Bonhams' Voices of the 20th Century, A Fascinating View
- by Thomas C. McKinney
Featuring 159 lots, Bonhams New York’s sale of Voices of the 20th Century paints an interesting and compelling picture of an era that saw massive change worldwide. With a scope as wide as the 20th century, there is a large scale of material that warrants an inspection of the catalogue directly. Politics, war, art, and literature are for sale, as well as autographs related to all of those topics. The sale will take place on June 16th.
Here are a variety of highlights from the sale:
Lot 5. An important transcription of the day-by-day testimony given by Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann during his trial for crimes against the Jewish people in Jerusalem,[1961]. This is an extremely rare record of Eichmann’s testimony printed for the press at the time of the trial. Estimated $8,000 – 12,000.
Lot 6. Photograph Signed ("Dwight D Eisenhower" and "Douglas MacArthur") of Eisenhower and MacArthur travelling together in a car in Tokyo, 1946. Estimated $12,000 – 18,000.
Lots 9 and 10. Photograph and portrait signed of Mohandas K. Gandhi. Both estimated $3,000 – 5,000.
Lot 17. Autograph Letter Initialed (“MLK”) by Martin Luther King, Jr., written from Albany Jail to a close female friend. Estimated $25,000 – 35,000.
Lot 21. Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-Tung, 1966. Signed. An estimated five billion copies were printed, but only a handful signed. Estimated $20,000 – 30,000.
Lot 27. Autograph Letter Signed (“Lee H. Oswald”) by Lee Harvey Oswald, written months before the JFK assassination. Estimated $50,000 – 70,000.
Lots 84 through 86. A series of autograph material by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Lot 99. A signed and inscribed presentation copy of the first edition, first state of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Estimated $80,000 – 100,000.
Lot 144. Autograph Musical Manuscript Signed (“Thelonious M”), “Monk’s Mood” by Thelonious Sphere Monk. Estimated $6,000 – 8,000.
Lot 151. A collection of scripts, correspondence, and other manuscript material relating to the TV sitcom Seinfeld. Estimated $5,000 – 7,000.
As you can see, many happenings and figures from the 20th century are covered in Voices of the 20th Century. If you are a collector focusing on this period, you will undoubtedly find something of interest, whatever your focus may be.
The sale will take place on June 16th, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. Registration for the bidding on Bonhams.com can be done here.
Forum Auctions Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026 25 March 2026
Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.
Forum Auctions Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026 25 March 2026
Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.
Forum Auctions Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026 25 March 2026
Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.
Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.
Books & Autographs Wednesday 25 March
Koller, Mar. 25: KAFKA, FRANZ, SCHRIFTSTELLER. Eigenh. Brief mit Unterschrift. Prag, 20. Oktober [19]15. CHF 30,000-40,000.
Koller, Mar. 25: EINSTEIN, ALBERT. Zwei eigenhändige Briefe an Ernst Gabor Straus, unterschrieben "A.E" bzw. "A. Einstein". [Princeton], [19]45. und [1950]. CHF 30,000-40,000.
Koller, Mar. 25: HORTENSE DE BEAUHARNAIS, MUTTER VON NAPOLEON III. Album aus ihrem Besitz mit 69 Aquarellen und Pinselzeichnungen in Sepia oder Grau… CHF 14,000-18,000.
Koller, Mar. 25: ZOOLOGIE - ORNITHOLOGIE - Seligmann, Johann Michael. Verzameling van uitlandsche en zeldzaame Vogelen. Teile 1-8 (von 9) in 2 Bänden. Mit 421 prächtig altkolorierten Kupfertafeln. CHF 14,000-20,000
Koller, Mar. 25: BOTANIK - Berlèse, Lorenzo und Johann Jakob Jung. Iconographie du genre camellia... 3 Bände. Mit 300 Farbstichtafeln "a la poupée.” Paris, [1839-]1841-1843. CHF 12,000-18,000.
