Item 27 is an odd pamphlet. It's headed Facts Relating to ________ the Only Tattooed Lady....All Clearly Proving Her to Be One of the Most Remarkable and Rarest Curiosities Now on Exhibition. Why the name was left blank is unclear, but the wrappers indicate she was known as "M'lle Aimee," who appears to be Irene Woodward, aka "La Belle Irene." Supposedly she claimed to have been tattooed in West Texas to hide her identity from the Indians, although an old newspaper indicated she was actually tattooed in New York. Maybe it was someone other than the Indians she was trying to fool. Perhaps in a few more years we will see on display at some carnival the last woman on earth without a tattoo. $350.
The New Jersey Woman Suffrage Association in 1868 published To The Women of New Jersey. Why You Should Vote. The pamphlet was offered for sale by Lucy Stone. It calls on women to "Demand the ballot." "Bring your influence to bear on the government, and sweep corruption out of politics." Well guess what. Women have been voting for nearly a century now. Has it "swept corruption" out of New Jersey politics? As a male, it's comforting to know that women vote for the same corrupt politicians that we do. Item 125. $450.
Arthur, Burnham & Co. offered Fresh Fruits and Vegetables, All the Year, At Summer Prices; and How to Obtain Them. How were they able to do this back in 1855? This pamphlet explains that the answer is "Arthur's Patent Self-Cleaning Can." Is this not canned fruits and vegetables, not fresh, or am I missing something here? It's no more likely that these fruits and vegetables were "fresh" than it was that this can actually cleaned itself. However, they were accurate on one point. You could buy this produce "at summer prices," since obviously you bought them in the summer to can them for winter. Duh. Item 17. $125.
An insight into medical practice in the first half of the 19th century is offered by Dr. Walter Channing in Professional Reminiscences of Foreign Travel, published in 1852. He had traveled to England, Russia, and many countries of continental Europe over the years, and made a point of visiting physicians and hospitals. Dr. Channing was one of Boston's most notable physicians, having taught at Harvard Medical College from 1815 until 1847. His papers, including the manuscripts for this book, are housed at the Massachusetts Historical Society. You can find out more at www.masshist.org/findingaids/doc.cfm?fa=fa0018 Item 76. $125.
Michael Brown Rare Books may be found on the internet at www.mbamericana.com and reached by phone at 215-387-9808.
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…
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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.
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
![<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.")
