• Sotheby’s
    New York Book Week
    12-26 June
    Sotheby’s, June 25: Theocritus. Theocriti Eclogae triginta, Venice, Aldo Manuzio, February 1495/1496. 220,000 - 280,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, June 26: Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby, 1925. 40,000 - 60,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, June 26: Blake, William. Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Printed ca. 1381-1832. 400,000 - 600,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, June 26: Lincoln, Abraham. Thirteenth Amendment, signed by Abraham Lincoln. 8,000,000 - 12,000,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, June 26: Galieli, Galileo. First Edition of the Foundation of Modern Astronomy, 1610. 300,000 - 400,000 USD
  • Finarte
    Books, Autographs & Prints
    June 24 & 25, 2025
    Finarte, June 24-25: ALIGHIERI, DANTE / LANDINO, CRISTOFORO. Comento di Christophoro Landino Fiorentino sopra la Comedia di Danthe Alighieri poeta fiorentino, 1481. €40,000 to €50,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: ALIGHIERI, DANTE. La Commedia [Commento di Christophorus Landinus]. Aggiunta: Marsilius Ficinus, Ad Dantem gratulatio [in latino e Italiano], 1487. €40,000 to €60,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: ALIGHIERI, DANTE. Il Convivio, 1490. €20,000 to €25,000.
    Finarte
    Books, Autographs & Prints
    June 24 & 25, 2025
    Finarte, June 24-25: BANDELLO, MATTEO. La prima [-quarta] parte de le nouelle del Bandello, 1554. €7,000 to €9,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: LEGATURA – PLUTARCO. Le vies des hommes illustres, grecs et romaines translates, 1567. €10,000 to €12,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: TOLOMEO, CLAUDIO. Ptolemeo La Geografia di Claudio Ptolemeo Alessandrino, Con alcuni comenti…, 1548. €4,000 to €6,000.
    Finarte
    Books, Autographs & Prints
    June 24 & 25, 2025
    Finarte, June 24-25: FESTE - COPPOLA, GIOVANNI CARLO. Le nozze degli Dei, favola [...] rappresentata in musica in Firenze…, 1637. €6,000 to €8,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: SPINOZA, BARUCH. Opera posthuma, 1677. €8,000 to €12,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: PUSHKIN, ALEXANDER. Borus Godunov, 1831. €30,000 to €50,000.
    Finarte
    Books, Autographs & Prints
    June 24 & 25, 2025
    Finarte, June 24-25: LIBRO D'ARTISTA - LECUIRE, PIERRE. Ballets-minute, 1954. €35,000 to €40,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: LIBRO D'ARTISTA - MAJAKOVSKIJ, VLADIMIR / LISSITZKY, LAZAR MARKOVICH. Dlia Golosa, 1923. €7,000 to €10,000.
    Finarte, June 24-25: LIBRO D'ARTISTA - MATISSE, HENRI / MONTHERLANT, HENRY DE. Pasiphaé. Chant de Minos., 1944. €22,000 to €24,000.
  • Bonhams, June 16-25: 15th-CENTURY TREATISE ON SYPHILIS. GRÜNPECK. 1496. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: THE NORMAN COPY OF BENIVIENI'S TREATISE ON PATHOLOGY. 1507. $12,000 - $18,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: FRACASTORO. Syphilis sive Morbus Gallicus. 1530. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: THE FIRST PUBLISHED WORK ON SKIN DISEASES. MERCURIALIS. De morbis cutaneis... 1572. $10,000 - $15,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: BIDLOO. Anatomia humani corporis... 1685. $6,000 - $9,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: THE NORMAN COPY OF DOUGLASS'S EARLY AMERICAN WORK ON INNOCULATION AND SMALLPOX. 1722. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: LIND'S FIRST TREATISE ON SCURVY. 1753. $15,000 - $20,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: RARE JENNER SIGNED CIRCULAR ON VACCINATION. 1821. $4,000 - $6,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: MOST BEAUTIFUL OF MEDICAL ILLUSTRATIONS. BRIGHT. Reports of Medical Cases... 1827-1831. $10,000 - $15,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE PRESENTATION COPY TO HER MOTHER. 1860. $6,000 - $8,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: LORENZO TRAVER'S MANUSCRIPT JOURNAL OF BURNSIDE'S NORTH CAROLINA EXPEDITION. TRAVER, Lorenzo. $2,000 - $3,000
    Bonhams, June 16-25: ONE OF THE EARLIEST PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKS ON DERMATOLOGY. HARDY. Clinique Photographique... 1868. $3,000 - $5,000
  • Bonhams, June 16-24: KELMSCOTT PRESS. RUSKIN. The Nature of Gothic. 1892. $1,500 - $2,500
    Bonhams, June 16-24: ASHENDENE PRESS. The Wisdom of Jesus. 1932. $2,000 - $3,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: CHARLOTTE BRONTE WRITES AS GOVERNESS. Autograph Letter Signed, 1851. $15,000 - $25,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: FIRST AMERICAN EDITION OF WUTHERING HEIGHTS. BRONTE, Emily. New York, 1848. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: IAN FLEMING ASSOCIATION COPY. You Only Live Twice. London, 1964. $7,000 - $9,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: DELUXE EDITION WITH ORIGINAL PAINTING. BUKOWSKI, Charles. War All the Time. 1984. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: EINSTEIN'S MOST POWERFUL STATEMENT ON THE ATOMIC BOMB. Original Typed Manuscript Signed, "On My Participation in the Atom Bomb Project," 1953. $100,000 - $150,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: EINSTEIN ON SCIENCE, WAR AND MORALITY. Autograph Letter Signed, 1949. $20,000 - $30,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: SOCIETY OF THE CINCINNATI. WASHINGTON, George. Engraved document signed, 1786. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: AN EARLY CHINESE-MADE 34-STAR U.S. CONSULAR FLAG. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: SIGNED PHOTOGRAPH OF LINCOLN WITH HIS SON TAD. 1864. $60,000 - $90,000
    Bonhams, June 16-24: MALCOLM X WRITES FROM KENYA. Postcard signed, 1964. $4,000 - $6,000

Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - December - 2015 Issue

Economics, Politics & Philosophy from Peter Harrington

Economics, Politics & Philosophy.

Economics, Politics & Philosophy.

Peter Harrington has issued their 115th catalogue, and it is one targeted to the thinking person. The subjects are Economics, Politics & Philosophy. These are weighty topics. Some books were meant for regular folks, like how to improve your economic standing by understanding the stock market, but most required some depth of knowledge to appreciate. Nonetheless, if not meant for the man/woman in the street, the theories expressed had great impact on their lives. You don't have to see the invisible hand to be affected by it. Here are a few of these serious books.

 

We will start with an item that is such a spectacular piece of Americana that we have to mention it, though it will be out of reach of most collectors. How did this end up with a London bookseller? Item 128 is a copy of the Political Debates between Hon. Abraham Lincoln and Hon. Stephen A. Douglas, In the Celebrated Campaign of 1858, in Illinois... This was the preliminary battle between Lincoln and Douglas, for the Illinois senate seat. The two would meet again two years later for the presidency. Round 1 went Douglas, round 2 to Lincoln. While Lincoln lost the race in Illinois, his debating skills made him a figure to be reckoned with. It was Lincoln's supporters who had this account published in 1860, confident that "hearing" Lincoln's words would work to his favor in the presidential election. This is a first edition, presentation copy, inscribed by Lincoln to his friend Job Fletcher. Fletcher and Lincoln were members of the "Long Nine," the nine representatives from Sangamon County, Illinois, who worked together in 1837 to have the state capitol moved from Vandalia to Springfield, in Sangamon County. They got their name from the fact their average height was for then the very tall measure of six feet (Lincoln did more than his share). The Long Nine may have done some horse trading to secure Springfield as the state capitol, such as supporting internal improvement projects in other legislators' districts in return for their support. That was certainly the belief of one of the move's opponents – Stephen A. Douglas. Priced at £150,000 (British pounds, or approximately $228,000 U.S. dollars).

 

This next one belongs in every collection of the law – Commentaries on the Laws of England, the 1765 first edition of what is commonly known as "Blackstone's Commentaries," by Sir William Blackstone. Harrington notes that it is "the most influential law book ever published." English law was filled with "case law," decisions reached by judges. However, these were many individual decisions. Blackstone weaved it all together to form a coherent whole, so that it made sense. In so doing, he provided guidance as to what would be the appropriate rulings, in accordance with the spirit of the law, in future decisions. While Blackstone's commentaries were on English law, that law, and his commentaries, would naturally be the foundation of American law when those colonies split from England barely a decade later. Item 16. £9,750 (US $14,700).

 

Here is a fascinating legal topic, one I will admit to not having been aware of before. Item 55 is Edward Payson Evans' The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals, published in 1906. Harrington describes this as "the first and still authoritative study of the bizarre medieval practice of putting animals (usually domesticated, but also weevils and the like) on trial." In the good old days, domestic animals who injured or killed a person would not just be put down, but could literally be put on trial in a court. Insects, such as weevils and gnats, or vermin like rats would generally be handled by ecclesiastical authorities, as these were actions against a species that was causing harm, rather than an individual. One of the cases described involved a pig who maimed a child in the face as well as killing it. The pig was sentenced to likewise being mangled in the face and then hung from the gallows in front of a crowd, like a …… human. One presumes the pig probably took the Fifth Amendment at his trial and refused to testify. £400 (US $602).

 

Two hundred years later, but these problems are still with us today. Item 83 is Richard Heathfield's Thoughts on the Liquidation of the Public Debt, and on the Relief of the Country from the Distress incident to a Population exceeding the Demand for Labour. This 1829 first edition is bound with a later edition of Heathfield's prior work, Elements of a Plan for the Liquidation of the Public Debt of the United Kingdom. When this book was written, Britain was looking for an answer to debt accumulated during the War of 1812 and the Napoleonic Wars. Heathfield believed that taxes levied on labor to pay the interest and principal on the debt was an intolerable burden on both working people and commerce. He proposed a large levy instead on property, with the major target being wealthy, absentee landlords. He believed that they obtained their wealth through the efforts of labor, so they, not labor, should pay the debt. £ 250 (US $376).

 

William Henry Harrison had a long career in public service, in the military, reaching the rank of General, as Territorial Governor of Indiana, as a representative in the Ohio legislature, and as a Representative and Senator in the federal government. However, what he is mostly remembered for is a very brief episode in his career. He was U.S. President for one month, dying a mere 31 days after taking office in 1841. In 1828, Harrison was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary to Gran Colombia by President John Quincy Adams. The appointment would last only a little over a year, as newly elected President Andrew Jackson chose to fill the office with a campaign supporter. Harrison did not leave without ruffling some important feathers in his host country. He believed leader Simon Bolivar had aspirations to be a dictator, so Harrison wrote him a lecture on democracy. It was not well received. Bolivar was insulted, and so were the people of Colombia. They sped up his exit. Harrison wrote this defense of his behavior, published in 1830: Remarks of General Harrison, Late Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States to the Republic of Colombia, on Certain Charges Made Against Him by that Government. Harrison has inscribed this copy to his "friend," John C. Wright. Wright had served in Congress representing Ohio at the same time as Harrison. Wright was defeated for reelection in 1828, and did not serve in the legislature again. After four years on the Ohio Supreme Court, he worked in law and business the remainder of his life. He died in Washington in early 1861, where the then 77-year-old man was a delegate to the Peace Conference of 1861, a last-ditch effort to hold off the Civil War. Item 75. £27,500 (US $41,385).

 

Peter Harrington may be reached at 020 7591 0220 (USA 011 44 20 7591 0220) or mail@peterharringtonbooks.com. Their website is www.peterharrington.co.uk or www.peterharringtonbooks.com (for U.S. customers).

Rare Book Monthly

  • Case Antiques
    Two-Day Summer Auction
    July 12 & 13, 2025
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Winston Link Signed Photograph, Hotshot Eastbound, Iager, West Virginia, July 1957. $3,400 to $3,800.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Alexander Hamilton ALS, Whiskey Rebellion. $2,800 to $3,200.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Civil War Canteen and Letters, Thomas Tabb Jr. CSA. $1,800 to $2,200.
    Case Antiques
    Two-Day Summer Auction
    July 12 & 13, 2025
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Archive of Capt. William Tabb of MS, CSA, Killed Atlanta. $1,000 to $1,400.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Rudyard Kipling Collection, 29 Volumes, First Editions; Zaehnsdorf Bindings. $1,000 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Artist Andrew Wyeth & Family Signed Letters, Cards. $1,000 to $1,200.
    Case Antiques
    Two-Day Summer Auction
    July 12 & 13, 2025
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Augusta Resolves Silk Broadside, Revolutionary War RelateD. $800 to $1,000.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: 1894 Map of Nashville. $800 to $900.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: CSA Navy Appointment, Semmes and Mallory plus Photo of Lt. Armstrong. $600 to $800.
    Case Antiques
    Two-Day Summer Auction
    July 12 & 13, 2025
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Slave Colonies of Great Britain, 1825, Macaulay, First Edition, plus Debate on Abolition, 1792. $600 to $800.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Signed Photo of 3 Presidents: Nixon, Ford, Carter. $600 to $800.
    Case Antiques, July 12-13: Slave Ledger, Merrill Plantations, Natchez, MS & Concordia, LA. $1,000 to $1,200.
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