As the auction season winds down for summer the pace of sales slows but never stops. There is simply too much material trying to get into the rooms. As we head into June there are 38 sales scheduled and more will be entered into the calendars as the month progresses. The July and August schedules remain substantially incomplete but are also filling in. Twenty-four of the June events are in Europe, fourteen in the United States. The distribution of sales by continent continues to favor Europe which dominates the book auctions both by number of sales and lots per sale. For the full month more than 25,000 lots are expected to be posted and 18,000 to 19,000 sell.
In Europe auctions are a more broadly accepted method for redistributing material. In North America, where book listing sites and eBay came of age, these alternative methods dominate the low and to mid-range material while traditional auctions and dealers generally make a market in the upper third.
Of particular note:
On June 17th, in New York, Christies is offering "Important Science Books: The Richard Green Library." It is 300 lots "from six revolutionary centuries of scientific, mathematical and philosophical thought. The sale offers outstanding works by Galileo Galilei, Nicolaus Copernicus, Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Johnannes Kepler, Sir Isaac Newton, and many more including a number of works never seen on the market before." The collection is expected realize in excess of $6 million.
Swann is conducting a Maps & Atlases sale in New York on the 19th, Sothebys, the same day in New York, a sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts. Two Americana sales are on the calender: Swann in New York on the 5th, Cowan the same day in Cincinnati. Dominic Winter is offering Children's Books on the 19th, Bloomsbury material in the category on the 23rd. On the US west coast PBA offers Fine Literature on the 12th, Fine & Rare Books on the 26th.
In Paris there are half a dozen sales, in London and the United Kingdom 10, Denmark 2, Belgium 2 sales over 3 days, in Rome 1. In New York there are 7 events, in Dallas and San Francisco 2 each, Cincinnati, Ohio and Falls Church, Virginia 1 each. Inevitably other sales will be announced, posted and sold.
As we go to press 34 upcoming auctions are searchable through the Rare Book Search & Research single search that searches all auctions as a single sale and provides results in declining date order. Here are some examples of searches [and the number of lots found] in upcoming auctions:
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Ellis Smith Prints unsigned. 20” by 16”.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: United typothetae of America presidents. Pictures of 37 UTA presidents 46th annual convention United typothetae of America Cincinnati 1932.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec signed Paper Impressionism Art Prints. MayMilton 9 1/2” by 13” Reine de Joie 9 1/2” by 13”.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Aberle’ Ballet editions. 108th triumph, American season spring and summer 1944.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Puss ‘n Boots. 1994 Charles Perrult All four are signed by Andreas Deja
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Specimen book of type faces. Job composition department, Philadelphia gazette publishing company .
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: An exhibit of printed books, Bridwell library.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur Court By Mark Twain 1889.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 1963 Philadelphia Eagles official program.
High Bids Win Rare Books, Catalogs, Magazines and Machine Manuals December 24 to January 9
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: 8 - Esquire the magazine for men 1954.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: The American printer, July 1910.
High Bids Win, Dec. 24 – Jan. 9: Leaves of grass 1855 by Walt Whitman.
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: William Shakespeare. The Poems and Sonnets of William Shakespeare, 1960. 7,210 USD
Sotheby’s: Charles Dickens. A Christmas Carol, First Edition, 1843. 17,500 USD
Sotheby’s: William Golding. Lord of the Flies, First Edition, 1954. 5,400 USD
Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: Lewis Carroll. Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There, Inscribed First Edition, 1872. 25,000 USD
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit, First Edition, 1937. 12,000 USD
Sotheby’s: John Milton. Paradise Lost, 1759. 5,400 USD
