Rare Book Monthly

Articles - June - 2018 Issue

June 12 at Bonhams NY: Fine Books and Manuscripts across six centuries

Two hundred eighty-seven lots comprise Bonhams June 12thsale in New York of Fine Books and Manuscripts, and they cover a lot of ground. From incunabula to World War II, focused collectors of many subjects will find material of interest. 

In chronological order in the sale, here are some impressive highlights:

 

Lot 3: AESOP. c.620-560 B.C.

[Vita et Fabulae], Latin prose version of Romulus, Franciscus Rinucius Aretinus, translator, et Fabulae, Lib. I-IV, with the metrical version of Anonymous Neveletti (i.e., Aesopus Moralisatus).

THE EARLIEST ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF AESOP TO BE PRINTED IN SWITZERLAND, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTIONS OF DYSON PERRONS AND SILVAIN BRUNSCHWIG

Est. $60,000 to $80,000

 

Lot 6: BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN. 1770-1827.

Autograph Musical Manuscript, 2 pp, oblong 4to (233 x 307 mm), [Vienna, early 1809,] ruled with 14-staves per page, notated in black ink, some minor darkening.

BEETHOVEN'S EMPEROR CONCERTO, THE MOST FREQUENTLY PERFORMED OF HIS PIANO CONCERTI, AND THE FIRST OF THE GREAT 19TH-CENTURY ROMANTIC CONCERTOS.

Est. $250,000 to $350,000

 

Lot 25: LOCKE, JOHN. 1632-1704.

Autograph Letter Signed ("J Locke"), 2 pp, 8vo (conjoining leaves), Oaks, October 27, 1698, to Ezekial Burridge of Dublin, regarding the death of his friend William Molyneux, with original autograph address leaf on the verso of p 2, some toning and creasing overall, small separations at fold, 1 inch loss to second leaf from original seal, leaves pressed, with small tape repair to address leaf.

Est. $7,000 to $10,000

 

Lot 30: SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. 1564-1616.

The Tragedie of Julius Caesar [Extracted from the First Folio]. [London: Isaac Jaggard..., 1623.] 
Folio (308 x 196 mm). 22 pp, the complete play. Modern red crushed morocco, ruled in gilt, repair to lower corners of some leaves, upper border shaved above headlines on most leaves, but not affecting headline or pagination, borders at fore-edge shaved, occasionally touching text, minor staining, small wormhole running through all 11 leaves. 

FIRST PRINTING OF JULIUS CAESAR, one of Shakespeare's greatest and most popular plays.

Est. $50,000 to $70,000

 

Lot 66: AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851.

Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp recto and verso, folio, n.p., n.d. [but watermarked 1829] being the description of the Crested Titmouse, plate 39 from Birds of America, published in Ornithological Biography [1831-1839], paginated 145-146 in blue pencil by another hand, leaf moderately corrected by the author, with 1/4 inch loss to upper right corner of right margin (not affecting text), very mild toning and thumbing overall.

AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT OF AUDUBON'S ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION OF LOUISIANA'S "CRESTED TITMOUSE."

Est. $10,000 to $15,000

 

Lot 130: ORTELIUS, Abraham. 1527-1598.

Theatrum orbis terrarum. Antwerp: Gilles Coppens de Diest, 1570. 

FIRST EDITION of Ortelius's major atlas of the World.

Est. $50,000 to $80,000

 

Lot 133: ROBERTS, DAVID. 1796-1864, artist; and GEORGE CROLY. 1780-1860.

The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia.... London: F.G. Moon, 1842-43-49. 
3 volumes, elephant folio. First edition.

Est. $20,000 to $30,000

 

Lot 178: SIENKIEWICZ, BILL. b.1958.

Original cover art for The Comet Man #5, ink on board, with white out, with title and publication info pasted on, 11 x 17 inches, signed by Bill Sienkiewicz lower right, minor toning, matted and framed.

Est. $3,000 to $5,000

 

Lot 269: GERMAN WEATHER REPORT CODEBOOK, FOR ENIGMA USE.

Wetterkurzschlussel. [WKS. Weather short Signal Book]. Berlin: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, 1942. 

German Enigma codebooks from World War II are some of the rarest printed wartime material, and of these codebooks the ones used on the U Boat fleet are the rarest of all.
Est. $20,000 to $30,000

 

Lot 282: THE SHAEF TICKER-TAPE ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL EISENHOWER'S "TOTAL CEASE FIRE ORDER", (FWD-20801) ANNOUNCING THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF GERMANY.

2 leaves of SHAEF proforma "SHAEF MESSAGE FORM", unmarked and undated, but stamped five times over the two leaves "US CONFIDENTIAL (EQUALS BRITISH CONFIDENTIAL)," with 17 lines of pasted ticker-tape text announcing the Surrender of the German High Command at 0140 hours Central European Time, and the general orders for a ceasefire. Some light spotting to upper right corners.

Est. $8,000 to $12,000

 

Bonhams sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts takes place June 12thin New York. Click here for more information and to view the online catalog.

 

 

 

 

Rare Book Monthly

  • Fonsie Mealy’s
    Rare Books & Collectors’ Sale
    April 30th & May 1st
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Taylor (Geo.) & Skinner (A.) Maps of the Roads of Ireland, Surveyed 1777. Lond. & Dublin 1778. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Messingham (Thos.) Florilegium Insulae Sanctorum seu Vitae et Acta Sanctorum Hibernia, Paris 1624. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus). The Haw Lantern, L. (Faber & Faber) 1987, First Edn., Signed and dated. €225 to €350.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Valencey (Lt. Col. Chas.) Collectanea de Rebus Hibernicis, Vols. I-IV, 4 vols. Dublin 1786. €400 to €600.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Powerscourt (Viscount). A Description and History of Powerscourt, Lond. 1903. €350 to €500.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Moryson (Fynes). An Itinerary ... Containing His Ten Yeeres Travel Through the Twelve Dominions of Germany, Bohermerland, Sweitzerland…, Lond. (John Beale) 1617. €700 to €1,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: After Buffon, Birds of Europe, c. 1820. Approx. 120 fine hd. cold. plts., mor. backed boards. €125 to €250.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Dunlevy (Andrew). An Teagasg Criosduidhe De Reir Ceasda agus Freagartha... The Catechism or Christian Doctrine by Way of Question and Answer, Paris (James Guerin) 1742. €400 to €700.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: The Georgian Society Records of Eighteen-Century Domestic Architecture in Dublin, 5 vols. Complete, Dublin 1909-1913. €500 to €750.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Scale (Bernard). An Hibernian Atlas or General Description of the Kingdom of Ireland, L. (Robert Sayer & John Bennet) 1776. €625 to €850.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: [Johnson (Rev. Samuel)]. Julian the Apostate Being a Short Account of his Life, together with a Comparison of Popery and Paganism,L. (Langley Curtis) 1682. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Nichlson (Wm.) Illustrator. An Almanac of Twelve Sports, Lond. 1898. €300 to €400.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) trans. The Light of the Leaves, 2 vols., Mexico (Imprenta de los Tropicos/Bunholt) 1999. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Fleming (Ian). Moonraker, L. (Jonathan Cape) 1955. €1,500 to €2,000.
    Fonsie Mealy’s, Apr 30-May 1: Heaney (Seamus) & Egan (Felim) artist. Squarings, Twelve Poems, D. (Hieroglyph Editions Ltd.) 1991. €1,750 to €2,250.
  • Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN'S EXTREMELY RARE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINT. "Scene af: Røverne i Vissenberg i Fyen." in Harpen, 1822.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST THREE FAIRY TALE PAMPHLETS, WITH ALL INDICES AND TITLE PAGES. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: THE FIRST FAIRY TALES WITH A SIGNED CARTE DE VISITE OF ANDERSEN AS FRONTIS. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: KARL LAGERFELD. Original pastel and ink drawing in gold, red and black for Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes (1992), "La cassette de l'Empereur."
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY OF THE SIXTH PAMPHLET FOR PETER KOCH. Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn, Second Series, Third Pamphlet. 1841. Publisher's wrappers, complete with all pre- and post-matter.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN RARE AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED IN ENGLISH from "The Ugly Duckling," c.1860s.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HEINRICH LEFLER, ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOR ANDERSEN'S SNOW QUEEN, "Die Schneekönigin," 1910.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES IN ENGLISH. Wonderful Stories for Children. London, 1846.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN ON MEETING CHARLES DICKENS. Autograph Letter Signed ("H.C. Andersen") in English to William Jerdan, July 20, 1847.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR EDGAR COLLIN. Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Raekke. 1861.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: DOLL HOUSE FURNITURE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, DECORATED WITH FANTASTICAL CUT-OUTS, for the children of Jonna Stampe (née Drewsen), his godchildren.
    Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR GEORG BRANDES. Dryaden. Et Eventyr fra Udstillingstiden i Paris 1867. 1868.
  • Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: The Shem Tov Bible, 1312 | A Masterpiece from the Golden Age of Spain. Sold: 6,960,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Ten Commandments Tablet, 300-800 CE | One of humanity's earliest and most enduring moral codes. Sold: 5,040,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: William Blake | Songs of Innocence and of Experience. Sold: 4,320,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: The Declaration of Independence | The Holt printing, the only copy in private hands. Sold: 3,360,000 USD
    Sotheby's
    Sell Your Fine Books & Manuscripts
    Sotheby’s: Thomas Taylor | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Sold: 1,920,000 USD
    Sotheby’s: Machiavelli | Il Principe, a previously unrecorded copy of the book where modern political thought began. Sold: 576,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Leonardo da Vinci | Trattato della pittura, ca. 1639, a very fine pre-publication manuscript. Sold: 381,000 GBP
    Sotheby’s: Henri Matisse | Jazz, Paris 1947, the complete portfolio. Sold: 312,000 EUR

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