Rare Book Monthly
Articles - October - 2003 Issue
H.P. Kraus Reference Library<br>At Auction This Month
Item 983, the Library of Richard Heber. Courtesy of Sotheby’s.
Lot 983 covers a much earlier auction. It’s the Catalogue of the Library of the late Richard Heber, Esq. Heber was one of the major collectors of the early 19th century and it was an enormous auction, also conducted by Sotheby’s, that dispersed the collection in 1834. $1,000-$1,500.
There are many more Sotheby’s catalogues that were in Kraus’ library. Lots 1047-1066 all cover various Sotheby book auctions. Lots 1082 and 1083, on the other hand, offer numerous catalogues of American booksellers rather than auctions. Lot 1082 contains 175 catalogues from 9 dealers such as Dawson, Eberstadt, and more recently, Reese. $600-$800. Lot 1083 includes another 525 catalogues from 84 dealers. $2,000-$3,000.
And, of course, this auction would not be complete without lots 997 and 998. These are collections of catalogues and other material from H.P. Kraus himself. Each is estimated at $1,000-$1,500.
A complete listing of the H.P. Kraus auction is available online at Sotheby’s website, www.sothebys.com. To find it, click on the “auction calendar” or “view full auction calendar” on the left side of their home page. Then scan forward to the date of November 18th. From this listing, you can browse their catalogue online, or order a printed copy. You may also call Sotheby’s at 212-606-7350 to order a printed copy. We highly recommend the 444-page printed version as it is easier to keep track of the large number of complex lots this way. The price is $35. Subscribers to the Americana Exchange Database will also find access to the listings shortly on the members’ site and will be able to use keyword searches on their MatchMaker software to locate books within their topics of interest at this and other auctions.
While the November reference auction will be the largest of the H.P. Kraus auctions, two more sessions are planned. On December 4 and 5 in New York, the inventory of the store will be auctioned. Material for the second auction will be exhibited at Sotheby’s on November 28. At some as yet unscheduled date, a third auction is planned in Europe for the inventory of Kraus’ European associate. The three auctions are expected to bring winning bids of $9-$12 million.
