June 12 at Bonhams NY: Fine Books and Manuscripts across six centuries
- by Thomas C. McKinney
Two hundred eighty-seven lots comprise Bonhams June 12thsale in New York of Fine Books and Manuscripts, and they cover a lot of ground. From incunabula to World War II, focused collectors of many subjects will find material of interest.
In chronological order in the sale, here are some impressive highlights:
Lot 3: AESOP. c.620-560 B.C.
[Vita et Fabulae], Latin prose version of Romulus, Franciscus Rinucius Aretinus, translator, et Fabulae, Lib. I-IV, with the metrical version of Anonymous Neveletti (i.e., Aesopus Moralisatus).
THE EARLIEST ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF AESOP TO BE PRINTED IN SWITZERLAND, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTIONS OF DYSON PERRONS AND SILVAIN BRUNSCHWIG
Est. $60,000 to $80,000
Lot 6: BEETHOVEN, LUDWIG VAN. 1770-1827.
Autograph Musical Manuscript, 2 pp, oblong 4to (233 x 307 mm), [Vienna, early 1809,] ruled with 14-staves per page, notated in black ink, some minor darkening.
BEETHOVEN'S EMPEROR CONCERTO, THE MOST FREQUENTLY PERFORMED OF HIS PIANO CONCERTI, AND THE FIRST OF THE GREAT 19TH-CENTURY ROMANTIC CONCERTOS.
Est. $250,000 to $350,000
Lot 25: LOCKE, JOHN. 1632-1704.
Autograph Letter Signed ("J Locke"), 2 pp, 8vo (conjoining leaves), Oaks, October 27, 1698, to Ezekial Burridge of Dublin, regarding the death of his friend William Molyneux, with original autograph address leaf on the verso of p 2, some toning and creasing overall, small separations at fold, 1 inch loss to second leaf from original seal, leaves pressed, with small tape repair to address leaf.
Est. $7,000 to $10,000
Lot 30: SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. 1564-1616.
The Tragedie of Julius Caesar [Extracted from the First Folio]. [London: Isaac Jaggard..., 1623.] Folio (308 x 196 mm). 22 pp, the complete play. Modern red crushed morocco, ruled in gilt, repair to lower corners of some leaves, upper border shaved above headlines on most leaves, but not affecting headline or pagination, borders at fore-edge shaved, occasionally touching text, minor staining, small wormhole running through all 11 leaves.
FIRST PRINTING OF JULIUS CAESAR, one of Shakespeare's greatest and most popular plays.
Est. $50,000 to $70,000
Lot 66: AUDUBON, JOHN JAMES. 1785-1851.
Autograph Manuscript, 2 pp recto and verso, folio, n.p., n.d. [but watermarked 1829] being the description of the Crested Titmouse, plate 39 from Birds of America, published in Ornithological Biography [1831-1839], paginated 145-146 in blue pencil by another hand, leaf moderately corrected by the author, with 1/4 inch loss to upper right corner of right margin (not affecting text), very mild toning and thumbing overall.
AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT OF AUDUBON'S ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION OF LOUISIANA'S "CRESTED TITMOUSE."
Est. $10,000 to $15,000
Lot 130: ORTELIUS, Abraham. 1527-1598.
Theatrum orbis terrarum. Antwerp: Gilles Coppens de Diest, 1570.
FIRST EDITION of Ortelius's major atlas of the World.
Est. $50,000 to $80,000
Lot 133: ROBERTS, DAVID. 1796-1864, artist; and GEORGE CROLY. 1780-1860.
The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia.... London: F.G. Moon, 1842-43-49. 3 volumes, elephant folio. First edition.
Est. $20,000 to $30,000
Lot 178: SIENKIEWICZ, BILL. b.1958.
Original cover art for The Comet Man #5, ink on board, with white out, with title and publication info pasted on, 11 x 17 inches, signed by Bill Sienkiewicz lower right, minor toning, matted and framed.
Est. $3,000 to $5,000
Lot 269: GERMAN WEATHER REPORT CODEBOOK, FOR ENIGMA USE.
Wetterkurzschlussel. [WKS. Weather short Signal Book]. Berlin: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, 1942.
German Enigma codebooks from World War II are some of the rarest printed wartime material, and of these codebooks the ones used on the U Boat fleet are the rarest of all. Est. $20,000 to $30,000
Lot 282: THE SHAEF TICKER-TAPE ANNOUNCEMENT OF GENERAL EISENHOWER'S "TOTAL CEASE FIRE ORDER", (FWD-20801) ANNOUNCING THE UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER OF GERMANY.
2 leaves of SHAEF proforma "SHAEF MESSAGE FORM", unmarked and undated, but stamped five times over the two leaves "US CONFIDENTIAL (EQUALS BRITISH CONFIDENTIAL)," with 17 lines of pasted ticker-tape text announcing the Surrender of the German High Command at 0140 hours Central European Time, and the general orders for a ceasefire. Some light spotting to upper right corners.
Est. $8,000 to $12,000
Bonhams sale of Fine Books and Manuscripts takes place June 12thin New York. Click here for more information and to view the online catalog.
Sotheby’s Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone 25 June – July 7
Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.
Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000.
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000
Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000
Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500
Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000
Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum Auctions The Private Library: Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers July 9, 2026
Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000
Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Inundation papyrus. P.Michael 4, the ‘Inundation papyrus’, a geographical account of the Nile near Canopus, in Greek, remains of two columns from a manuscript scroll on papyrus, Egypt, second century CE. £12,000-18,000
Forum, July 16: Book of Hours, use of Sarum, manuscript on vellum, 6 full-page miniatures, with famous Middle English inscriptions, Southern Netherlands for the English market, [c.1430]. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Qu'ran, Arabic manuscript on burnished, stencilled, and gold-flecked paper, 447ff., Sultanate Gujarat, Ahmadabad, [after 1411 but no later than 1442]. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Turner (William). A New boke of the natures and properties of all wines that are commonly vsed here in England, rare first edition of the first English book on wine, By William Seres, 1568. £20,000-£30,000
Forum, July 16: Spenser (Edmund). The Faerie Queene. first edition, Printed [by John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, 1590. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Shakespeare (William). The Comedie of Errors, extracted from the first folio, Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. £15,000-20,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Fleming (Ian). Casino Royale, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1953. £40,000-60,000
Forum, July 16: d'Agoty (Jacques-Fabien Gautier). Anatomie de la Tête, first edition, Paris, chez le Sieur Gautier, 1748. £10,000-15,000
Forum, July 16: Martial Arts.- Lee (Bruce). 'Praying Mantis style' Kung Fu book, containing numerous annotations, diagrams and graphs in Bruce Lee's hand, c. 1960. £50,000-70,000
Forum Auctions The 10th Anniversary Sale Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper July 16, 2026
Forum, July 16: Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, rare hand-coloured issue, 1848. £30,000-40,000
Forum, July 16: Norie (John William). The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot for all the principal places in the known world..., 1826. £30,000-50,000
Forum, July 16: Mao Tse-tung.- Kim Il-sung.-[Note book for visitors from China to Korea], signed by Mao and Kim, [Beijing, 1954]. £10,000-15,000
