Autographs and Signed Documents from David Schulson
136 from David Schulson Autographs.
By Michael Stillman
The latest collection from David Schulson Autographs has arrived, simply titled 136. It contains signatures of notable figures from all walks of life - politics, music, art, architecture, science, literature, film, aviation, military and law. Some are simple signatures, others signed photographs, and many are letters and other documents written by their notable signers. There are both American and European autographs offered, and they range from the 18th through the 20th centuries. Here are a few from this latest collection.
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, better known to most as Lewis Carroll of "Alice in Wonderland" fame, always had his distinctive sense of humor. On May 1, 1888, Dodgson replied to a party invitation by noting, "...I can but return to my now-stereotyped answer that I gave up going out to parties some years ago - Life is getting too short, & too busy, to spend one's time so; & besides, I have talked all my small talk - haven't any more left." The letter is signed "C.L. Dodgson." Item 32. Priced at $4,500.
Many of Ernest Hemingway's letters similarly reflect his personality, over-the-top macho, filled with references to partying and drinking. However, Hemingway could be all business too. Item 46 is a most fascinating letter as it was written to Barbara Cohen (Holdridge) from Cuba on July 20, 1952. The 22-year-old Cohen and a fellow recent college graduate were just forming Caedmon Records, which would grow to be the major recorder of the spoken word (the label is now owned by Harper Collins). The young entrepreneurs had just signed their first act, convincing Dylan Thomas to read his poetry before their microphones. Hemingway responds to Cohen with a series of business questions that imply he expected Caedmon to be something more than a start-up. "What books has the Caedmon publishers published? Who are the officers and directors of the firm? What references will you give me? With your present distribution how many recordings can you expect to sell at $4.95?" Cohen had proposed Thomas' deal, a $500 advance and 10% royalties. Hemingway responds that his terms are a $5,000 advance and 16% royalties. Hemingway concludes, "You are dealing with the disposal of a part of my life's work. I hope you did not think I would be so stupid as to give it to you to play with or batten on." He then adds a postscript, "Do you have any idea of the value of the property you are negotiating for?" Certainly, Hemingway did not suffer from a shrunken ego, but for all his bluster, he did sign on and record for Caedmon (we don't know the terms). $7,750.
Thomas DeQuincey was a British writer who veered into the world of drugs in an earlier time. He is best remembered for writing about it in 1822 in Confessions of an English Opium-Eater. One Sunday morning, he wrote to a Miss Craig, "From the confusion of my room, and the malarrangements I have hitherto made for the purpose of applying some remedy to this confusion, I find this morning that, partly from absence in Edinb. yesterday, have fallen into arrears of 4 pages, all of which however shall this day go off to Tipperary; and henceforward, by means of a new and angelic method which commence this day, no such accumulation shall take place." In other words, he is cleaning up his act and will get his pages out in a timely manner in the future. One can only wonder what he was smoking when he wrote that explanation. Item 30. $1,650.
Dominic Winter Auctioneers September 11 Printed Books, Maps & Manuscripts, The Polydore Vergil bound for Queen Mary I
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Exquemelin (Alexandre Olivier). The History of the Bucaniers of America..., 4 parts in one, 3rd edition, 1704. £1,000-1,500
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Greenough (George Bellos). A Physical and Geological Map of England & Wales..., Geological Society, July 1865. £5,000-8,000
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Illuminated Psalter. Manuscript Psalter with Calendar, Flanders or North-East France, late 13th century. £7,000-10,000
Dominic Winter Auctioneers September 11 Printed Books, Maps & Manuscripts, The Polydore Vergil bound for Queen Mary I
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Book of Hours. Illuminated manuscript on vellum, Use of Rome, in Latin, Florence, c. 1470s. £3,000-5,000
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Henry VIII (King of England). Assertio septem sacramentorum adversus Martinum Lutherum, Antwerp: Michiel Hillen, 1522. £3,000-5,000
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Binding for Queen Mary I of England and Ireland. Polydori Vergilii Urbinatis Anglicae..., 1555. £20,000-30,000
Dominic Winter Auctioneers September 11 Printed Books, Maps & Manuscripts, The Polydore Vergil bound for Queen Mary I
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Llwyd (Humphrey). The Breviary of Britayne..., 1st edition in English, 1573. William Lambarde's copy. £2,000-3,000
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Embroidered Binding. The Whole Book of Psalmes..., Imprinted for the Company of Stationers, 1634. £700-1,000
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Astronomy Manuscript. [Shakerley, Jeremy (1626-c.1655). Tabulae Britannicae, the British tables…], late 17th c. £1,000-1,500
Dominic Winter Auctioneers September 11 Printed Books, Maps & Manuscripts, The Polydore Vergil bound for Queen Mary I
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Vellucent Art Nouveau Binding [Book of Common Prayer] by Herbert Granville Fell, 1900. £1,000-1,500
Dominic Winter, Sep. 11: Palladio (Andrea). The Architecture of A. Palladio; in Four Books, 2nd edition, 1721. £2,000-3,000
Sotheby’s 10 September 2024 The Shem Tov Bible
Koller Auctions Books & Autographs 18 September 2024
Koller, Sep. 18: Cowper, William. Anatomia corporum humanorum ab excellentissimis… Utrecht, 1750. CHF 25,000 to 40,000
Koller, Sep. 18: Bell, Thomas. A Monograph of the Testudinata. London [1836-1842]. CHF 20,000 to 30,000.
Koller, Sep. 18: Gould, John. A monograph of the Trochilidae, or family of humming-birds [and] Supplement completed after the authors death…, London [1849-]1861 and [1880-]1887. CHF 50,000 to 80,000.
Koller Auctions Books & Autographs 18 September 2024
Koller, Sep. 18: Gould, John. The birds of New Guinea and the adjacent Papuan Islands, including many new species recently discovered in Australia. CHF 50,000 to 80,000.
Koller, Sep. 18: Levaillant, François. Histoire naturelle des oiseaux de paradis et des rolliers, suivie de celle des toucans et des barbus. Paris [1801-]1806. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
Koller, Sep. 18: Pfinzing, Melchior. Die geverlicheiten und einsteils der geschichten des loblichen streytparen…, Nürnberg, 1517. CHF 40,000 to 60,000.
Il Ponte, Sep. 24-25: HAMILTON, Sir William - Campi Phlegraei. Napoli: 1779. € 50,000 - 80,000
Il Ponte, Sep. 24-25: KIRCHER, Athanasius - Turris Babel. Amsterdam: 1679. € 3,000 - 5,000
Il Ponte, Sep. 24-25: EDWARDS, George.London - Gleanings of Natural History. Londra: 1758-1764. € 7,000 - 10,000
Il Ponte, Sep. 24-25: HEVELIUS, Johannes - Cometographia. Danzica: 1668. € 20,000 - 30,000
Il Ponte, Sep. 24-25: KUPKA, Frantisek - Quatre histoires de blanc et noir. Parigi: 1926. € 10,000 - 15,000
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 732. Early Announcement of Continental Congress' Declaration of Independence (1776) Est. $12,000 - $15,000
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 361. One of Ortelius' Most Decorative Maps in Full Contemporary Color (1585) Est. $9,500 - $12,000
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 55. Early Edition of One of the Most Important 16th Century Maps of the New World (1545) Est. $6,000 - $7,500
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 27. Fascinating Japanese Satirical Map of the World Published After WWI (1924) Est. $2,750 - $3,500
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 637. Complete Example of De Bry's Petits Voyages, Part VIII (1606) Est. $4,750 - $5,500
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 50. Extremely Rare Uncut Sheet from Sylvanus's 1511 Edition of Ptolemy's Geographia (1511) Est. $2,000 - $2,300
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 399. One of the Most Desired Maps of Ireland by John Speed (1610) Est. $2,750 - $3,500
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 689. Pictorial Map of Melbourne in the Style of MacDonald Gill (1934) Est. $900 - $1,100
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 652. Blaeu's Carte-a-Figures Map of Africa in Full Contemporary Color (1663) Est. $3,000 - $3,750
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 729. Hand-Colored Image of David Handing the Letter to Uriah (1518) Est. $1,000 - $1,300
Old World Auctions (Sept 11): Lot 533. Eight-Volume Set Recounting Travels of Anacharsis in Greece (1789) Est. $800 - $950