Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - June - 2013 Issue

New Arrivals at The Veatchs Arts of the Book

A sun hat full of disparaging words.

A sun hat full of disparaging words.

Item 2 is The Books of WAD, by Dwight Agner, published in 1974. The odd title is explained by “WAD” being W.A. Dwiggins. Dwiggins was a type and book designer, as well as an illustrator. He came from an advertising background, which helps explain the flair in his designs. This item is a bibliography of the books he designed. $150.

Here is one of those books “WAD” designed: Towards a Reform of the Paper Currency, published in 1932. This is not a book devoted to the Federal Reserve, monetary supply, or such esoteric matters of fiscal policy. It is focused on the appearance of paper currency, postage, and tax stamps, using samples from a mythical country. This copy is one of 452 published by the Limited Editions Club and signed by Dwiggins. Item 16. $600.

We will close with a very odd item, though it is definitely an example of works on paper. Item 29 is a green sun hat, created this year by Diane Jacobs. It is 19 inches in diameter and 7 inches high. It is woven from letterpress printed strips of pale green paper. Printed on the strips is a long list of slang and derogatory words used to describe women. Ms. Jacobs spent three years asking friends, relatives and strangers, along with consulting dictionaries, to find the most insulting words they had been called. She has created nine hats since 1998, and has written, “In this body of work I intend to expose the tenacious, white, patriarchal power structure by using language as my witness.” This hat is probably more suitable for a woman, as a man wearing it might be misunderstood. $1,400.

The Veatchs Arts of the Book may be reached at 413-584-1867 or veatchs@veatchs.com. Their website is www.veatchs.com.

Rare Book Monthly

  • 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.
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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.

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