Historic Rarities at Old World Auctions February 10th
- by Thomas C. McKinney
Already accepting bids by the time you read this, and closing on February 10th, Old World Auctions’ Sale #181 features several rare and historic pieces never before auctioned by them. Seven hundred and seventy-two lots make up an interesting sale from a house known for its online-only approach and focus on cartography.
In terms of highlights, one is certainly a rarity that is only known in 6 surviving examples: Abraham Ortelius’ map “Gallia,” an item that was separately issued and didn’t regularly appear in his Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. This specific copy comes from the private collection of the late Marcel van den Broecke, who was the foremost expert on Ortelius. “Gallia” is estimated $7,000 to $9,000.
Demonstrating some of the variety that you can find at OWA, this next item definitely shifts gears. The Cherokee Orphan Asylum Press was a newspaper created by Cherokee orphans in 1880 for members of their tribe, and its second-ever issue is for sale here. The paper includes the expected articles, but also essays and poems written by children, and these offer the rare perspective into the lives of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma. Only a handful of the Cherokee Orphan Asylum Press are known to exist, all of which are housed in institutions. This issue is estimated $1,500 to $2,500.
Moving farther west, another important piece of Americana is a rare real estate map from 1912—“Gillette's Regent Square in Santa Monica Cal.” This map advertises lots available for sale in the newly established Gillette's Regent Square, named after the inventor of the razor who invested in development of the area. No institutional examples or dealer listings are known of this Santa Monica map, which is estimated at $600-$750.
Also included in the sale is Andrew Dury’s important Revolutionary War plan, “A Plan of Boston, and Its Environs,” published 12 March 1776. The plan depicts the Siege of Boston from a British perspective and was drawn on the spot by Lieutenant Richard Williams in October 1775. This map is in splendid contemporary color and is estimated at $24,000-$28,000.
Other noteworthy items making their first appearance at Old World Auctions are:
Pictorial map of Chicago gang wars: “A Map of Chicago's Gangland” by Bruce Roberts, Inc. (1931). Est. $14,000-$18,000
One of the earliest printed maps to show Hong Kong: “Carte d'une Partie des Cotes de la Chine,” by Apres de Mannevillette (1775). Est. $1,600-1,900
Complete 2-volume atlas with 221 maps: General Atlas, by SDUK (1852). Est. $7,000-$8,500
English edition of Cook's landmark map of New Zealand: “Chart of New-Zealand,” by Cook (1772). Est. $2,000-$2,300
Civil-War era strip map of the Mississippi River: “Lloyd's Map of the Lower Mississippi River,” by James Lloyd (1863). Est. $8,000-$9,500
Commercial map capitalizing on interest in the American Southwest: “Map of Mexico, Texas, Old and New California, and Yucatan,” by Kellogg (1847). Est. $2,750-$3,500
Map by famed Hollywood costume designer: “Being a Map of Hollywood from the Best Surveys of the Time,” by Harold Grieve (1926). Est. $2,000-$2,500
Peruvian propaganda map of Peru-Ecuador War: “Sinopsis Ilustrada de las Operaciones en el Norte,” by Raul Vizcarra (1941). Est. $500-$700
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Galileo Galilei. Dialogo sopra i due massimi sistemi del mondo tolemaico, e copernicano. Firenze, 1632
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Saverio Manetti. Storia naturale degli uccelli. Firenze, 1771-76
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Fortunato Depero. Depero futurista. Rovereto, 1927
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Nicolas Visscher. Atlas minor sive totius orbis terrarum contracta delineat ex conatibus. Amsterdam, circa 1649-95
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Andreas Vesalius. Anatomia. Addita nunc. Antiquorum Anatome. Venezia, 1604
Aste Bolaffi, June 17-18: Tristan Tzara and Salvador Dalì. Grains et Issues. Parigi, 1935
Bonhams, June 14-23: Franklin D. Roosevelt Presentation Gold Pocket Watch. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: Presentation Copy of the First Issue of the Lincoln Douglas Debates Signed by Abraham Lincoln in Pencil to a Sangamon County Illinois Republican. Estimate: $150,000 - 250,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: A Senate Resolution Signed in the Tense Days After the Union's Humiliating Defeat at the First Battle of Bull Run. Estimate: $80,000 - $120,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: Seven Passages to a Flight, an Artists Book with a Story Quilt by Faith Ringgold, the Publisher's Own Copy. Estimate: $80,000 - 120,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: A New Charter for Virginia, A Response to the First Armed Rebellion in the American Colonies. Estimate: $15,000 - 25,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: Earliest obtainable printing of the Bill of Rights. Estimate: $8,000 - 12,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: Edward Curtis Orotone. Estimate: $7,000 - 9,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: Owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis: A Butter or Dessert Plate from FDR's State Dinner Service. Estimate: $3,000 - 5,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: An Early Large-Format Plan of the City of Washington. Estimate: $1,500 - 2,500
Bonhams, June 14-23: Containing the First Map to Name the Hudson River. Estimate: $20,000 - 30,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: America's First Major Novelist, a Complete Chapter in Autograph Manuscript by James Fenimore Cooper. Estimate: $15,000 - 20,000
Bonhams, June 14-23: The Only Full-Length Book by Jefferson, with the Justly Famous Map. Estimate: $12,000 - 18,000
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: Houdini's biography, boldly signed. $3,000 to $5,000.
Doyle, June 25: A volume from Abraham Lincoln's library, signed just before heading to Washington for his inauguration. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very early Confederate recruiting manual belonging to the chief commissary in Lee's Army. $600 to $800.
Doyle, June 25: Rare hand-colored lithographs of the life of Napoleon. $20,000 to $30,000.
Doyle, June 25: The "Holster Atlas" of the American Revolution. $5,000 to $8,000.
Doyle, June 25: Jewish ceremonies in fine hand-colored engravings. $7,000 to $10,000.
Doyle, June 25: A very rare work on Turkish military costume. $1,000 to $1,500.
June 25, 2026
Doyle, June 25: The most important illustrated work on the Mexican-American War. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: The finest illustrated book on Afghanistan. $10,000 to $15,000.
Doyle, June 25: Henry Justice Ford St. George rescues the Princess from the horrible Dragon. $2,000 to $3,000.
Doyle, June 25: A rare work of Prussian Army uniforms under Frederick William II, with exquisite hand-colored engravings. $800 to $1,200.
Doyle, June 25: Lenny Bruce typed letter signed to a Village bohemian during his obscenity trials, with a manuscript note and drawing. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: Schiff's scarce Shanghai Sketchbook. $300 to $500.
Doyle, June 25: The first accurate published representation of the American flag. $2,000 to $4,000.
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 123. Celebrate 250 Years of Independence with Original Stars and Stripes (1790) Est. $1,400 - $1,700
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 20. Keulen's Spectacular Chart of the World Featuring California as an Island (1728) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 42. Schedel's Ancient World Map with Fantastic Humanoid Creatures (1493) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 591. Matching Set of 3 Stunning Globe Gores of Eastern Asia from Coronelli's 3.5 Foot Globe (1688) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 9. Speed's Popular World Map with Allegorical Representations of the Elements (1651) Est. $14,000 - $17,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 168. First Separate Map of Kansas & Nebraska Territories (1854) Est. $5,500 - $7,000
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 43. Only Macrobius Map with Britain Attached to Europe (1515) Est. $800 - $950
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 250. Rare Map of Boston and One of the Earliest Maps of the Revolutionary War (1775) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 79. Schenk's Uncommon Map Featuring Two Figurative Title Cartouches (1696) Est. $1,200 - $1,500
Old World Auctions (June 17): Lot 681. Hand-Colored Image of the Annunciation to the Shepherds (1502) Est. $800 - $950
Sotheby's Book Week 2 June - 9 July
Sotheby’s, June 25: Smith, Adam. The Wealth of Nations, on its 250th anniversary. $180,000 to $250,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Fontana, Lucio. Concetto Spaziale. 1967. Leporello en papier doré. Bel exemplaire signé. €4,000 to $€,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. "So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past”. $150,000 to $200,000.
Sotheby’s, June 25: Washington, George (as First President). Washington decries “an ostentatious imitation, or mimickry of Royalty” in his Presidency. $250,000 to $500,000.
Sotheby’s, June 17: Lope de Vega. Rare manuscrit autographe signé de la préface dédicatoire de "El Cardenal de Belen" (le cardinal de Bethléem), pièce composée en 1610. €40,000 to €60,000.
