For the week ending October 10 sixteen book, manuscript and ephemera auctions were archived. Four thousand six hundred and eight lots were offered, 3,420 sold for a 74.22% sell-through. It was a very good week. Against a cumulative low estimate of $9,203,912 and high of $13,548,981, the sales together brought $14,416,337. For a few minutes in various auction rooms around the globe it felt like 2007 all over again. The results were all the more impressive for the robust number of auctions and lots.

The most interesting item in the rooms was a complete set of Edward S. Curtis' The North American Indian Portfolios, complete in twenty volumes. It was sold at Christie's in New York on October 8th, sale No. 2206, lot 719. It was estimated $700,000 to $900,000 and did not sell during the regular auction but sold shortly after for $775,000 including commission. Both buyer and seller have reason to be happy with the transaction.

Bruce McKinney
AE

11 October 2009