Thursday, October 02, 2014

Letters from Charlotte Brontë and Charles Darwin achieve top prices & other antiquarian book news

Letters from Charlotte Brontë and Charles Darwin achieve top prices at
Fraser's Autographs' September auction

A letter sent in 1846 discussing a potential visit to Brookroyd, and asking for more information about coaches leaving Bradford sent from Charlotte Brontë to her lifelong friend Ellen Nussey stole the show recently at Fraser's sale, 'Autographs, Manuscripts and Historic Sporting Memorabilia'.

Highlights (+ BP)

Lot 137
1846 Letter from Charlotte Brontë to Ellen Nussey
£16,000

Lot 250
Billy Jennings's Bolton Wanderers 1923 F.A. Cup Final Shirt
£7,680

Lot 83
1866 Letter from Charles Darwin to his wife Emma
£2,816

Frasers


Lot 112
Viktor (Deni) Nikolaevich – Agitprop Poster
£2,560

Lot 190
Jimi Hendrix Signature
£2,560

Lot 159
Leo Tolstoy Signed Postcard
£2,304

Lot 79
Winston S. Churchill letter addressed to the Zionist Organisation of America
£1,664 

Dominic Winter

Dominic Winter has two auctions next week comprising a total of some 1100 lots with some great highlights throughout.

DominicThe first day, 8th October, with twenty-six categories features Travel, British Topography, Maps and Prints, Antiquarian, Art and General Literature, but is also strong on Natural History. Not only books among which are major bird book highlights such as the first octavo edition of Audubon’s Birds of America (£20,000-30,000) but also Charles Darwin, Falconry and Geology books, but also Sporting Art, Fossils, Taxidermy, Fishing Tackle, etc. Oddity of the month honours goes to an Eric Idle archive, being a collection of photographs and memorabilia including Monty Python signed items, assembled by Eric’s mother Nora.

The second day’s auction turns to Fine Art & Antiques, plus Photography 1850-2000. A Chinese and Oriental theme runs through both days and one of the highlights of Day Two is likely to be an historic album of photographs, watercolours and other Chinese ephemera, compiled c. 1860s/1870s by Herbert Elgar Hobson, friend and interpreter to General ‘Chinese’ Gordon during the Taiping Rebellion (£10,000-15,000). This is one of 25 lots of China and Hong Kong photography interest. Coincidentally in the same sale is a rebel flag claimed by and formerly belonging to Gordon from the Taiping Rebellion.

For further information and online catalogues, and to follow us on Facebook or twitter, please visit our website or contact the auction offices: Dominic Winter (Auctioneers) Ltd., Mallard House, Broadway Lane, South Cerney, Near Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 5UQ. Tel: 01285 860006. Email: info@dominicwinter.co.uk

PS Select entries for our 12-14 November books, maps, documents and military/aviation sales still invited. The sale will feature signed and association Winston Churchill items.


Unpublished letter written by the poet James K Baxter discovered.

A couple from the Kapiti Coast, New Zealand were looking through a box of books which they had bought and, inside one of them, found a type-written letter by the poet James K. Baxter. This was later confirmed as an unpublished document.

The tone of the letter was anti-establishment explaining how hard-done-by poets found it so difficult to earn a living.

The letter is to be auctioned on 15 October by Dunbar Sloane, and is expected to go for between $1,500 and $3,000.

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