Sothebys: Books, Manuscripts and Music, L25401, London
Auction Details
- Auction Date
- December 11, 2025 - December 11, 2025
| Lot Number | Author Name | Book Title | Place Printed | Year Published | Estimate | Actual Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77 | Charles Darwin | On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life |
London | 1859 | GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00 | GBP 76,200.00 |
| 78 | Charles Darwin | Two works, comprising: |
GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | GBP 8,889.00 | ||
| 79 | Albert Einstein | Autograph letter signed, to Alfred Bucherer, ON HIS CONFIRMATION OF EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY |
Bern | 12 September 1908, former folds and slight creasing, remains of mount | GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 | GBP 27,939.00 |
| 80 | Albert Einstein | Autograph letter signed ("A. Einstein"), to Alfred Bucherer |
Bern, | 25 November 1908, slight splitting at folds, fraying at outer edge, light creasing, remains of mount | GBP 18,000.00 - 26,000.00 | GBP 27,939.00 |
| 81 | Albert Einstein | Autograph postcard signed, to Professor Alfred Bucherer |
Berlin | 24 October 1917, | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | GBP 5,079.00 |
| 82 | Albert Einstein | Autograph letter signed ("A. Einstein"), to Alfred Bucherer |
Berlin, | 29 October 1917, splitting at folds, small tear in upper corner, some creasing, remains of mount | GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 | GBP 20,319.00 |
| 83 | Albert Einstein. | Autograph letter signed ("A. Einstein"), to Margarete Lebach ("Frau Lebach") |
Berlin, | 28 June 1928, framed and glazed 395 x 305, minor nicks and tears neatly repaired, light soiling, second and third pages sunned | GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 | GBP 6,349.00 |
| 84 | Albert Einstein | Autograph letter signed, to Attilio Palatini, |
Berlin | 12 May 1929, with envelope, small nicks at folds | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | GBP 7,620.00 |
| 85 | Sangorski & Sutcliffe Binding---Edward Fitzgerald, translator | Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam translated into English verse by Edward Fitzgerald with an introduction by A.C. Benson... |
1911 | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | Not Sold | |
| 86 | Ian Fleming (and others) | A James Bond collection, comprising: |
GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 | GBP 7,620.00 | ||
| 87 | Robert Fortune | Contract signed, also signed in Chinese by nine tea growers from Jiangxi with transliterations of their names into the roman alphabet, |
1855 | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | Not Sold | |
| 88 | A silver teaspoon owned by Captain F.R.M. Crozier |
GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 | GBP 35,559.00 | |||
| 89 | William Lewin | The Birds of Great Britain, systematically arranged, accurately engraved, and painted from nature; |
London | 1795-1801 but c. 1812 | GBP 2,000.00 - 3,000.00 | GBP 3,810.00 |
| 90 | Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace | Autograph letter, in the third person, to Alfred Bunn, |
25 February 1841 | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | GBP 7,620.00 | |
| 91 | John Tilton McClintock | Chart of West Coast of North America from Mt. St. Elias to Columbia River. Concord, New Hampshore or Dorchester, Massachusetts |
1889 | GBP 7,000.00 - 9,000.00 | Not Sold | |
| 92 | Louis Pasteur | Two autograph letters signed ("L. Pasteur"), CONCERNING HIS WORK ON THE RABIES VACCINE |
GBP 3,000.00 - 4,000.00 | GBP 6,984.00 | ||
| 93 | Joseph Pennell | An archive of original pen-and-ink drawings used as illustrations in his book Charing Cross to Saint Paul's |
London | circa 1890 | GBP 4,000.00 - 6,000.00 | GBP 4,825.00 |
| 94 | Photographs of India and the Himalayas titled 'Simla and Kashmir 1879'. [negatives c.1863-1870s] |
1879 | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | Not Sold | ||
| 95 | J.K. Rowling | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London |
Bloomsbury | 1997 | GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 | GBP 253,999.00 |
| 96 | J.K. Rowling | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
London | 1997 | GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 | GBP 6,349.00 |
| 97 | J.K. Rowling | Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
London | 1997 | GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00 | GBP 21,589.00 |
| 98 | J.K. Rowling | Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets |
London | 1998 | GBP 7,000.00 - 10,000.00 | GBP 6,349.00 |
| 99 | E.H. Shepard and A.A. Milne | Six Drawings by E.H. Shepard, Illustrating Poems from When We Were Very Young by A.A. Milne |
London | 1925 | GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | Not Sold |
| 100 | E.H. Shepard | Suite of three original illustrations for Now We Are Six, pen and ink drawings on paper, comprising: |
1927 | GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 | GBP 22,860.00 | |
| 101 | Bible, Old Testament, Mongolian. Translated by Edward Stallybrass, William Swan, and Robert Yuille. Siberia (Selenginsk and Khodon) |
1834--1840 | 1834--1840 | GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00 | GBP 10,794.00 |
![<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 72. Edwards (George). <i>A Natural History of Uncommon Birds…</i> [and] <i>Gleanings of Natural History,</i> 7 volumes, 1st edition, 1743-64. £7,000-10,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/7f9e9df2-b83a-40aa-a1b7-a535a02705d5.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 72. Edwards (George). <i>A Natural History of Uncommon Birds…</i> [and] <i>Gleanings of Natural History,</i> 7 volumes, 1st edition, 1743-64. £7,000-10,000")
![<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 236. <i>A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew…,</i> By B. E. Gent., 1st edition, [1699]. £3,000-4,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/1832c377-f148-4e66-ba22-33bef01d81a7.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 236. <i>A New Dictionary of the Terms Ancient and Modern of the Canting Crew…,</i> By B. E. Gent., 1st edition, [1699]. £3,000-4,000")
![<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 280. Elgar (Edward). <i>Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,</i> [1910], signed presentation copy. £500-800](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/df958814-0689-4876-8b73-cfe5c0c6ad24.jpg "<b>Dominic Winter, Jan. 28:</b> Lot 280. Elgar (Edward). <i>Concerto for Violin and Orchestra,</i> [1910], signed presentation copy. £500-800")
![<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9d2762bc-9f26-47ef-96de-1c28070e19f6.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Jan. 27:</b> [World War II]. An archive of maps and files documenting the allied campaign in Europe, from the early stages of planning for D-Day and Operation Overlord, to Germany’s surrender. $200,000 to $300,000.")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Plato. [<i>Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera</i>], 2 parts in 2 vol., editio princeps of Plato's works in the original Greek, Venice, House of Aldus, 1513. £8,000-12,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/df7dd9ac-f0d0-4cb3-a44d-2731758530e4.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Plato. [<i>Apanta ta tou Platonos. Omnia Platonis opera</i>], 2 parts in 2 vol., editio princeps of Plato's works in the original Greek, Venice, House of Aldus, 1513. £8,000-12,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Book of Hours, Use of Rome, In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [Southern Netherlands (probably Bruges), c.1460]. £6,000-8,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/c40bad29-8cb5-4347-a0fd-5361d39e84a5.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Book of Hours, Use of Rome, In Latin, illuminated manuscript on vellum, [Southern Netherlands (probably Bruges), c.1460]. £6,000-8,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Powell (Anthony). [<i>A Dance to the Music of Time</i>], 12 vol., first editions, each with a signed presentation inscription from the author to Osbert Lancaster, 1951-75. £6,000-8,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/b7fdee12-4803-4d32-9330-a5729091cb92.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Powell (Anthony). [<i>A Dance to the Music of Time</i>], 12 vol., first editions, each with a signed presentation inscription from the author to Osbert Lancaster, 1951-75. £6,000-8,000")
![<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Herschel (Sir John F. W.) Collection of 69 offprints, extracts and separate publications by Herschel, bound for his son, William James Herschel, 3 vol., [1813-50]. £15,000-20,000](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/a06cc0dd-7619-45e9-b155-5ad75ed7b2e5.png "<b>Forum, Jan. 29:</b> Herschel (Sir John F. W.) Collection of 69 offprints, extracts and separate publications by Herschel, bound for his son, William James Herschel, 3 vol., [1813-50]. £15,000-20,000")