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Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: BELLEFOREST (François de). La cosmographie universelle de tout le monde. €12,000 to €15,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: DESNOS (Louis Charles). Mappe-monde, ou Carte Generale de la Terre. €5,000 to €6,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: BLAEU (Willem Janszoon & Joan). Theatrum Sabaudiae. €18,000 to €20,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: LINASSI. Ferdinando Ie Maria Anna Carolina nel Litorale in Settembre 1844. €4,000 to €5,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: AMBROSOLI (Francesco). Monumento a Francesco Primo in Vienna. €3,000 to €4,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: Plano de la plaza de Mesina y de su ciudadel y castiglios. €5,000 to €6,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: ROCKSTUHL (Alois Gustav), GILLE (Florent A.). 78 Lithographies du Musée de Tzarskoe-Selo. €1,000 to €1,500.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: Chtchedrovski, Ignatiy Stepanovitch. €2,000 to €3,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: DE BRUYN (Cornelis). Voyage au Levant. €3,000 to €5,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: ABI ISHAQ AHMAD B. IBRAHIM AL-THAʿLABI (M. 1035) : TROISIÈME VOLUME DU KASHF WA-L-BAYAN ʻAN TAFSIRI AL-QURʼAN. €3,000 to €5,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: DESNOS (Louis Charles). L’Afrique. €3,000 to €4,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: DE BRUYN (Cornelis). Voyages de Corneille Le Brun par la Moscovie, en Perse, et aux Indes orientales. €1,500 to €2,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: DESNOS. (Louis Charles). Amérique septentrionale et Méridionale. €4,000 to €5,000.Gros & Delettrez, Apr. 23: ÉLIOT (J.B.) ; MONDHARE (Louis Joseph). Carte du théatre de la guerre actuel entre les anglais et les treize Colonies Unies de l'Amérique Septentrionale. €5,000 to €6,000.
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Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 748. Second volume of Blaeu's atlas featuring 89 maps of the Americas and Asia (1642) Est. $12,000 - $15,000Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 12. A world map with popular cartographic myths and unique embellishments (1788) Est. $3,000 - $3,750Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 30. One of the most sought-after charts from Cellarius' work (1708) Est. $1,200 - $1,500Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 38. Anti-Vietnam War persuasive cartography on a velvet poster (1971) Est. $350 - $425Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 43. Ortelius' influential map of the New World - second plate (1584) Est. $4,750 - $6,000Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 95. Scarce German map illustrating the French & Indian War (1755) Est. $8,000 - $9,500Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 149. Bachmann's dramatic view of the Mid-Atlantic region (1864) Est. $1,200 - $1,500Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 373. De Jode's very rare map of Europe with costumed figures (1593) Est. $6,000 - $7,500Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 674. De Bry's Petits Voyages, Part VII with all plates and map of Sri Lanka (1606) Est. $1,400 - $1,700Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 704. The first printed map devoted to the Pacific in full contemporary color (1589) Est. $7,500 - $9,000Old World Auctions (April 23):
Lot 734. Superb hand-colored image of the Tree of Jesse (1502) Est. $700 - $850 -
University Archives
Rare Autographs, Books & Photos; Abraham Lincoln Collection
April 23, 2025University Archives, Apr. 23: Best Image of Abraham Lincoln: "Closest… to ‘seeing' Lincoln… A National Treasure" Original Hesler/Ayres Interpositive. $800,000 to $1,000,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Einstein, 3pp of Unified Field Theory Equations: “I want to try to show that a truly natural choice for field equations exists.” Formalizing His Final Approach, Association to Theory of Relativity. $80,000 to $120,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Marilyn Monroe's Best Personally Owned & Annotated Script for Unfinished Last Film, "Something's Got to Give" (1962). $75,000 to $100,000.University Archives
Rare Autographs, Books & Photos; Abraham Lincoln Collection
April 23, 2025University Archives, Apr. 23: David Ben-Gurion ALS: "The Jewish people have attained the epitome...the State of Israel is born," 1 Day After Signing Israeli Declaration of Independence, Best Ben-Gurion Ever! $80,000 to $100,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Lincoln ALS to Youth: "A young man, before the enemy has learned to watch him...votes... shall redeem the county" Evocative of Famous "Work" Letter. $70,000 to $100,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Lincoln Appointment for Cabinet Member With Largest, Boldest, Full Signature! Important Content: Detente with England. $10,000 to $15,000.University Archives
Rare Autographs, Books & Photos; Abraham Lincoln Collection
April 23, 2025University Archives, Apr. 23: Abraham Lincoln Rare Signed Check To Law Partner W.H. Herndon, Perhaps Unique as Such! $20,000 to $25,000University Archives, Apr. 23: Tokyo War Crimes Files of Prosecuting Attorney For POW Camp Atrocities, 500+ Pages, Unpublished Court Documents, Photos and More. $25,000 to $35,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: 1698 South Carolina Slavery Archive Huguenot Planters Earliest Rare Plat Maps for Plantations 41 Docs 107 pp. Most Colonial. $25,000 to $35,000.University Archives
Rare Autographs, Books & Photos; Abraham Lincoln Collection
April 23, 2025University Archives, Apr. 23: Adam Smith ALS While Revising “The Wealth of Nations” - A New Discovery Documenting Meeting with Influential Editor. $18,000 to $24,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Margaret Mitchell Rare ALS to Her Editor as Epic Film "Gone With the Wind" Gains Heat "Forgive this scrawl. I haven't written a letter in long hand in years and I've almost forgotten how it's done." $3,000 to $4,000.University Archives, Apr. 23: Einstein 1935 TLS, Hopes to Warn Non-Jews of "The true nature of the Hitler regime.” $8,500 to $10,000. -
Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN'S EXTREMELY RARE FIRST APPEARANCE IN PRINT. "Scene af: Røverne i Vissenberg i Fyen." in Harpen, 1822.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST THREE FAIRY TALE PAMPHLETS, WITH ALL INDICES AND TITLE PAGES. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: THE FIRST FAIRY TALES WITH A SIGNED CARTE DE VISITE OF ANDERSEN AS FRONTIS. Eventyr, fortalte for Børn. 1835-1837.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: KARL LAGERFELD. Original pastel and ink drawing in gold, red and black for Andersen's The Emperor's New Clothes (1992), "La cassette de l'Empereur."Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY OF THE SIXTH PAMPHLET FOR PETER KOCH. Eventyr, Fortalte For Børn, Second Series, Third Pamphlet. 1841. Publisher's wrappers, complete with all pre- and post-matter.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN RARE AUTOGRAPH QUOTATION SIGNED IN ENGLISH from "The Ugly Duckling," c.1860s.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: HEINRICH LEFLER, ORIGINAL WATERCOLOR FOR ANDERSEN'S SNOW QUEEN, "Die Schneekönigin," 1910.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: FIRST EDITION OF ANDERSEN'S FAIRY TALES IN ENGLISH. Wonderful Stories for Children. London, 1846.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: ANDERSEN ON MEETING CHARLES DICKENS. Autograph Letter Signed ("H.C. Andersen") in English to William Jerdan, July 20, 1847.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR EDGAR COLLIN. Nye Eventyr og Historier. Anden Raekke. 1861.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: DOLL HOUSE FURNITURE BY HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSON, DECORATED WITH FANTASTICAL CUT-OUTS, for the children of Jonna Stampe (née Drewsen), his godchildren.Bonhams, Apr. 21-29: PRESENTATION COPY FOR GEORG BRANDES. Dryaden. Et Eventyr fra Udstillingstiden i Paris 1867. 1868.
Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - October - 2009 Issue
Rare American Pamphlets from David M. Lesser Antiquarian Books
By Michael Stillman
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books has issued their 110th catalogue of Rare Americana. Lesser specializes in pamphlets mainly from late Colonial times to the Reconstruction, though there are always a few items outside of these boundaries. The publications are focused on political, religious, and other topics of the day and offer great insight into what was happening in America back then. At times, the controversies seem so similar to those we experience today one wonders whether we ever do learn from history. Here are a few of the items David Lesser offers for your consideration this time around.
Item 53 is one of several American Seaman's Protection orders, this one issued from New Bedford, Massachusetts, in 1844. It is made out to Walter P. Johnson, described as, "...6 feet 0 3/4 inches, complexion, black, hair, woolly, eyes, black, born at Baltimore..." These orders were originally intended for the protection of American seamen against impressment in the British Navy. However, such impressments stopped after the War of 1812. At this point, they were needed by black sailors entering southern ports as otherwise they might be subject to arrest or possibly be sold into slavery if they could not establish their citizenship. Priced at $450.
The above hints at the horrible inconsistency of those who argued most ardently for equal rights for the poorer members of American society. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was the Jeffersonians who fought for the little guy against the Federalists, who represented more the interests of wealthy northerners. However, the Jeffersonians had their Achilles heal - slavery. They were primarily from the South and were often slave owners themselves. This inconsistency was not let pass by William Plumer in An Address to the Electors of New-Hampshire during the election of 1804. In arguing against Jefferson's reelection, Plumer points out, "Virginians boast of their love of liberty, and of their passionate attachment to the equal rights of men, yet receive their daily support from the labour of PEOPLE condemned by their laws to PERPETUAL SLAVERY." Item 124. $275.
The end of the world was just around the corner in 1861 when M. Baxter published End of the World About 1864-1869. It is a compilation of prophecies of "dreadful wars, famines, pestilence and earthquakes." He predicts the "subjugation of England about 1864-5 by Napoleon the Antichrist," who would form a seven years' covenant with the Jews. With the benefit of hindsight, we know that this, like all other past end of the world prophecies, proved false. I believe the currently most popular untested one running around is based on the Inca or some other ancient South American calendar for around 2012. Be prepared. Item 13. $175.
We've seen some odd promotional materials in the past, but this one for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad seems downright macabre. It is headed Charts Showing in Detail the Pulse, Temperature & Respiration of the President Morning, Noon and Evening, from July 3d to Sept. 8th. With Space Left Blank to Continue the Lines from Day to Day. Compiled and Prepared from Official Bulletins. Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. Though undated, this could only be from 1881. President Garfield was struck by an assassin's bullet on July 2, 1881, but he lingered for months. The Baltimore and Ohio evidently prepared this chart so one could track his progress, sort of like we track hurricanes on hurricane maps. Alas, the concerned tracking of the B&O's riders could not save the mortally wounded President who succumbed on September 19. Item 57. $250.
We all know about the house that Jack built, but how about The Plug that Jack Chews? Evidently it must have been one the brands put out by the Drummond Tobacco Company of St. Louis, which published this nursery rhyme in 1890. You need to get the children started early. Item 38. $375.
Would you like a really bad investment? Item 29 is a $1,000 bond issued by the city of New Orleans on March 20, 1862. The bond promises to pay interest in genuine Confederate dollars, which would be worthless soon enough. However, it's unlikely the bearer even got this dubious currency as New Orleans fell to Union forces the following month. The only hope for the bearer was to hold on for another century and a half and then sell it as a collectible. $500.
David M. Lesser Fine Antiquarian Books may be reached at 203-389-8111 or dmlesser@lesserbooks.com. Their website is www.lesserbooks.com.
You will find many of David M. Lesser's books listed in "Books For Sale" on this site. Click here.