Based in Freehold, NY, Carlsen Gallery specializes in 18th and 19th century American furniture and other antiques such as oil paintings, porcelain and rugs. This month, their Mid-Winter Antique Auction on February 11, 2018, also includes a selection of rare books, autograph documents, posters, and etchings that members of Rare Book Hub may be interested in. Four hundred and two lots make up the sale, with a majority of the items falling under the Gallery’s focus of collectible antiques. So what falls under the umbrella of Rare Book Hub interest?
The highlight of the sale is a handwritten, autograph letter signed by Thomas Jefferson, dated September 10, 1821 and addressed to Graven Peyton, Esq., in which the former President tells Mr. Peyton that he will be paying him soon. As lot 15, Jefferson’s letter is estimated $2,000 to $4,000. Another Jefferson item precedes the letter, and this is a third edition of his Notes on the State of Virginia, estimated $100 to $300.
An 1837 edition of The Federalist is perhaps, on its own, not a particularly impressive item, but the copy being auctioned here was owned by the sons of one of the writers: Alexander Hamilton, Jr. Signed and annotated by Hamilton, Jr., this Federalist stands out from other copies. It is estimated $100 to $300 as lot 14.
Another interesting item is a framed set of autographs containing the signatures of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Julia Ward Howe (best known as the writer of “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”), Lucy Stone (a U.S. orator, abolitionist, and suffragist), Mary Livermore (also an abolitionist and suffragist), and Julia Marlowe (an English-born, American actress of the 19th and early 20th centuries). The autographs are framed together and are available as lot 11 for an estimated $300 to $500.
Vintage posters are a strong suit of the sale, with circus posters being auctioned in abundance. Lots 71 through 78 are groups of circus posters with Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey included. Groups of five posters are estimated $300 to $900 while the final lot, #78 contains nine posters and is estimated $200 to $400. A vintage “Tim McCoy’s real Wild West” poster is a gem in its own right and is estimated $500 to $1,500. Lastly, a group of six American WWII posters are being offered as lot 68 for an estimated $100 to $300.
Finally, we have a Nathaniel Currier lithograph print of the “Loss of the Steamboat Swallow,” printed in Athens, NY in 1845 in its original frame and glass. As lot 183, it is estimated $200 to $500.
The catalog for Carlsen Gallery’s Mid-Winter Antique Auction is available on their website here, and I recommend using the “Groups and Categories” filter for efficient browsing. They are accepting online bids now. Live bidding will take place on Sunday, February 11 beginning at 10:30am EST.
