At John's Western Gallery on Friday the 18th the sale of premium Wyatt Earp material failed to reach critical mass. The catalogue presentation was attractive and complete but of the 121 lots only 57, with an aggregate hammer price of $60,915, found new homes. Rick Wilkinson of John's said "This is great material but of primary interest only to very focused collectors. For those who bid it was a chance to buy exceptional material at very fair prices." Most of the money was in one item, diagram of a shoot-out in Tombstone, Arizona [October 26th, 1881] - Wyatt Earp's 1926 sketch of this gun-fight in which he was a famous participant. This piece of history sold for $40,000. The other lots brought an average of $373. Here is the description of the Earp sketch.
EARP, Wyatt. Holograph pencil diagram of the Tombstone city block bounded by Fourth Street, Allen Street, Third Street, and Fremont Street...
...delineating the locations of Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton when Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp, accompanied by "Doc" Holliday, arrived at the street fight. "Doc" is in Fremont Street, where he will remain, but Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan are just off the street in the vacant lot between the Harwood house and Fly's Boarding House & Gallery. Two-ring 10 1/2" x 7 3/4" graph paper with Earp diagram on recto and John H. Flood, Jr. notes on verso. [Los Angeles], Friday evening, April 4, 1924.
Complete in detail to inclusion of dots representing where Frank & Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton lay at the end of the fight. Locations at the outset are labeled "X" with first names. Dots are not labeled but are, of course identifiable as it is well known that Tom McLaury died at the foot of the two-span telegraph pole on the corner of Fremont & Third Streets and Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton are indicated lying in Fremont Street. The 1926 diagram of this fight that sold in June of 2004 was drawn by Flood at Earp's direction, with marks indicating participants inserted by Wyatt himself. This diagram is all in the hand of Wyatt Earp. Paper is very lightly darkened; otherwise all near fine. WEM Inventory #117.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society, Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, 1997, first edition, hardback issue, inscribed by the author pre-publication. £100,000 to £150,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 11: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the E flat Piano Quartet, K.493, 1786. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Hooke, Robert. Micrographia: or some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies made by Magnifying Glasses. London: James Allestry for the Royal Society, 1667. $12,000 to $15,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Chappuzeau, Samuel. The history of jewels, first edition in English. London: T.N. for Hobart Kemp, 1671. $12,000 to $18,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 12: Sowerby, James. Exotic Mineralogy, containing his most realistic mineral depictions, London: Benjamin Meredith, 1811, Arding and Merrett, 1817. $5,000 to $7,000.
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Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 156: Cornelis de Jode, Americae pars Borealis, double-page engraved map of North America, Antwerp, 1593.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 206: John and Alexander Walker, Map of the United States, London and Liverpool, 1827.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 223: Abraham Ortelius, Typus Orbis Terrarum, hand-colored double-page engraved world map, Antwerp, 1575.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 233: Aaron Arrowsmith, Chart of the World, oversize engraved map on 8 sheets, London, 1790 (circa 1800).
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 239: Fielding Lucas, A General Atlas, 81 engraved maps and diagrams, Baltimore, 1823.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 240: Anthony Finley, A New American Atlas, 15 maps engraved by james hamilton young on 14 double-page sheets, Philadelphia, 1826.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 263: John Bachmann, Panorama of the Seat of War, portfolio of 4 double-page chromolithographed panoramic maps, New York, 1861.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 265: Sebastian Münster, Cosmographei, Basel: Sebastian Henricpetri, 1558.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 271: Abraham Ortelius, Epitome Theatri Orteliani, Antwerp: Johann Baptist Vrients, 1601.
Swann Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books December 9, 2025
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 283: Joris van Spilbergen, Speculum Orientalis Occidentalisque Indiae, Leiden: Nicolaus van Geelkercken for Jodocus Hondius, 1619.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 285: Levinus Hulsius, Achtzehender Theil der Newen Welt, 14 engraved folding maps, Frankfurt: Johann Frederick Weiss, 1623.
Swann, Dec. 9: Lot 341: John James Audubon, Carolina Parrot, Plate 26, London, 1827.
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/00d5fd41-2542-4a80-b119-4886d4b9925f.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 11:</b> Darwin and Wallace. On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties..., [in:] <i>Journal of the Proceedings of the Linnean Society,</i> Vol. III, No. 9., 1858, Darwin announces the theory of natural selection. £100,000 to £150,000.")
