Sothebys: The Library of Dr Rodney P Swantko
Auction Reports
| Auction Name | The Library of Dr Rodney P Swantko | Total Sales (USD) | 6,024,480.00 |
| Auction Date | June 26, 2024 - June 26, 2024 | Low Estimate of Lots Sold (USD) | 3,730,500.00 |
| Sale Number | #N11497 | High Estimate of Lots Sold (USD) | 5,513,500.00 |
| Total Lots | 47 | ||
| Sold Lots | 36.0 | Low Estimate of All Lots (USD) | 3,956,300.00 |
| % of Lots Sold | 76.60% | High Estimate of All Lots (USD) | 5,834,700.00 |
| Unsold Lots | 11 | Total Sales as a % of High Est. | 103.25% |
Top twenty-five by sale price
| Lot Number | Author Name | Book Title | Year Published | Estimate | Actual Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 37 | Thomas Taylor [artist] | The original cover art for Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone |
1997 | USD 400,000.00 - 600,000.00 | USD 1,920,000.00 |
| 9 | Doyle, Arthur Ignatius Conan, Sir | The most significant Sherlock Holmes manuscript extant |
1890 | USD 800,000.00 - 1,200,000.00 | USD 960,000.00 |
| 28 | Poe, Edgar Allan | "The fever called living is conquered at last." |
1849 | USD 400,000.00 - 600,000.00 | USD 504,000.00 |
| 26 | Poe, Edgar Allan | Tamerlane --- the most poignant rarity in American literature |
1827 | USD 400,000.00 - 600,000.00 | USD 420,000.00 |
| 10 | [Doyle, Arthur Ignatius Conan, Sir] | Sidney Paget's original illustration of "The Death of Sherlock Holmes" |
1893 | USD 250,000.00 - 350,000.00 | USD 384,000.00 |
| 15 | Fitzgerald, F. Scott | The Great Gatsby; first edition, inscribed to Zelda's sister and her husband |
1925 | USD 180,000.00 - 250,000.00 | USD 336,000.00 |
| 24 | Nabokov, Vladimir | Lolita; first edition, inscribed to Graham Greene with a butterfly |
1955 | USD 180,000.00 - 250,000.00 | USD 264,000.00 |
| 8 | Dickens, Charles | An extraordinary presentation copy of the author's best-loved book |
1843 | USD 200,000.00 - 300,000.00 | USD 228,000.00 |
| 27 | Poe, Edgar Allan | The earliest Poe manuscripts still in private hands |
circa 1828 or 1829 | USD 200,000.00 - 300,000.00 | USD 216,000.00 |
| 38 | Whitman, Walt | "Unscrew the locks from the doors! Unscrew the doors themselves from their jambs!" |
1855 | USD 120,000.00 - 180,000.00 | USD 132,000.00 |
| 22 | Kerouac, Jack | On the Road; first edition, inscribed to Joyce Johnson |
1957 | USD 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 | USD 120,000.00 |
| 2 | Baum, L. Frank | The Wonderful Wizard of Oz; first edition, presentation copy |
1900 | USD 120,000.00 - 180,000.00 | USD 108,000.00 |
| 25 | Nabokov, Vladimir | Lolita; first American edition, inscribed to his wife Vera with a butterfly drawing |
1958 | USD 100,000.00 - 150,000.00 | USD 72,000.00 |
| 39 | Whitman, Walt | "Walt Whitman, an American, one of the roughs, a kosmos" |
1855 | USD 80,000.00 - 120,000.00 | USD 66,000.00 |
| 6 | Clemens, Samuel Langhorne | An exquisite example of Huckleberry Finn in blue cloth, the Doheny copy |
1885 | USD 25,000.00 - 35,000.00 | USD 48,000.00 |
| 29 | Poe, Edgar Allan | The very fine Swann-Self set of the first collected edition |
1850 (Vols. I-III); 1856 (Vol. IV) | USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 | USD 48,000.00 |
| 34 | Steinbeck, John | Cannery Row, presented to the dedicatee |
1945 | USD 30,000.00 - 40,000.00 | USD 38,400.00 |
| 33 | Steinbeck, John | Presentation copy of Tortilla Flat in striking condition |
1935 | USD 6,000.00 - 8,000.00 | USD 24,000.00 |
| 5 | Clemens, Samuel Langhorne | A most attractive example of Clemens's first novel, the Swann copy |
1876 | USD 18,000.00 - 25,000.00 | USD 22,800.00 |
| 23 | Melville, Herman | "To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme." |
1851 | USD 20,000.00 - 30,000.00 | USD 21,600.00 |
| 14 | Fitzgerald, F. Scott | The Beautiful and Damned; first edition, presentation copy to Harry Hansen |
1922 | USD 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 | USD 20,400.00 |
| 31 | Steinbeck, John | Cup of Gold---a fine first edition of the author's first novel |
1929 | USD 15,000.00 - 20,000.00 | USD 10,800.00 |
| 7 | Clemens, Samuel Langhorne | A fine, bright copy of Huckleberry Finn in green cloth |
1885 | USD 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 | USD 9,000.00 |
| 32 | Steinbeck, John | To a God Unknown, inscribed to the author's book designer |
[1933] | USD 5,000.00 - 7,000.00 | USD 9,000.00 |
| 46 | [Golf] --- Tillinghast, A[lbert]. W[arren]. | Evidently one of just four recorded copies |
ca. 1917 | USD 8,000.00 - 12,000.00 | USD 7,800.00 |
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
