and Manuscript on December 12th: 55.06%
Stair Auctioneers and Appraisers. Deck the Halls: December Exposition Auction on December 10th: 93.75%
Sothebys. Exceptional Exposures: 20th Century Photographs Online - Internet bidstart 11/28 on December 12th: 65.57%
Dorotheum . Books and Decorative Prints on December 12th: 79.23%
Michaans Auctions. December Estate Sale - Books and Prints on December 10th: 37.84%
Aspire Auctions. Fine Art - Prints - Internet Bidstart 12/2 on December 10th: 96.88%
Profiles in History. Animation and Disneyana on December 9th: 66.72%
Knotty Pine Auction Service. Main Ephemera and Book Auction on November 5th: 72.32%
Winter Associates. December Auction - Americana on December 5th: 60.00%
RR Auction. Autographs and Artifacts - Internet bidstart 11/18 on December 7th: 67.53%
Alexander Historical Auctions. Revolutionary War on December 10th: 65.59%
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 99.62%
Clars Auction Gallery. Antique, Art, Jewelry, Asian - Prints, Books on December 11th: 76.47%
Clars Auction Gallery. Asian, Antique, Jewelry, Art - Prints, Books on December 10th: 57.89%
Pierre Berge and Associes. Philippe Zoummeroff on December 9th: 62.50%
Auctionata. Collectibles and Rarities on December 7th: 23.33%
Potter and Potter Auctions. Winter Magic: The Rex Conklin Library and Other Fine Conjuring Collections on December 3rd: 94.82%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/4 on December 11th: 98.23%
Heritage Auctions. Animation Art on December 11th: 98.52%


For the week ahead 5 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Dec. 19th
Bruun Rasmussen. Copenhagen. Prints. 83 lots

Tue. Dec. 20th
Stockholms Auktionsverk. Stockholm. Rare Books, Maps and Manuscripts. 413 lots

Wed. Dec. 21st
Moreshet Auctions. Jerusalem. Judaica, Manuscripts, Holy Texts, letters, Rabbinical letters, Jewish objects, Items from the Land o. 368 lots

Sun. Dec. 25th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics - Internet bidstart 12/18.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet bidstart 12/18.

Bruce McKinney

RBH and AE

  • Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Winston Churchill. The Second World War. Set of First-Edition Volumes. 6,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard. A Collection of The Pooh Books. Set of First-Editions. 18,600 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Salvador Dalí, Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Finely Bound and Signed Limited Edition. 15,000 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ian Fleming. Live and Let Die. First Edition. 9,500 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter Series. Finely Bound First Printing Set of Complete Series. 5,650 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. First Edition, First Printing. 4,200 USD
  • Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Edition of Piccolomini's De La Sfera del Mondo (The Sphere of the World), 1540.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Edition of Vellutello's Commentary on Petrarch, With Map, 1525.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: Finely Bound Definitive, Illustrated Edition of I Promessi Sposi, 1840.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: Rare First Edition of John Milton's Latin Correspondence, 1674.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: Giolito's Edition of Boccaccio's The Decamerone, with Bedford Binding, 1542.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Edition of the First Biography of Marie of the Incarnation, with Rare Portrait, 1677.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Aldine Edition of Volume One of Cicero's Orationes, 1540.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Edition of Bonanni's Illustrated Costume Catalogue, with Complete Plates, 1711.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: An Important Incunable, the First Italian Edition of Josephus's De Bello Judaico, 1480.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: First Edition of Jacques Philippe d'Orville's Illustrated Book of the Ruins of Sicily, 1764.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: An Incunable from 1487, The Contemplative Life, with Early Manuscript.
    Leland Little, Apr. 26: Ignatius of Loyola's Exercitia Spiritualia, 1563.
  • Jeschke Jadi
    Auction 151
    Saturday, April 27, 2024
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 546. Christoph Jacob Trew. Plantae selectae, 1750-1773.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 70. Thomas Murner. Die Narren beschwerung. 1558.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 621. Michael Bernhard Valentini. Museum Museorum, 1714.
    Jeschke Jadi
    Auction 151
    Saturday, April 27, 2024
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 545. Sander Reichenbachia. Orchids illustrated and described, 1888-1894.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 1018. Marinetti, Boccioni, Pratella Futurism - Comprehensive collection of 35 Futurist manifestos, some of them exceptionally rare. 1909-1933.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 634. August Johann Rösel von Rosenhof. 3 Original Drawings, around 1740.
    Jeschke Jadi
    Auction 151
    Saturday, April 27, 2024
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 671. Jacob / Picasso. Chronique des Temps, 1956.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 1260. Mary Webb. Sarn. 1948. Lucie Weill Art Deco Binding.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 508. Felix Bonfils. 108 large-format photographs of Syria and Palestine.
    Jeschke Jadi
    Auction 151
    Saturday, April 27, 2024
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 967. Dante Aligheri and Salvador Dali. Divina Commedia, 1963.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 1316. Tolouse-Lautrec. Dessinateur. Duhayon binding, 1948.
    Jeschke Jádi, Apr. 27: Lot 1303. Regards sur Paris. Braque, Picasso, Masson, 1962.
  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Book & Collectors Sale
    24th April 2024
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: McCarthy (Cormac). Cities of the Plain, N.Y., 1998, First Edn., signed on hf. title; together with Uncorrected Proof and Uncorrected Advance Reading Copies, both signed by the Author. €800 to €1,000.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Stanihurst (Richard). De Rebus in Hibernia Gestis, Libri Quattuor, sm. 4to Antwerp (Christi. Plantium) 1584. First Edn. €525 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Fleischer (Nat.) Jack Dempsey The Idol of Fistiana, An Intimate Narrative, N.Y., 1929, First Edn. Signed on f.e.p. by Rocky Marciano. €400 to €600.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Book & Collectors Sale
    24th April 2024
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Smith - Classical Atlas, Lond., 1820. Bound with, Smiths New General Atlas .. Principal Empires, Kingdoms, & States throughout the World, Lond. 1822. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Rare Auction Catalogues – 1856: Bindon Blood, of Ennis, Co. Clare: Sotheby & Wilkinson. €320 to €450.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: [Mavor (Wm.)] A General Collection of Voyages and Travels from the Discovery of America to the Commencement of the Nineteenth Century, 28 vols. (complete) Lond., 1810. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Book & Collectors Sale
    24th April 2024
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Mc Carthy (Cormac). Outer Dark, N.Y. (Random House)1968, Signed by Mc Carthy. €250 to €300.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Three signed works by Ted Huges - Wodwo, 1967; Crow from the Life and Songs of the Crow, 1970; and Tales from Ovid, 1997. €200 to €300.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: The Garden. An Illustrated Weekly Journal of Horticulture in all its Branches, 7 vols. lg. 4to Lond. 1877-1880. With 127 colored plates. €200 to €300.
    Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Book & Collectors Sale
    24th April 2024
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: Procter (Richard A.) Saturn and its System: Containing Discussions of The Motion (Real and Apparent)…, Lond. 1865. First Edn. €160 to €220.
    Fonsie Mealy, Apr. 24: [Ashe] St. George, Lord Bishop of Clogher, A Sermon Preached to the Protestants of Ireland, now in London,... Oct. 23, 1712, London 1712. Second Edn. €130 to €180.
  • Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    Starting 10AM CST
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [RUTH, George Herman “Babe” (1895-1948)]. Signed photograph. Circa 1930s. 191 x 248 mm. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HARRISON, Benjamin. Document signed (“Benj Harrison”) as governor of Virginia, certifying the service of Daniel Cumbo, a Black Revolutionary soldier. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: ONE OF THE FIRST PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    Starting 10AM CST
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: FIRST PRINTING OF LINCOLN’S IMMORTAL GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HIGHLY IMPORTANT MORMON ARCHIVE. ALLEY, George. Archive of 23 Autograph Letters Signed by Mormon Convert George Alley to His Brother Joseph Alley. $10,000 to $20,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [AVIATION]. [ARMSTRONG, Neil A.] Aviation Hall of Fame Gold Medal MS64 NGC, Awarded to Neil Armstrong in 1979. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    Starting 10AM CST
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: NEWLY DISCOVERED FIRST PRINTING OF "WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE... " FROM THE ONLY NEWSPAPER ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN LINCOLN’S SECOND INAUGURAL PROCESSION. $4,000 to $8,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: THE MOST IMPORTANT GEORGE WASHINGTON DOCUMENT IN PRIVATE HANDS; GEORGE WASHINGTON’S COMMISSION AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, 1775, ONE OF ONLY TWO ORIGINALS. $150,000 to $250,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: A VERY RARE ACCOUNT OF BLACKBEARD’S DEATH AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIRATE ITEMS EXTANT. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    Starting 10AM CST
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: EDISON, Thomas. Patent for Edison’s Improvements on the Electric-Light, No. 219,628. [Washington, D.C.: U.S. Patent Office], 16 September 1879. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [VIETNAM WAR]. The original pen used by Secretary of State William P. Rogers to sign the Vietnam Peace Agreement, Paris, 27 January 1973. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: SONS OF LIBERTY FOUNDER COLONEL BARRÉ ANNOTATED TITLE-PAGE, “WHICH OUGHT TO ROUSE UP BRITISH ATTENTION”. $4,000 to $6,000.