Joe Rubinfine has issued a new catalogue of American Historical Autographs. It includes the most famous of American names, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, along with numerous other figures from politics, the military, science and invention, business, and law. They range from simple signatures to detailed letters of historical importance. Here are a few of the 51 items available in List 161.
Item 43 is a significant letter from Theodore Roosevelt to friend and political reformer Louisa Lee Schuyler dated February 20, 1912. At the time, Roosevelt was considering a run against his successor and former ally President William Howard Taft. Schuyler was against such a course, but Roosevelt had become very disillusioned with Taft and already had decided to accept the Republican nomination if offered. Speaking of Taft, Roosevelt says, "He is a reactionary, not primarily by preference, but simply because he does not understand the great questions that are up, and has no real conviction on them. He was an admirable lieutenant, but as a general he is utterly incompetent." Roosevelt goes on to say Taft would "make the Republican Party a reactionary party," and in the ultimate comment of disrespect, "not a particle more useful to the country than the Whig Party under Millard Fillmore." Roosevelt was not nominated by the Republicans, ran as a third party candidate, and both he and Taft lost to Democrat Woodrow Wilson. Priced at $17,500.
Item 29 is a pair of letters which describe one of the greatest unnecessary tragedies of early American history, the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr which cost Hamilton his life. They are from Hamilton's friend and successor as Secretary of the Treasury Oliver Wolcott, Jr., to his wife. One is dated July 11, 1804, the day of the duel, while Hamilton still lived, the other July 13, after Hamilton died. Wolcott obviously despised dueling, and notes with irony that Hamilton did as well, despite succumbing to Burr's challenge. Wolcott notes that Hamilton believed "the custom was in the highest degree criminal, yet there were peculiar reasons which rendered it proper for him..." Wolcott continues, "This instance of the derangement of intellect of a great mind, on a simple point, has often been noticed as one of the most common yet unaccountable frailties of human nature." In this first letter, Wolcott also notes that Hamilton is unlikely to survive, that he did not attempt to shoot Burr, and that while his wife is now with him, she was "ignorant of the cause of his Illness" (that seems hard to believe). In his second letter, Wolcott again rails against dueling, marveling on how Hamilton calmly arranged his affairs in advance in case of a bad outcome, "Thus proving his respect for justice in comparatively small matters, & at the same time disregarding its obligations on points of the first importance." Hamilton's actions are all the more incomprehensible to Wolcott because the former deemed dueling "immoral & indefensible," and had earlier lost his own son to a duel. $40,000.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: APRES DE MANNEVILLETTE Le Neptune Oriental
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSAS Eaux fortes de la Sicile et quelques vues d’Espagne
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: CASSINI DE THURY Carte générale et particulière de la France.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: JOUY; GARNERAY Vues des côtes de France dans l'Océan et dans la Méditerranée
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LA PÉROUSE Voyage autour du monde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LE GENTIL DE LA GALAISIERE Voyage dans les Mers de l’Inde
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: LICENT Hoang Ho, Pai Ho, Loan Ho, Leao Ho. Itinéraires suivis dans le bassin du golfe du Pei Tcheuly
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: FRENCH SCHOOL FROM THE 19th CENTURY Panorama d’Athènes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PEETERS Description des principales villes, havres et isles du golfe de Venise
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: PÉRON; FREYCINET Voyage de découverte aux terres australes
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: STACKELBERG La Grèce : vues pittoresques et topographiques.
Gros & Delettrez, 7 November: VALENTINER Atlas des Sonnensystems.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). The Thirteen Problems, first edition, The Crime Club, 1932. £15,000 to £20,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Dumb Witness, first edition, 1937. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Cards on the Table, first edition, The Crime Club, 1936. £2,000 to £3,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Carr (John Dickson)], "Carter Dickson" and John Rhode. Drop to his Death, first edition, Heinemann, [1939]. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Berkeley (Anthony). Jumping Jenny, first edition, Hodder and Stoughton, 1933. £800 to £1,200.
Forum Auctions Online Sale: The Detective Fiction Collection of John Cooper Ending 7th November, 2024
Forum, Nov. 7: Marsh (Ngaio). Overture to Death, first edition, The Crime Club, 1939. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: [Day-Lewis (Cecil)] "Nicholas Blake". The Beast Must Die, first edition, 1938. £750 to £1,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Brand (Christianna). Green for Danger, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, John Lane the Bodley Head, 1945. £600 to £800.
Forum, Nov. 7: Christie (Agatha). Murder is Easy, first edition, signed by the author, 1939. £3,000 to £4,000.
Forum, Nov. 7: Sayers (Dorothy L.) Lord Peter Views the Body, first edition, Gollancz, 1928. £6,000 to £8,000.
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RareBookBuyer.com Specialized in Purchasing Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
RareBookBuyer.com We Buy Librairies & Rare Books Nationwide ABAA Dealer
RareBookBuyer.com Specialized in Purchasing Institutional Collections & Deacccessioned Books
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Sotheby's Fine Books, Manuscripts & More Available for Immediate Purchase
Sotheby’s: J.R.R. Tolkien. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. 11,135 USD
Sotheby’s: Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven and Other Poems, 1845. 33,000 USD
Sotheby’s: Leo Tolstoy, Clara Bow. War and Peace, 1886. 22,500 USD
Sotheby’s: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, 1902. 7,500 USD
Sotheby’s: F. Scott Fitzgerald. This Side of Paradise, The Great Gatsby, and Others, 1920-1941. 24,180 USD
Freeman’s | Hindman Fine Printed Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana November 14
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: LEROUX, Gaston. The Phantom of the Opera. FIRST AM. ED, FIRST ISSUE IN THE VERY RARE DUST JACKET. 1911. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD, John. A Monograph of the Trochilidae...Humming-Birds. L., [1849-] 1861. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: A COMPLETE RUN of Limited Editions Club publications, v.p. [mostly New York], 1929-2010. $50,000 – 60,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: ORWELL, George. Nineteen Eighty-Four. Lon., 1949. FIRST EDITION IN A VERY FINE DUST JACKET. $6,000 – 8,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: GOULD. A Monograph of the Ramphastidae...Toucans. L., [1852-] 54. SECOND ED. $35,000 – 45,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14:The Federalist. NY, 1788. FIRST EDITION, THICK PAPER COPY. $60,000 – 80,000.
Freeman’s | Hindman, Nov. 14: SELBY. Plates to Selby’s Illustrations of British Ornithology. Edin., [1833-] 34. $20,000 – 30,000.