Back

Sothebys: A Worldwide Grand Tour: The Sven A. Behrendt Collection

Auction Reports


Auction Name	A Worldwide Grand Tour: The Sven A. Behrendt Collection	Total Sales (GBP)	510,413.00
Auction Date	December 02, 2025 - December 02, 2025	Low Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	211,200.00
Sale Number	#L25330	High Estimate of Lots Sold (GBP)	283,900.00
Total Lots	35
Sold Lots	34.0	Low Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	231,200.00
% of Lots Sold	97.14%	High Estimate of All Lots (GBP)	313,900.00
Unsold Lots	1	Total Sales as a % of High Est.	162.60%

Top twenty-five by sale price

Lot Number	Author Name	Book Title	Year Published	Estimate	Actual Price
95	Isaac Newton	The mathematical principles of natural philosophy..., London, 1729, first edition in English, 2 volumes, contemporary calf	1729	GBP 35,000.00 - 40,000.00	GBP 190,500.00
59	Captain James Cook	An Account of the Voyages... London, 1773-1784, first editions, 9 volumes in all (8 text volumes plus atlas volume)	1773-1784	GBP 12,000.00 - 18,000.00	GBP 44,450.00
77	Frederick de Wit	Atlas, Amsterdam, [c.1680], first edition, 100 double-page hand-coloured engraved maps, publisher's vellum	[c.1680]	GBP 25,000.00 - 35,000.00	GBP 44,450.00
71	David Roberts	The Holy Land, Egypt & Nubia, 1842-9, 6 volumes in 4, contemporary green morocco gilt	1842-9	GBP 20,000.00 - 25,000.00	GBP 29,210.00
75	George Vancouver	A Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and Round the World, London, 1798, first edition, 4 volumes (3 text and an atlas)	1798	GBP 15,000.00 - 20,000.00	GBP 19,050.00
57	Henri Abraham Chatelain	Atlas historique, Amsterdam, 1719-1721, 7 volumes, contemporary calf gilt	1719-1721	GBP 7,000.00 - 9,000.00	GBP 15,240.00
94	Isaac Newton	Philosophiae naturalis principia mathematica... editia tertia, London, 1726	1726	GBP 8,000.00 - 10,000.00	GBP 15,240.00
9	Bernardo Bellotto	Five views of Dresden by Bernardo Bellotto known as Canaletto (1721-1781), mid-18th century	mid-18th century	GBP 7,000.00 - 10,000.00	GBP 11,430.00
69	Albert von Le Coq	Die Buddhistische Spatantike in Mitteklasien..., Berlin, 1924, 7 volumes in all (6 volumes, plus the scarce "Atlas zu den Wandmalereien" housed in cloth portfolio)	1924	GBP 1,800.00 - 2,500.00	GBP 9,525.00
73	Sir Marc Aurel Stein	Serindia. Detailed Report of Explorations in Central Asia and Westernmost China, Oxford, 1921, 6 volumes, original cloth	1921	GBP 7,000.00 - 10,000.00	GBP 9,525.00
60	Pascal Coste	Monuments Modernes de la Perse, 1867, first edition	1867	GBP 6,000.00 - 8,000.00	GBP 8,890.00
96	Baruch de Spinoza	Opera Posthuma quorum series post praefationem exhibiter, Amsterdam, 1677, contemporary vellum, first edition of Spinoza's posthumous works	1677	GBP 2,500.00 - 3,500.00	GBP 8,890.00
62	Jean-Francois de Galaup, comte de Laperouse	Voyage... autour du monde. Paris, 1797, 5 volumes in all (4 text and an atlas)	1797	GBP 8,000.00 - 10,000.00	GBP 8,255.00
65	Sven Hedin	Southern Tibet. Discoveries in former times..., Stockholm: 1916-1922, first edition, 12 volumes in all (9 text volumes; 1 atlas volume; 2 volumes of maps in one slipcase; one illustrated leaflet on the work)	1916-1922	GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00	GBP 8,255.00
61	Jean-Baptiste Du Halde	Description geographique... de l'empire de la Chine, Paris, 1735, 4 volumes, modern period style calf gilt	1735	GBP 7,000.00 - 9,000.00	GBP 7,620.00
58	Awnsham and John Churchill	A Collection of Voyages and Travels, 3rd edition, 1744-52, 8 volumes, contemporary calf gilt	1744-52	GBP 4,000.00 - 6,000.00	GBP 6,985.00
64	Sven Hedin	Scientific Results of a Journey in Central Asia 1899-1902, Stockholm, 1904-7, first edition, one of 300 copies, 10 parts plus 3 map volumes, original wrappers	1904-7	GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00	GBP 6,985.00
90	Rudyard Kipling	The Complete Works in Prose and Verse, 1937-39, 35 volumes, publisher's tan morocco gilt, first volume signed by the author	1937-39	GBP 4,000.00 - 6,000.00	GBP 6,985.00
68	Albert von Le Coq	Chotscho..., Berlin, 1913, 2 volumes, contemporary black half morocco	1913	GBP 3,000.00 - 5,000.00	GBP 6,096.00
72	Sir Marc Aurel Stein	Ancient Khotan. Detailed report of archaeological explorations in Chinese Turkestan. Oxford, 1907, 2 volumes, 4to, original cloth	1907	GBP 5,000.00 - 6,000.00	GBP 6,096.00
70	Antoine Francois Prevost	Histoire generale des voyages... nouvelle edition, The Hague, 1747-80, 25 volumes, contemporary marbled calf	1747-80	GBP 2,500.00 - 3,500.00	GBP 5,715.00
88	Nonesuch Press---Charles Dickens	The Works, 1937-1928, 24 volumes including plate volume	1937-1928	GBP 2,500.00 - 4,000.00	GBP 5,334.00
93	Napoleon I	Letter signed ("Buonaparte") to the Minister of the Interior, [2 October 1804]	1804	GBP 1,200.00 - 1,800.00	GBP 4,826.00
92	Napoleon I	Letter signed ("Napn") to [Jacques] Defermon, 2 March 1809	1809	GBP 1,000.00 - 1,500.00	GBP 4,445.00
74	Joseph Stocklein	Allerhand... Reis-Beschreibungen, 1726-55, 32 parts in 5 volumes, contemporary pigskin	1726-55	GBP 5,000.00 - 6,000.00	GBP 3,556.00

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.

Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s
Book Week
December 9-17, 2025

Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.

Sotheby’s
Book Week
December 9-17, 2025

Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.

Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
Heritage Auctions
Rare Books Signature Auction
December 15, 2025

Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.

Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.

Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.

Heritage, Dec. 15: Bram Stoker. Dracula. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co., 1897.

Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
Rare Book Hub is now mobile-friendly!