PBA Galleries – December 18 – 11am
Sale
549
Fine & Rare Books – With Books Illustrated with Original Photographs
Among the highlights:
Fine & Rare Books – With Books Illustrated with Original Photographs
Among the highlights:
- Photographic Art Album for the Hoffman House by famed New York photographer Napoleon Sarony. Part of a large collection of photographically illustrated works in this auction. Estimate: $10,000-$15,000.
- The Anatomy of Plants with 78 copperplate engravings by Nehemiah Grew, the "Father of Plant Anatomy". Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
- Fabulous photograph by Walker Evans of young men attempting to board a moving train. Estimate: $3,000-$5,000.
- Finely bound set of George Eliot's writings. One of several lots of finely bound books and sets in this auction. Estimate: $2,500-$3,500.
- Le Mobilier Francais en Russie. Impressive catalog of French Furniture in Russian collections. Estimate: $2,000-$3,000.
- Yvan Goll's Four Poems of the Occult. Illustrations by Picasso, Tanguy, Leger, and Arp. One of 130 copies by the Allen Press. Estimate $2,000-$3,000.
- The Use of Globes. By Thomas Wright. Wright was the first to describe the shape of the Milky Way. Estimate $1,200-$1,800.
- Signed check from Maxfield Parrish to his wife, framed with a print by Parrish. Part of a large collection of Maxfield Parrish prints included in this auction. Estimate: $1,000-$1,500.
- Views inside the Gould's Manufacturing Company, Seneca Falls, NY. With 61 black & white photographic images of the plant in operation, c.1915. Estimate: $1,200-$2,000.
Each lot illustrated in the online version of the catalogue.
Bid directly from the site. Now available in the Bid Live Now section
Bid directly from the site. Now available in the Bid Live Now section
A
select group of more than 300 lots of rare and antiquarian books, manuscripts,
photographs, ephemera, maps and more. Section I of the sale comprises a large
collection of books illustrated with original photographs from the 19th and
early 20th centuries as well as a number of vintage photo albums of industrial
endeavors, academic institutions, etc. The second section of the sale includes
a collection of books printed at the Allen Press, finely bound books and sets,
a collection of prints by Maxfield Parrish, as well as a wide variety of fine
books in other subjects including, early books, illustrated books, fine press,
literature, the fine arts, and much more.
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Sister Gerda's book returns
A
rare book, written in German about Jersey that was presented to a Red Cross
nurse in 1945, has been returned to the island. The book, featuring water
colour pictures and black-and-white photographs of Jersey was presented to
Sister Gerda by the occupying forces. The Channel Islands were the only parts
of the British Isles to be occupied by Nazi forces in World War Two.
Sister Gerda worked at the St Brelade's Bay Hotel caring for the German forces. The Channel Islands Occupation Society has obtained the book after being told about it earlier in 2014.
Sister Gerda worked at the St Brelade's Bay Hotel caring for the German forces. The Channel Islands Occupation Society has obtained the book after being told about it earlier in 2014.
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Winnie-The-Pooh "Poohsticks" Drawing
9th
December 2014, Sotheby's in London – The most famous book illustration of the
20th century, E.H. Shepard's original ink drawing of Christopher Robin, Piglet
and Pooh on the famous 'Poohsticks' bridge sold for £314,500 (est.
£100,000-150,000): a new world record price for any book illustration at
auction.*
First published in A.A. Milne's celebrated The House at Pooh Corner
in 1928, and having formed the frontispiece for this (and many subsequent)
editions, the drawing can be counted among the most famous book illustrations
of the 20th century. It had been in the same private collection since being
acquired at Sotheby's nearly 40 years ago.
Dr Philip Errington, Director, Sotheby's Books and Manuscripts: "Unseen in public for forty years, we knew that this drawing would really capture people's imagination, but today's result exceeded all expectations. The illustration is central to the Winnie-the-Pooh books, and in turn has become one of the most familiar cultural references of the twentieth century. The new world record price was well deserved and goes to show that the very finest book illustrations are becoming increasingly recognised as works of art in their own right."
*The previous auction record for any book illustration was £289,250 set by Beatrix Potter's "The rabbits' Christmas party: The departure" at Sotheby's in 2008
** The previous auction record for any E.H. Shepard illustration was £139,250 set by "Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump" at Sotheby's in 2012
The drawing features in chapter six "in which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in". The game is, of course, 'Poohsticks', described by Milne as a game "…which Pooh invented, and which he and his friends used to play on the edge of the Forest".
The illustration accompanies the chapter's closing scene when Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet are left on the famous 'Poohsticks' bridge by themselves. Suddenly the tone changes from the excitement of playing the game – and tips about how to win – to a more wistful and contemplative mood: 'For a long time they looked at the river beneath them, saying nothing, and the river said nothing too, for it felt very quiet and peaceful on this summer afternoon'.
Piglet breaks the silence, volunteering his view that "Tigger is all right, really", to which Pooh adds "Everybody is really… But I don't suppose I'm right…" Christopher Robin's final affirmation that Pooh is indeed correct closes the chapter in a spirit of unified friendship and forgiveness, a message central to A.A. Milne's books.
To this, Shepard has added his own detail and quiet humour: Christopher Robin is leaning over the top of the bridge, Pooh has his paws on the lowest rung and Piglet, too short to reach a rung and a little timid, safely holds onto Pooh making sure he is not too close to the edge.
First published in A.A. Milne's celebrated The House at Pooh Corner
in 1928, and having formed the frontispiece for this (and many subsequent)
editions, the drawing can be counted among the most famous book illustrations
of the 20th century. It had been in the same private collection since being
acquired at Sotheby's nearly 40 years ago. Dr Philip Errington, Director, Sotheby's Books and Manuscripts: "Unseen in public for forty years, we knew that this drawing would really capture people's imagination, but today's result exceeded all expectations. The illustration is central to the Winnie-the-Pooh books, and in turn has become one of the most familiar cultural references of the twentieth century. The new world record price was well deserved and goes to show that the very finest book illustrations are becoming increasingly recognised as works of art in their own right."
*The previous auction record for any book illustration was £289,250 set by Beatrix Potter's "The rabbits' Christmas party: The departure" at Sotheby's in 2008
** The previous auction record for any E.H. Shepard illustration was £139,250 set by "Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump" at Sotheby's in 2012
The drawing features in chapter six "in which Pooh invents a new game and Eeyore joins in". The game is, of course, 'Poohsticks', described by Milne as a game "…which Pooh invented, and which he and his friends used to play on the edge of the Forest".
The illustration accompanies the chapter's closing scene when Christopher Robin, Pooh and Piglet are left on the famous 'Poohsticks' bridge by themselves. Suddenly the tone changes from the excitement of playing the game – and tips about how to win – to a more wistful and contemplative mood: 'For a long time they looked at the river beneath them, saying nothing, and the river said nothing too, for it felt very quiet and peaceful on this summer afternoon'.
Piglet breaks the silence, volunteering his view that "Tigger is all right, really", to which Pooh adds "Everybody is really… But I don't suppose I'm right…" Christopher Robin's final affirmation that Pooh is indeed correct closes the chapter in a spirit of unified friendship and forgiveness, a message central to A.A. Milne's books.
To this, Shepard has added his own detail and quiet humour: Christopher Robin is leaning over the top of the bridge, Pooh has his paws on the lowest rung and Piglet, too short to reach a rung and a little timid, safely holds onto Pooh making sure he is not too close to the edge.
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Taipei leads the way
The
National Palace Museum in Taipei is holding an exhibition that tells the
history of the world through 100 items and has just opened its doors to
celebrate the 90th anniversary of the museum.
“A History of the World in 100 Objects” uses artefacts that date from 2 million years ago to the present to illuminate how humans have shaped the world and been shaped by it. The exhibition, organised by the museum and the British Museum, is part of a world tour. Taipei is the first leg of the tour in Asia.
One of the objects is a clay tablet with cuneiform script written on it dated to between 700 BC and 600 BC. The tablet contains a chapter from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is considered the world’s first great work of literature.
Visitors can visit the exhibition for art education purposes or if they just want to learn more about world history. The exhibition runs until March 15 next year.
“A History of the World in 100 Objects” uses artefacts that date from 2 million years ago to the present to illuminate how humans have shaped the world and been shaped by it. The exhibition, organised by the museum and the British Museum, is part of a world tour. Taipei is the first leg of the tour in Asia.
One of the objects is a clay tablet with cuneiform script written on it dated to between 700 BC and 600 BC. The tablet contains a chapter from the Epic of Gilgamesh, which is considered the world’s first great work of literature.
Visitors can visit the exhibition for art education purposes or if they just want to learn more about world history. The exhibition runs until March 15 next year.
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Going Home
A
lost notebook containing drafts of some of Dylan Thomas’s most challenging
poems is to remain in the UK and more importantly, is heading to Wales after
Swansea University successfully bid £85,000 for it at Sotheby’s Auction House
in London. The price with premium was £104,500 – the estimate had been
£100,000-150,000.
The previously unknown notebook was described by one scholar as the most exciting Thomas discovery since the poet’s death in 1953. The winning bid was made on behalf of the university by Jeff Towns, chairman of the Dylan Thomas Society and the owner of Dylan’s Bookstore in Swansea.
The notebook had lain in a drawer for decades with its owners unaware of its huge cultural significance. It is the fifth school exercise book in which Thomas wrote poems with the other four held by the State University of New York at Buffalo and on loan for another week to the National Library of Wales.
The previously unknown notebook was described by one scholar as the most exciting Thomas discovery since the poet’s death in 1953. The winning bid was made on behalf of the university by Jeff Towns, chairman of the Dylan Thomas Society and the owner of Dylan’s Bookstore in Swansea.
The notebook had lain in a drawer for decades with its owners unaware of its huge cultural significance. It is the fifth school exercise book in which Thomas wrote poems with the other four held by the State University of New York at Buffalo and on loan for another week to the National Library of Wales.
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Ibookcollector © is published by Rivendale Press.
Ibookcollector © is published by Rivendale Press.
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