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Sothebys: Books, Manuscripts and Music

Auction Reports

Auction Name	Books, Manuscripts and Music	Total Sales (GBP)	2,310,553.00
Auction Date	December 11, 2025 - December 11, 2025	Low Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	1,355,500.00
Sale Number	#L25401	High Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	1,950,000.00
Total Lots	162
Sold Lots	127.0	Low Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	1,741,500.00
% of Lots Sold	78.40%	High Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	2,489,000.00
Unsold Lots	35	Total Sales as a % of High Est.	92.83%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number	Author Name	Book Title	Year Published	Estimate	Actual Price
95	J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. London	1997	GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00	GBP 253,999.00
76	Darwin, Charles and Alfred Russel Wallace	On the Tendency of Species to form Varieties; and on the Perpetuation of Varieties and Species by Natural Means of Selection [1858-59]	1859	GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00	GBP 228,600.00
5	Bible, Latin	Biblia Latina, a bifolium printed on vellum from the Gutenberg or 42-line Bible.	c.1454-1455	GBP 70,000.00 - 90,000.00	GBP 215,899.00
147	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	Autograph sketchleaf including a probable draft for the finale of the Piano Quartet in E flat, K.493, FORMERLY IN THE COLLECTION OF PAUL HIRSCH	1786	GBP 150,000.00 - 200,000.00	GBP 177,799.00
66	Tsar Alexander II and Catherine Dolgorukova	Correspondence between Tsar Alexander II and his lover Catherine Dolgorukova,	1866-1879	GBP 100,000.00 - 150,000.00	GBP 120,649.00
77	Charles Darwin	On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life	1859	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 76,200.00
141	Franz Liszt	Remarkable collection of 28 autograph letters and notes, signed ("F. Liszt"; "FL"), in French, to the composer's close friend and confidante Baroness Olga von Meyendorff	1863-1886	GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00	GBP 53,340.00
134	Johannes Brahms	Autograph manuscript signed of the songs 'Sehnsucht', op.14 no.8, and 'Trost in Tranen', op.48 no.5, for voice and piano, FORMERLY IN THE CELEBRATED COLLECTION OF LOUIS KOCH	1858	GBP 40,000.00 - 60,000.00	GBP 44,449.00
130	Ludwig van Beethoven	Fine characteristic autograph letter signed ("Beethoven"), to his friend Nikolaus von Zmeskall, dated by the recipient '28 8br.	1810	GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00	GBP 38,100.00
88		A silver teaspoon owned by Captain F.R.M. Crozier		GBP 8,000.00 - 12,000.00	GBP 35,559.00
108	Ian Fleming	Live and Let Die	1954	GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00	GBP 35,559.00
107	Ian Fleming	Casino Royale.	1953	GBP 20,000.00 - 30,000.00	GBP 33,019.00
79	Albert Einstein	Autograph letter signed, to Alfred Bucherer, ON HIS CONFIRMATION OF EINSTEIN'S THEORY OF SPECIAL RELATIVITY	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	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
143	Jules Massenet	Autograph manuscript full score, signed, of the incidental music to Georges Rivollet's play Jerusalem, UNPUBLISHED	1911	GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00	GBP 27,939.00
62	Virgil---Gavin Douglas (translator)	The xiii bukes of Eneados of the famose poete Virgill translatet out of Latyne verses into Scottish metir, bi the Reuerend Father in God, Mayster Gawin Douglas Bishop of Dunkel	1553	GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00	GBP 25,399.00
111	Ian Fleming	Diamonds Are Forever.	1956	GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00	GBP 24,129.00
148	Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart--Paul Hirsch (collector, bibliophile and Mozartian, 1881-1951)	The Frankfurt and Cambridge autograph guest books and chamber-music notebooks of Paul Hirsch	1897-1967	GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00	GBP 24,129.00
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
20	Gabriel Doppelmayr	Atlas novus coelestis in quo mundus spectabilis, et in eodem tam errantium quam inerrantium stellarum phoenomena notabilia, crica ipsarum lumen.	1742	GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00	GBP 21,589.00
97	J.K. Rowling	Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone	1997	GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00	GBP 21,589.00
118	Ian Fleming	Thunderball.	1961	GBP 5,000.00 - 7,000.00	GBP 21,589.00
82	Albert Einstein	Autograph letter signed ("A. Einstein"), to Alfred Bucherer	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
106	Oscar Wilde	Intentions... The Decay of Lying, Pen Pencil and Poison, The Critic as Artist, The Truth of Masks	1891	GBP 10,000.00 - 15,000.00	GBP 20,319.00
136	Fryderyk Chopin	Autograph letter signed ("F. Chopin"), to his publisher Maurice Schlesinger in Paris	1844?	GBP 5,000.00 - 8,000.00	GBP 20,319.00

Chiswick Auctions
Books & Works on Paper
12th March 2026

Chiswick, Mar. 12: Churchill: The World in Crisis. Inscribed in 4 vols. 1923-31. £18,000 - £22,000.

Chiswick, Mar. 12: Rowling. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. Inscribed. £6,000 to £8,000.

Chiswick, Mar. 12: Ponting. Polar Photographs (2) 1910-11. £3,000 - £4,000.

Chiswick, Mar. 12: Gray [Artist.] India. Album 40 original drawings. 1858 - 1862. £2,000 - £3,000.

Chiswick, Mar. 12: Lane’s Celestial Globe, 1811. £600 - £800.
Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026

Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Andrews (H.C.) Coloured Engravings of Heaths, 4 vol. in 2, first edition, [1710,--94]-1802-1809-[1830]. £10,000 - £15,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- Cramer (Pierre) and Caspar Stoll. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie Waereld-Deelen…,, 5 vol., Amsterdam & Utrecht, 1779-91. £8,000 - £12,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Voyages.- Darwin (Charles) and others. Narrative of the Surveying Voyages of His Majesty's Ships Adventure and Beagle, 3 vol. in 4, including Appendix to vol.2, first edition, 1839. £8,000 - £12,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Butterflies.- de Graaf (Willem Diederik Vincent). [Inlandsche Kapellen in beeld], 170 fine original watercolours, [Enkhuizen], [1800-40]. £8,000 - £12,000.

Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026

Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Dresser (Henry Eeles). A History of the Birds of Europe, 9 vol., including supplement, first edition, by the author, 1871-96. £6,000 - £8,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Zoology.- Felines.- Elliot (Daniel Giraud). A Monograph of the Felidæ or Family of the Cats, first edition, for the Subscribers, by the Author, [1878]-1883. £25,000 - £30,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Frisch (Johann Leonard). Vorstellung der Vögel Deutschlandes, 2 vol., first edition, Berlin, Friedr. Wilhelm Birnsteil, [1736]-1763. £40,000 - £60,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Birds.- Gould (John). The Birds of Great Britain, 5 vol., first edition, by the author, 1862-1873. £30,000 - £40,000.

Forum Auctions
Natural History: The remaining stock of Antiquariaat Junk, 1899-2026
25 March 2026

Forum, Mar. 25: Pomology.- France.- Poiteau (A.) Pomologie Française. Recueil des Plus Beaux Fruits cultivés en France, 4 vol., Paris, 1846. £30,000 - £40,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- [Robin (Jean)]. Histoire des Plantes, nouvellement trouvées en l'Isle Virgine…,, 1620; with Geoffrey Linocier L'Histoire des plantes, second edition, 1619-20. £3,000 - £4,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Japan.- Siebold (P.F. von). Nippon. Archiv zur Beschreibung von Japan, 7 parts in 6 vol., first edition, Leyden, [1832]-1852. £35,000 - £45,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Asia.- Valentijn (Francois). Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën..., 5 vol. in 8, first edition, Dordrecht [&] Amsterdam, 1724-26. £8,000 - £12,000.

Forum, Mar. 25: Botany.- Australia.- Redouté (P.J.).- Ventenat (Étienne Pierre). Jardin de la Malmaison, 2 vol.,, Paris, 1803-04[-05]. £30,000 - £40,000.
ALDE, Mar. 11: AUGUSTIN (Saint). De civitate Dei. Rome, Konrad Sweynheym et Arnold Pannartz, 1470. €20,000 - €30,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: [REGNART (LE LIVRE DE)]. [Le] Docteur en malice, maistre Regnard, demonstrant les ruzes et cautelles qu'il use envers les personnes… Rouen, 1550. €20,000 - €30,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: TRITHÈME (JEAN). Polygraphie et universelle escriture cabalistique. Paris, [Benoît Prévost pour] Jacques Kerver, 1561. €8,000 - €10,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: CAUS (SALOMON DE). La Perspective, avec la raison des ombres et des miroirs. Londres, John Norton, 1612.

ALDE, Mar. 11: NICERON (JEAN-FRANÇOIS). La Perspective curieuse ou magie artificielle des effets merveilleux de l'optique. Paris, Pierre Billaine, 1638. €6,000 - €8,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: VONTET (JACQUES). L’Art de trancher la viande et toute sorte de fruits… S.l.n.d. [probablement Lyon, vers 1647]. €20,000 - €30,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: HUGO (VICTOR). [Paysage spectral avec une église], [vers 1837]. €20,000 - €30,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: [HERVEY DE SAINT-DENYS (LÉON D')]. Les Rêves et les Moyens de les diriger. Observations pratiques. Paris, Amyot, 1867. €3,000 - €4,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: GACHET (PAUL-FERDINAND). Les Chats de Gachet (Manuscrit). S.d. [avant mai 1873]. €6,000 - €8,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: [REDON (ODILON)]. PICARD (EDMOND). Le Juré. Monodrame en cinq actes… Bruxelles, Mme veuve Monnom, 1887. €7,000 - €9,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: [TOULOUSE-LAUTREC (HENRI DE) ET HENRI-GABRIEL IBELS]. MONTORGUEIL (GEORGES). Le Café-concert. Paris, [1893]. €4,000 - €5,000.

ALDE, Mar. 11: [TERRY (EMILIO)]. Projet de fontaine. Dessin original au stylo et à l'encre noire. 1938. €2,000 - €3,000.