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Bonhams, June 16-24: KELMSCOTT PRESS. RUSKIN. The Nature of Gothic. 1892. $1,500 - $2,500Bonhams, June 16-24: ASHENDENE PRESS. The Wisdom of Jesus. 1932. $2,000 - $3,000Bonhams, June 16-24: CHARLOTTE BRONTE WRITES AS GOVERNESS. Autograph Letter Signed, 1851. $15,000 - $25,000Bonhams, June 16-24: FIRST AMERICAN EDITION OF WUTHERING HEIGHTS. BRONTE, Emily. New York, 1848. $3,000 - $5,000Bonhams, June 16-24: IAN FLEMING ASSOCIATION COPY. You Only Live Twice. London, 1964. $7,000 - $9,000Bonhams, June 16-24: DELUXE EDITION WITH ORIGINAL PAINTING. BUKOWSKI, Charles. War All the Time. 1984. $3,000 - $5,000Bonhams, June 16-24: EINSTEIN'S MOST POWERFUL STATEMENT ON THE ATOMIC BOMB. Original Typed Manuscript Signed, "On My Participation in the Atom Bomb Project," 1953. $100,000 - $150,000Bonhams, June 16-24: EINSTEIN ON SCIENCE, WAR AND MORALITY. Autograph Letter Signed, 1949. $20,000 - $30,000Bonhams, June 16-24: SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI. WASHINGTON, George. Engraved document signed, 1786. $8,000 - $12,000Bonhams, June 16-24: AN EARLY CHINESE-MADE 34-STAR U.S. CONSULAR FLAG. $8,000 - $12,000Bonhams, June 16-24: SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF LINCOLN WITH HIS SON TAD. 1864. $60,000 - $90,000Bonhams, June 16-24: MALCOLM X WRITES FROM KENYA. Postcard signed, 1964. $4,000 - $6,000
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Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 567. One of the Earliest & Most Desirable Printed Maps of Arabia - by Holle/Germanus (1482) Est. $55,000 - $65,000Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 681. Zatta's Complete Atlas with 218 Maps in Full Contemporary Color (1779) Est. $27,500 - $35,000Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 347. MacDonald Gill's Landmark "Wonderground Map" of London (1914) Est. $1,800 - $2,100Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 1. Fries' "Modern" World Map with Portraits of Five Kings (1525) Est. $4,000 - $4,750Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 539. Ortelius' Superb, Decorative Map of Cyprus in Full Contemporary Color (1573) Est. $1,100 - $1,400Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 51. Mercator's Foundation Map for the Americas in Full Contemporary Color (1630) Est. $3,250 - $4,000Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 667. Manuscript Bible Leaf with Image of Mary and Baby Jesus (1450) Est. $1,900 - $2,200Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 226. "A Powerful Example of Color Used to Make a Point" (1895) Est. $400 - $600Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 290. One of the Most Decorative Early Maps of South America - from Linschoten's "Itinerario" (1596) Est. $7,000 - $8,500Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 62. Coronelli's Influential Map of North America with the Island of California (1688) Est. $10,000 - $12,000Old World Auctions (June 18): Lot 589. The First European-Printed Map of China - by Ortelius (1584) Est. $4,000 - $5,000
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Forum Auctions
A Sixth Selection of 16th and 17th Century English Books from the Fox Pointe Manor Library
19th June 2025Forum, June 19: Euclid. The Elements of Geometrie, first edition in English of the first complete translation, [1570]. £20,000 to £30,000.Forum, June 19: Nicolay (Nicolas de). The Navigations, peregrinations and voyages, made into Turkie, first edition in English, 1585. £10,000 to £15,000.Forum, June 19: Shakespeare source book.- Montemayor (Jorge de). Diana of George of Montemayor, first edition in English, 1598. £6,000 to £8,000.Forum, June 19: Livius (Titus). The Romane Historie, first edition in English, translated by Philemon Holland, Adam Islip, 1600. £6,000 to £8,000.Forum Auctions
A Sixth Selection of 16th and 17th Century English Books from the Fox Pointe Manor Library
19th June 2025Forum, June 19: Robert Molesworth's copy.- Montaigne (Michel de). The Essayes Or Morall, Politike and Millitarie Discourses, first edition in English, 1603. £10,000 to £15,000.Forum, June 19: Shakespeare (William). The Tempest [&] The Two Gentlemen of Verona, from the Second Folio, [Printed by Thomas Cotes], 1632. £4,000 to £6,000.Forum, June 19: Boyle (Robert). Medicina Hydrostatica: or, Hydrostaticks Applyed to the Materia Medica, first edition, for Samuel Smith, 1690. £2,500 to £3,500.Forum, June 19: Locke (John). An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding in Four Books, first edition, second issue, 1690. £8,00 to £12,000.
Rare Book Monthly
Former ABA President Sentenced to 28 Months in Prison
By Michael Stillman
In yet another case of a highly respected bibliophile being caught in a massive theft of rare books, longtime bookseller David Slade of the UK was sentenced to 28 months in prison earlier this month. Slade pleaded guilty to stealing £232,880 (about US $340,000) worth of books from the wealthy investor who hired him. What makes this case even more unsettling for the book trade is that Slade was a former President of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association, the premier organization of UK booksellers. One of the ABA's major functions is to promote ethics and honesty in the trade.
The 59-year-old Slade, who has been selling books since he was 17, went to work for Sir Evelyn de Rothschild in 2001. Rothschild, a very wealthy man, reportedly worth a fortune pushing $1 billion, has a very nice library on his estate. He wished to have his collection catalogued, and Slade, with his background, undoubtedly must have appeared the ideal candidate for the job. Indeed, it appears he did a decent job, except that he worked slowly, and a few volumes disappeared. According to the guilty plea, that number was at least 68. His slow progress raised some suspicion as to why it was taking him so long to complete the project.
Between 2001 and 2005, Slade lifted books from Rothschild's collection of turn of the century private press books. Some titles had values as high as $50,000. Slade brought many to Dominic Winter's auction where they were sold. His importance and reputation within the book trade made it easy for Slade to move his ill-begotten material to auction without raising suspicion. It was not until an audit was conducted of Rothschild's library that the collector realized that some of his possessions were missing. The unexpectedly long time it had been taking Slade to complete his cataloguing was a major factor in bringing the Bristol bookseller under suspicion.
In April 2008, police raided Slade's home. There they found books and sales receipts for books that were once housed in Rothschild's library. Slade later admitted to the thefts, attributing his surprising behavior to large debts he had racked up, around $50,000 in credit card debt for starters. While the Judge at Aylesbury Crown Court accepted Slade's contention that he was motivated by debt, not greed, he still described Slade's actions as a flagrant breach of trust and sentenced him accordingly. The current ABA President, Allan Shelley, offered a statement expressing sorrow about Slade's situation, but also deploring his crimes.
The case of David Slade appears to be a particularly sad one, as unlike some thieves, he did not appear motivated by extreme greed or a desire to live a high lifestyle. He seems more to have been attempting to hang onto a failing business, and maintain the reputation built over many years. However, that does not make what he did excusable. Now, as his attorney pointed out, the consequences he will suffer are far worse than his previous financial predicament. He will spend the next two-plus years in a most unpleasant place, he is ruined financially, and his long built reputation is totally destroyed. He will not get off lightly.