• Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Alken (Henry). Sporting Notions, first edition, T.McLean, 1832-33. £800 to £1,200.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Bardi (Lorenzo). Nuova Raccolta delle piu interessanti Vedute della Citta di Firenze…, Florence, Lorenzo Bardi, [c.1840]. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Crawfurd (John). Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava..., first edition, 1829. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Dawe (George, engraver). The Life of a Nobleman, first edition, Geo. Henderson, [c.1825]. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: [Doyle (John)], "H.B.". Political Sketches &c., 10 vol. including The Descriptive Key to H.B., Thomas McLean, [1829-51]. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Eben (Adolphus Christian Frederick, Baron von) and Nicolaus Heideloff. Modèles de l'Uniforme Militaire Adopté dans l'Armée Royale de Suède, Rudolph Ackerman, 1808. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Geissler (J.G.G.) and Friedrich Hempel. Mahlerische Darstellungen der Sitten, Gebrauche und Lustbarkeiten bey den Russischen, Tartarischen…, 4 parts in 1, Leipzig and Paris, [1804]. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Hunt (Charles). Portraits of Winning Horses...of the Derby, Oaks, & St. Leger, from the Year 1842 to 1849…, Rock Brothers & Payne, 1849. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Kunike (Adolf Friedrich). Zwey hundert und sechzig Donau-Ansichten nach dem Laufe des Donaustromes…, Vienna, Leopold Grund, 1826. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Lasinio (Carlo). [Matrimony], Florence, 1790. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Reinhardt (Joseph). A Collection of Swiss Costumes, in Miniature, second English edition, James Goodwin, [1828]. £800 to £1,200.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Wengen (Gottfried Durst von). Die Öffentliche Maskerade Bamberg am Fastnachts-Montage 1833…, Bamberg, [1833]. £2,000 to £3,000.
  • 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
  • Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG BEADED JUDICIAL COLLAR. $80,000 - $120,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: ONLY KNOWN COPY OF THE ONLY BOOK BY THE REMARKABLE EVE ADAMS. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A COMPLETE RUN OF VISIONAIRE MAGAZINE THROUGH 2010. $6,000 - $9,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: LAW REVIEW OFFPRINT SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY RUTH BADER GINSBURG. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: META REBNER'S WORKING SCRIPT OF THE LOVED ONE. $1,500 - $2,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A KATHY GROVE PORTRAIT OF CYNDI LAUPER FOR THE FEBRUARY 1989 DETAILS COVER. $800 - $1,200
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A PLASTIC COAT BY MILLIE DAVID FEATURED IN SOHO NEWS STYLE SECTION, FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANNIE FLANDERS. $500 - $700
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG JEWELRY BOX. $600 - $900
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A SET OF JONI MITCHELL LYRICS FOR "IF I HAD A HEART." $2,000 - $3,000
  • 19th Century Shop
    Catalogue 198 just published
    19th Century Shop. Darwin and Wallace, first printing of the first paper on natural selection
    19th Century Shop. Shakespeare’s Poems, first collected edition
    19th Century Shop. Walt Whitman portrait inscribed with a Leaves of Grass poem
    19th Century Shop. Major Elizabeth Barrett Browning manuscript notebook
    19th Century Shop. Spock's Baby Book, original MS
    19th Century Shop. Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica, the great celestial atlas

Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - September - 2017 Issue

Celebrating Melbourne 2017 from Douglas Stewart Fine Books

Melbourne 2017.

Douglas Stewart Fine Books has issued a catalogue entitled Melbourne 2017. It recognizes the recent book fair in that city. Not surprisingly, Stewart is an Australian bookseller, and you will find more material pertaining to that continent than in the typical European or American dealer's catalogue. Nonetheless, many in Australia collect books having no connection to that land, particularly those who focus on the oldest of books. It is safe to say the likes of Galileo and da Vinci never set foot on Australia, and yet their work can be found in this catalogue too. Here are a few examples.

 

We begin with a love letter to... Mona Lisa? The identity of the subject of perhaps the most famous painting ever created remains uncertain, but the name of Isabella of Aragon is one that was put forth in a book by scholar Maike Vogt-Luerssen in 2003. More about that later. The letter to young Isabella, then but 11 years old, came from her cousin, Gian Galeazzo Sforza, Duke of Milan. If that sounds rather young, the "romance" had been going on since he was two and she was one. Neither likely appreciated it at that time, but the wedding had already been planned by the family. While the two never actually met until their wedding in 1489, eight years after this letter was written, the two carried on a touching relationship from afar. In this letter, the Duke acknowledges some sort of banner she sent him, and thanks her for a gift "worthy of his love." If he had to go to battle, hopefully not something expected of a 12-year-old, he says he would carry it with him. This was typical of the type of letters the two exchanged until finally meeting and tying the knot. Sadly, the marriage dild not last all that long, though not because the two were disappointed in each other. The Duke died just five years later at the age of 25. His uncle had served as his regent in his youth, and some suspect he offed the poor Duke so he could retain his control of Milan. As for the Isabella-Mona Lisa connection, many possible subjects for the painting have been named, including an idealized woman, da Vinci's mother, even a feminized self-portrait of da Vinci himself, and another woman has long been considered the favorite. However, Vogt-Luerssen pointed out that da Vinci was court painter for Milan and painted numerous Sforza family portraits, and was well acquainted with Gian and Isabella, even planning and staging their wedding. Item 2. Priced at AU $8,000 (Australian dollars, or approximately $6,347 US dollars).

 

This next item is not a love letter. It was from Lord Horatio Nelson, the great British Admiral, to Sir William Hamilton. It was strictly business, though had Nelson written the letter to Mrs. Hamilton, it might well have been romantic. Nelson's fleet was stationed at Naples in late 1798, having defeated Napoleon in Egypt. However, there was much mischief from the French going on in the city-states of Italy at the time, and Nelson inquires of Hamilton about what support, or lack thereof, he could expect from the Ligurian Republic, centered around Genoa. Eleven days later, the British were forced to evacuate, including Nelson's ships and Hamilton's household. Now, as for that allusion to Lady Hamilton, Emma was a drop-dead beautiful actress and model, with a couple of romantic liaisons and child in her background when she married Sir William, more than twice her age, in 1791. Nelson stayed with the Hamiltons after the Egypt campaign, as Emma nursed him back to health. The two fell madly in love, though both were married. Sir William evidently tolerated the relationship. He died in 1803, which opened up possibilities if Nelson could obtain a divorce, but he was killed in the Battle of Trafalgar just two years later. Emma, now living with their child, was devastated, dying ten years later in poverty in France. Item 15. AU $25,000 (US $19,833).

 

This book provided Europeans their first glimpse of Australia, but the price paid for these images was horrendous. Item 5 is Ongeluckige Voyagie van het Schip Batavia... by Francois Pelsaert. The not-so good ship Batavia was on her maiden voyage out of Cape Town, headed to Batavia, for which she was named, on behalf of the Dutch East India Company. She was steered off course by some sailors planning a mutiny. The ship wrecked on an island off the western coast of Australia. There was little food and no water, leading Pelsaert, the captain, to lead a group of men to the Australian coast seeking water. They found none. Pelsaert determined their best chance was to make a dash for Batavia a month away in the longboat, a dangerous journey. They succeeded, and given a ship by the governor, returned to rescue the survivors. What they found was horrific. The would-be mutineers, led by one Jeronimus Cornelisz, had killed 100 of the survivors, including women and children, to preserve supplies for themselves. Those remaining lived in terror, the women used as sex slaves. Cornelisz had left a small group of men on a nearby island, assuming they would soon perish, but they found water on their island and survived. When Pelsaert returned with supplies, they warned him of what had happened, saving him from a planned ambush. Pelsaert and his men subdued the mutineers and meted out justice. Among the first images of Australia are justice being applied to Cornelisz. His arms were chopped off with a chisel and hammer, after which he was hanged. Five others were immediately hanged, six later tried and executed in Batavia, and two left on the Australian mainland, never to be heard from again. Offered is an early edition of this tale, circa 1663 (the first was published in 1647). AU $78,500 (US $62,307).

 

While not obvious at the time, this might well be the most important scientific expedition in history. Item 27 is Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, between the years 1826 and 1836... There were two voyages, and the first two of four volumes were produced by Captain Philip Parker King and Robert FitzRoy. It was the second voyage, from 1831-1836, commanded by FitzRoy, that was important. That is because of the presence of the mission's naturalist and author of volume 3, Charles Darwin. Darwin spent more time on land than at sea, scouring through plant and animal life, and the geologic record, both along the southern mainland of South America and offshore islands. He was struck by both the overall similarities of species found in the separate locations, but the differences between them as well. He did not have an immediate explanation for what he saw and describes, but he ruminated on the question after he returned. Within a few years he came to a conclusion. It would not be until another 20 years that he finally published his explanation – evolution by process of natural selection – though by the early 1840's he pretty well understood what was going on. While all copies of this book are very valuable, this one comes with a most notable provenance. It was Captain FitzRoy's personal copy. It contains his signature, the set having been passed down through the family in the following years. AU $225,000 (US $178,540).

 

For those who collect Pope Innocent IV, you are not likely to come across too many contemporary items, so here is one. It is a papal bull, having to do with debts of a monastery, in 1252. Innocent served as Pope from 1243 until his death in 1254. He was elected at a contentious time, as factions among the cardinals debated how demanding to be on King of Sicily/Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. A compromise candidate in the previous election survived all of 17 days as Pope. It took 18 months to select Innocent, who was thought better able to reach an understanding with Frederick as, when he was a cardinal, the two had been friendly. It didn't work as the two butted heads when Frederick still would not submit to papal authority. Innocent had to flee to France, where he spent most of his papacy, returning only after Frederick died. However, he ended up in confrontation with Frederick's son and successor, and it became too much, Innocent IV dying late in 1254. Item 1. AU $4,850 (US $3,845).

 

Douglas Stewart Fine Books may be reached at +61 3 9066 0200 or info@douglasstewart.com.au. Their website is found at www.douglasstewart.com.au.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    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
    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
    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
    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.
  • Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: [Langland (William)]. The vision of Pierce Plowman, nowe the seconde time imprinted..., Roberte Crowley, 1550. £8,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: [Shakespeare (William)]. [Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies], second folio edition, [by Tho.Cotes, for Robert Allot], [1632]. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Bible, Czech Biblia Bohemica, first complete Bible printed in the Czech vernacular, Prague, August 1488. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Shabthai Tzvi.- Collection of four printed and illustrated broadsides detailing the appearance, rise and fall of the false messiah, Shabthai Tzvi, Augsburg, 1666-67. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Leaf from the Beauvais Missal, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment, [Northern France (perhaps Beauvais or Amiens)], [fourteenth century (c.1310)]. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Aubrey (John). [Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme], manuscript in English, Latin and Greek, [c. 1693]. £30,000 to £50,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Byron (George Gordon Noel, Lord). Poems on Various Occasions, first edition, Harriet Maltby's copy, Newark, Printed by S. & J. Ridge, 1807. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, first edition, second impression with dust-jacket, 1937 [but 1938]. £7,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Blake (William).- Thornton (Robert John). The Pastorals of Virgil, 2 vol., engraved plates by William Blake, 1821. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: America.- Mount (William J.) & Thomas Page. The English Pilot…, [bound with] The Fourth Book, describing The West Indies Navigation from Hudson's-Bay to the River Amazones, 1721. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Oldfield (Henry Ambrose), Rajman Singh Chitrakar & others. An album of 160 photographs and 13 original artworks, (1833-1919), [c. 1850s-1880s]. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Audubon (John James) [and William MacGillivray]. Ornithological Biography…, 5 vol., first edition, presentation copy inscribed by Audubon, Edinburgh, 1831-49 [i.e. 1831-39]. £10,000 to £15,000.

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