Known for his dedication to the collection of maps in the Americana field, as well as his sizeable holdings of Audubon, Graham Arader and Arader Galleries present From Sea to Shining Sea: Art of America on December 6th, 2014, a sale of 197 lots. To be held at Beaux-Arts townhouse gallery in Manhattan, the auction will feature the works of John James Audubon from his iconic Birds of America and Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America; a selection of maps and views of New York; maps, views, and books related to the 50 States and the District of Columbia; and lastly, art of the American West, natural history works on paper, and sporting and marine art. Arader Galleries is known for holding only the highest quality of material, and you can expect this same standard within the material for auction.
Twenty-four lots of Audubon are available, ranging from lot 22, an imperial folio lithograph of the Camas Rat, carrying an estimate of $100 - $200, to lot 12, a first edition engraving with original hand-color of a Trumpeter Swan estimated $70,000 - $90,000. The material runs the gamut in price but each item is a sight to behold.
I expect my father to be bidding in the next section on New York maps and views. He has kept no secret that his collecting passion lies in his home state, and he has pursued related material with a voracity few, if any, outside the rare book field can understand. Fortunately for him, much of the material carry moderate to low estimates, and that will save him from my mother’s ire. Lot 38, a Map of the Province of New York, is estimated $4,000 - $5,000 while Colton’s Railroad & Township Map of the State of New York at lot 36 begins bidding at $250 with an estimate of $500 - $750. Graham, Bruce thanks you for bringing this material to auction.
The largest segment of the sale relates to material on all 50 states. Consisting of mainly maps and views, collectors of specific states and areas will have something to be joyous about this holiday season. Whether it’s Kansas, Alabama, or Ohio, there is material here with your name on it.
And finally, the remainder of the sale covers several topics ranging from the American West, to natural history, to sporting and marine art. Several works on native americans by Karl Bodmer as well as McKenney and Hall are particularly beautiful, as are the nature and botanical illustrations by artists such as John Gould, Edward Lear, Dr. Robert John Thornton, Maria Sybilla Merian, and Mark Catesby.
Arader Galleries bears a well-known reputation within the Americana world, and any time their material comes to auction, serious collectors around the world participate. If you’d like to join them this month, the sale begins December 6th, 2014 at 1pm ET. Bidding will be done in person, and online through three website—Live Auctioneers, Proxibid, and Invaluable. Online catalogs for the sale are also available at all three sites. Please choose your favorite and register with them to take part in the sale.
For more information on the sale, please contact loricohen@aradergalleries.com or call 215.735.8811.
