Doyle Auctions: Rare Books, Autographs & Maps May 1st!
- by Announcement, Rare Book Hub staff
Quality and well described complexity
Doyle will hold an auction of Rare Books, Autographs & Maps on Wednesday, May 1, 2024 at 10am. The sale offers a broad range of material ranging from the 12th to 20th centuries. The first thirty-five lots comprise a diverse group of early printed books, English and Continental, with a number of items of Shakespearian interest (lots 3-6) in the first category, and a fine copy of Van Dyke’s Icones (lot 24), an exceptional collection of portraits of artists, patrons and collectors, heading the Continental portion. Following this, lots 35-46 are an exceptionally interesting selection of text and illuminated manuscripts. This group includes the Prayer Book of Jehan Bernachier, a 15th century manuscript with extensive illumination (lot 38), as well as a 15th century vernacular breviary in Middle Dutch, likely written at a Delft convent, with elaborate penwork initials (lot 42) and a 14th century Rules of St. Augustine from an English priory near the Welsh border (lot 44). Succeeding this are bound sets and individual fine bindings, lots 47-61. These are highlighted by a remarkable extra-illustrated set of Shakespeare from the library of Irving Berlin (lot 57), and a set of the classic Art deco fashion periodical, the Journal des Dames et des Modes (lot 61).
Following this comes a change of theme; lots 62-106 are all focused on natural history. These include the ornithological library of Ken Harte. There are many important color plate books here, including those by Audubon (lots 64-66), Dresser (lots 78-80), Elliot (lot 81) etc. This section also has some interesting travel, including Henderson and Hume’s Lahore to Yarkand; the succeeding work from the second mission (lot 105); Pollen and Van Dam’s travels to Madagascar (lot 93) etc. From there the sale moves on to maps and travel (lots 107-139). These incorporate Bouchette’s great wall map of Lower Canada (136) and other maps of American appeal. Lot 108 is a significant unpublished manuscript account of South America travels in 1759-1764, written by a French traveler.
Private press and book arts are the next section, lots 140-152, and these include the Cranach Press Hamlet (lot 143) and some interesting Rockwell Kent volumes (lots 148-151). Then comes literature and children’s books, lots 153-219, with A.A. Milne’s Winnie-the-Pooh books, both in signed and unsigned state (lots 194-198), an inscribed work by the elusive Thomas Pynchon (lot 200), a Tolkien calligraphic quotation (lot 210) and much else of appeal.
Americana comprises lots 220-227, which includes a copy of Marshall’s Life of Washington annotated by Washington’s aide-de-camp James McHenry with an account of the Battle of Monmouth (lot 227). The important Rotondaro collection of material pertaining to slavery and emancipation and books on the Black experience extends from lots 228 through 269. This is aptly followed by lot 270, an extraordinary Thomas Jefferson letter written as President, in which Jefferson writes on Toussaint Louverture and expresses his fears of “a war of extermination” on Saint-Domingue, now Haiti. Accompanied by two related letters, this occupies the following two lots (lots 271-272). Then follows a selection of American presidential signatures (lots 273-299). General autograph material comes next (lots 300-317), with some attractive Churchill pieces (lots 303-306) and a signed Einstein (lot 307). A selection of costume designs by Edith Head runs from lots 318 to 326, and the sale concludes with a selection of 19th and 20th century art and architecture, lots 327-356.
Edward Ripley-Duggan Vice-President, Rare Books and Manuscripts Department
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
