Here is an account of a not so momentous voyage: The Cruise of the Norma, with some Account of her Crew, their Perils, and Adventures during the Month of September, 1864, by “The Historian.” Despite a title that sounds typical of accounts of perilous voyages of earlier times (except for the short duration), this was a humorous account of a trip up and down Long Island Sound by a group of five young men of evident healthy financial means. Among the “perils” faced was an attack by a swarm of flies, but most of the time was spent cruising and socializing. This book did not make it to the press. It was created in manuscript, probably by a scribe, and the fact that this copy has the recipient's name in gilt indicates that most likely, a copy was made for each participant. The “historian” was Elbridge Gerry, and if that name sounds familiar, it is probably because he shared the name with his grandfather. The elder Elbridge Gerry was Vice-President under James Madison, and his creative designing of congressional districts in his home state of Massachusetts to achieve wanted election results gave rise to the term “gerrymandering.” Despite the privileged sounding life of the younger Gerry, who was an attorney in New York, the man was hardly the elitist or lightweight you might think. He was active in the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals when a worker for the Department of Public Charities and Correction approached them with the case of a little girl who was severely abused by her adoptive parents. In those days, raising children was believed to be strictly a parental issue, so while there was a society to prevent cruelty to animals, there was none to prevent cruelty to children. Gerry was instrumental in the foundation of the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1874, believed to be the first such child protective agency in the world. So, Gerry truly was a pioneer like the great explorers found in this catalogue, though in a different way. This copy of the “voyage” belonged to participant James Lorimer Graham, a New York publisher, friend of Swinburne and the Brownings, as well as a book and art collector. Item 86. £1,800 (US $2,778).
Item 172 is an unbound portfolio of 24 Photographs of the U.S.S.R. With an introduction by the artist, published in 1934. The artist was Margaret Bourke-White, one of the greatest news photographers of the 20th century. She started as a commercial photographer, photographing scenes for business clients, but then landed a job with Fortune Magazine. Soon thereafter, she scored the first invitation by a western photographer to photograph Soviet industry. That would lead to this portfolio. In the following years, Bourke-White would be present on numerous historic and dangerous assignments, photographing scenes from the Depression, being in the midst of battles during the Second World War, photographing the Buchenwald concentration camp after the war, and the partition of India and Pakistan. £6,500 (US $10,034).
Peter Harrington may be reached at +44 (0)20 7591 0220 or mail@peterharrington.co.uk.
