Auction Update Review

A Strong Week in the Auction Rooms

 

For the week ending Saturday April 5th, 2014 37 auctions were archived to the AED; 2 is Swiss francs, 11 in euros, 4 in British pounds, and 20 in US dollars.  Total sales were $37, 481,105 as 11,215 lots were offered and 8,316 lots sold for a 74% success rate.

<A contemporary account of the London Fire is available at Bonham's on April 7.

8 auctions saw their total proceeds reach a million dollars:

Sothebys. The Inventive Eye: Photographs from a Private Collection on April 1st: $5,414,750
Christies. Photographs on April 3rd: $4,230,688
Sothebys. Photographs on April 2nd: $4,032,751
Sothebys. The John James Audubon Collection from the Indiana Historical Society on April 1st: $3,770,000
Christies. The Range of Light: Photographs by Ansel Adams on April 3rd: $2,144,875
Sothebys. Gordon Waldorf Collection on April 1st: $1,809,625
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books on April 2nd: $1,680,906
Koller Auctions. Print, Books and Photographs on March 29th: $1,375,164

<A first edition of the Book of Mormon is offered at Swann's on April 8.

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

OSENAT. Empire at Fontainebleau on March 23rd: 160.28%
Sothebys. Made in Britain on April 1st: 148.15%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern and Contemporary Prints on March 31st: 128.73%
Sothebys. The Inventive Eye: Photographs from a Private Collection on April 1st: 120.54%
Swann Galleries. Astronomy & Science Books from The Library of Martin C. Gutzwiller on April 3rd: 117.07%
Bruun Rasmussen. Books and Manuscripts on April 1st: 110.86%
Christies. The Range of Light: Photographs by Ansel Adams on April 3rd: 110.62%


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

Christies. Interiors - Prints on April 2nd: 100.00%
Sothebys. The John James Audubon Collection from the Indiana Historical Society on April 1st: 100.00%
Heritage Auctions. Comics - Internet bidstart 3/23 on March 30th: 99.20%
Heritage Auctions. Historical Manuscripts on April 3rd: 95.10%
Christies. Rare Maps from Kenneth Nebenzahl, Inc. on April 1st: 93.89%
Heritage Auctions. Movie Posters - Internet Bidstart 3/23 on March 30th: 92.17%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 3/27 on April 3rd: 90.60%
Heritage Auctions. Rare Books on April 2nd: 90.10%
Bruun Rasmussen. Books and Manuscripts on April 1st: 90.00%
Sothebys. Made in Britain on April 1st: 89.66%
Christies. The Range of Light: Photographs by Ansel Adams on April 3rd: 88.00%
Sothebys. The Inventive Eye: Photographs from a Private Collection on April 1st: 87.10%
Swann Galleries. Astronomy & Science Books from The Library of Martin C. Gutzwiller on April 3rd: 86.96%
Bruun Rasmussen. Modern and Contemporary Prints on March 31st: 83.33%

For the week ahead 33 sales are scheduled:

Mon. Apr. 7th
Bonhams. New York. Treasures from the Caren Archive. 305 lots
Neret Minet and Tessier. Paris. Marine. 95 lots


Tue. Apr. 8th
Swann Galleries. New York. Printed & Manuscript Americana. 320 lots
Bonhams. New York. Space History. 208 lots
Neret Minet and Tessier. Paris. Movie Posters. 345 lots

Wed. Apr. 9th
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Gloucestershire. Printed Books and Maps, Vintage Photographs. 477 lots
Kapandji Morhange. Paris. Books. 434 lots
Doyle New York. New York. Rare Books, Autographs and Photgraphs. 353 lots
Rossini. Paris. Prints and Photographs. 18 lots
Sothebys. London. Islamic World - Books, Manuscripts. 62 lots

Thu. Apr. 10th
Christies. London -South Kensington. Travel, Science and Natural History.
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Gloucestershire. Fine Illustrated Travel and Military History. 242 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions. London. Bibliophile. 390 lots
Freemans. Philadelphia. Rare Books and Manuscripts. 539 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Geography. 259 lots
PBA Galleries. San Francisco. Fine Books. 705 lots
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Rare Books - Internet bidstart 4/3. 501 lots
Cowans Auctions. Cincinnati. Americana - Prints, Ephemera. 21 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Rare Books. 367 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Incunabula. 271 lots
Dominic Winter Book Auctions. Gloucestershire. Photography. 131 lots

Fri. Apr. 11th
Freemans. Philadelphia. Books, Maps & Manuscripts. 227 lots
Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society. Lancaster. Rare and Used Books. 473 lots
Bloomsbury Auctions. London. Modern Literature. 217 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Literature of the 17th - 19th Century. 507 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Autographs. 373 lots

Sat. Apr. 12th
Clars Auction Gallery. Oakland. Prints and Photographs.
Jeschke van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH. Berlin-Schoneberg. Rare Books, Prints and Photographs. 892 lots
Blacksparrow. Sun Valley. Hollywood's Leading Men and Women. 13 lots
Galerie Bassenge. Berlin-Grunewald . Modern Literature and Prints. 958 lots
Jeschke van vliet Buch und Kunstauktionen GmbH. Berlin-Schoneberg. Photographs and Photobooks. 349 lots

Sun. Apr. 13th
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Movie Posters - Internet Bidstart 4/6.
Heritage Auctions. Dallas. Comics -Internet bidstart 4/6.

The ABAA/ILAB fair in New York has just concluded.  The material on offer was fresh and interesting, the dealers upbeat and collectors and institutions determined.  One hopes it was a success for all.  Through the past week and into the coming interesting auctions have been the norm.  Altogether, between dealer and auction sales, it looks to be a robust moment.

 

Bruce McKinney

AE

  • 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.
  • 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