Leslie Hindman Auctions: With an Eye for Collectability August 8th
- by Bruce E. McKinney
Snapshots of collectibility
On August 8th in Chicago Leslie Hindman Auctioneers is offering a primer on collecting – a broad and, by American standards, large sale of material chosen to appeal to collectors. The sale is Fine Books and Manuscripts. It succeeds admirably and is well worth the time pursuing the online catalogue linked at the end of this brief description. There are days when the differences between eBay and traditional auctions seem to narrow and then there are presentations and selections like this to reaffirm the importance of the auction house vetting large quantities of material and selecting appealing, well estimated items.
This is a specialist sale but not in its widely understood sense. It is not about a single subject but rather about collectability as a standard and succeeds in holding the attention of the reader all the way through to the end. To this it can be added, the material, with some exceptions, is not expensive.
Here are the categories of material offered, most brief with from 1 to 15 lots:
Illuminated manuscripts and heraldry 1-21
Bibles 22-43
Literature 44-47
European and engravings 47a-80
Anatomy and sciences 85-100
Audubon 101-114
Ornithology 115-134
Mammals 135-139
Mollusks, fish and reptiles 141-144
Insects 145-150
Botany 151-177
Atlases 178-181
Photography – Alaska 182
Asia and the world 183-189
Geography, maps and images 190-208
India and the Middle East 209-217
South America 218
Angling and sports 219-227
General Americana 228-289
Lincoln and the Civil War lots 249-255
George Custer lot 265
Buffalo Bill 266-268
Chicago lots 269-278
Elvis lot 289
George Washington 280
Fiction 290-346
Alice’s Adventures 297
Rockwell Kent lots 322-326a
Printing equipment 347-348
Book arts 349-352
Pop-up books 353-355
Art and cartoon illustration 356-
Art books 375 – 397
Photography 398-404
Architecture 405-408
Decorative arts 409-416
Fore edge Painting 417-420
Collected works, fine bindings and sets 422-448
As the list of lot categories suggests this is a taster menu, the opportunity to find something of interest. For collectors it’s also the opportunity to learn. Bookshops may be closing but if your mind is open there’s something to be learned here.
With this brief story flickering images are introducing some of the lots. To see more click here to be transported to Leslie Hindman Auctions. The sale is on the 8th.
Sotheby’s Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana 27 January 2026
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary pair of books from George Washington’s field library, marking the conjunction of Robert Rogers, George Washington, and Henry Knox. $1,200,000 to $1,800,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: An extraordinary letter marking the conjunction of George Washington, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Benjamin Franklin. $1,000,000 to $1,500,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: Virginia House of Delegates. The genesis of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. $350,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s Fine Manuscript and Printed Americana 27 January 2026
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: (Gettysburg). “Genl. Doubleday has taken charge of the battle”: Autograph witness to the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg, illustrated by fourteen maps and plans. $200,000 to $300,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: President Lincoln thanks a schoolboy on behalf of "all the children of the nation for his efforts to ensure "that this war shall be successful, and the Union be maintained and perpetuated." $200,000 to $300,000.
Sotheby’s, Jan. 27: [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9d2762bc-9f26-47ef-96de-1c28070e19f6.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.")