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SPRING 2017
F B & C
AUCTIONguide
Book spin doctor extraordinaire Edward Bernays, with wife Doris
S p e c i a l D i g i t a l S u p p l e m e n t
I n s I d e
Bonhams
2 Showcasing the Writing Processswann Galleries
4 A History of Excellenceleslie hindman
6 The Greatest Sale on Earth
Contents • Spring 2017 • www.finebooksmagazine.com
Auction Guide
a u c t i o n g u i D e • S p r i n g 2 0 1 7 | 1
2Bonhams
Showcasing the Writing ProcessBonhams’ spring sale features draft manuscripts from key literary voices
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Spring 2017 Supplement www.finebooksmagazine.com
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O n t h e C O v e r
edward Bernays and his wife disembarking in new york from Cunard’s S.S. Mauretania. Credit: BettmAnn/Getty imAGeS.
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Jul/Aug 200• michael Lerner• Printed Props• the Gatsby feud
nov/dec 200• ezra Pound• Hong Kong Book fair• the Archimedes Code
Jan/Feb 200• myth of ulysses• Chasing Captain Cook• walt whitman’s House
Mar/Apr 200• top Auction Sales of ‘07• Papermaking in China• Québec turns 400
May/Jun 200• Stock Certifi cates• fore-edge Paintings• Brian dettmer
Jul/Aug 200• modern-day Audubon• russian America maps• Penny Book Sellers
sep/Oct 200• Lost Classics• City maps• Book Censuses
Winter 2010 • $1 million dollar Books• Abraham Lincoln• Americana
spring 2010• edward Stratemeyer• dard Hunter’s Paper• michael Suarez
summer 2010• olympia Press• Literary edinburgh• the use of Gold in
Books
Autumn 2010• mark twain• mining Archive• Book Arts web
Winter 2011• dave eggers• Lakeside Classics• Shakespeare’s Falsehood
spring 2011 • dublin’s Book world• Collecting Books you
Can’t read• Cocktail Collection
summer 2011• Artist Clementine
Hunter• the Strachey Papers• edward Curtis
Autumn 2011• Jules feiff er• dickens• Albert H. Small
Winter 2012• Siglio Press• Audrey niff enegger• illustrated Classics
spring 2012• Larry mcmurtry• Collecting Picasso• Printer’s medals
summer 2012• Brewster Kahle• Chihuly’s Glass• Copernicus in
Cambridge
Autumn 2012• Art of marcellino• Bluebacks• the nation’s
Bookbinder
Winter 2013• Jonathan Lethem• Book Props• Grateful dead Archives
spring 2013• Book Gangs• ian fleming• Hobart Book Village
Autumn 2013• Basbanes on the
Paper trail• Billy ireland• Gift Guide
Winter 2014• Collecting Kipling• Vintage Hollywood
Scripts• resource Guide
spring 2014 • Antiques roadshow• well-read women• Bookish instanbul
summer 2014 • Stolen maps• top Auction Sales• edward Gorey
Autum 2014 • national Geographic’s
women Photographers• Boston’s Literary district• Spy Libraries
Winter 201 • Hemingway• famous Children’s
Books• Book Arts for Kids
spring 201• manhattan’s el morocco• Charting the ocean• Simon winchester
summer 201• marion wolcott Photos• Literary ephemera• “Stone Age” maps
Autumn 201• Collecting Cookbooks• 150 years of Alice• Coastal Art maps
Winter 2016• Juan felipe Herrera• mapping the west• inside Downton Abbey’s
Library
spring 2016• Agatha Christie• mo willems• Chip Kidd’s Creative
Biosphere
summer 2016• wallace Stevens• women’s History• Brontë’s 200th Birthday
Autumn 2016• Vintage Caricatures• Holiday Gift Guide• Puzzlemaster will Shortz
Winter 201• Aviation Archive• william Blake• Collecting the
Vietnam war
4swann Galleries
A History of ExcellenceSwann celebrates its 75th anniversary
6leslie hindman
The Greatest Sale on EarthLeslie Hindman’s spring sale highlights the long history of the ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus
International Auctioneers and Appraisers - bonhams.com/books© 2017 Bonhams & Butterfields Auctioneers Corp. All rights reserved. Principal Auctioneer: Matthew Girling, NYC License No. 1236798-DCA
FINE LITERARY MANUSCRIPTSThursday March 9, 1pm
FINE BOOKS AND MANUSCRIPTS including the Kennedy YearsThursday March 9, 1:30pmNew York
PREVIEWMarch 4-8
INQUIRIES+1 (212) 710 1308 [email protected]
1 BROWNING, ELIZABETH BARRETT. 1806-1861.Autograph Manuscript Initialed (“E.B.B.”), being the working notebook for the poems contained in The Seraphim and Other Poems, 159 pp.$400,000 - 600,0002 BROWNING, ELIZABETH BARRETT. 1806-1861. Autograph Manuscript, being a working draft of Poems Before Congress$180,000 - 250,000
3 SHAKESPEARE, WILLIAM. 1564-1616.Comedies, Histories and Tragedies; Published according to the true Originall Copies. Second Impression. [THE SECOND FOLIO.] London: Printed by Tho Cotes, for Robert Allot, and are to be sold at the signe of the Black Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1632.$200,000 - 300,0004 BROWNING, ELIZABETH BARRETT. 1806-1861. Autograph Manuscript, being a draft of her revised translation of the Aeschelus play Prometheus Bound, for publication in her 1850 work Poems, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Prometheus $200,000 - 300,000
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2 | F i n e B o o k S & C o l l e c t i o n S • a u c t i o n g u i D e
Bonhams@Auction
Showcasing the Writing Process
Bonhams’ spring sale features draft manuscripts from key literary voices
Several other Barrett Browning notebooks are also up for sale, including an autographed working draft of Poems Before Congress, esti-mated at $180,000-250,000; an autograph draft of her revised translation of the Aeschelus play, Prometheus Bound, for publication in her 1850 work, Poems, estimated at $200,000-300,000; and her autographed transcripts of early english poets, including Geoffrey Chaucer, edmund Spencer, John fletcher, and popular balladry as appropri-ate subjects for watercolors,
This march, the Bonhams Auction House fine
Books and manuscripts sale returns during the new york Antiquarian Book fair and will feature pieces that give insight into the writing and editing process of major authors.
the top lot in this sale is elizabeth Barrett Browning’s notebook from 1835-1837. this autograph manuscript con-tains drafts for every poem appearing in her first signifi-cant collection of poetry, The Seraphim and Other Poems, including extensive addi-tions, deletions, and eman-dations. it also contains several never before seen poems. the notebook is esti-mated at $400,000-600,000.
“elizabeth Barrett Browning was a standard-bearer for women’s politi-cal thought,” said tom Lamb, business development direc-tor of the books and man-uscripts department at Bonhams. “She grasped the mettle of political intrigue and put it into writing. that was very unusual for any woman to have done in the nineteenth century. As time goes on, the exceptional quality of her work and her mind becomes more impor-tant.”
estimated at $40,000-60,000.“Apart from a manuscript
that came up in 2008 at Christie’s, these are the only substantial elizabeth Barrett Browning manuscripts to have appeared at auction in 40 to 50 years,” Lamb said.
other manuscripts in the sale also concentrate on how writers compose, including an autographed early working draft of H. G. wells’ “the first Horseman” from part iii of the novella A Story of the Stone Age. this manuscript includes exten-sive notations, and cor-
rections, and is estimated at $15,000-20,000. Another lot includes two leaves of an autograph revision of the book-version of oscar wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray, published in 1891. this is the only surviving portion of this state of revision and is estimated at $40,000-60,000.
Another leading lot in the sale is a complete and large copy of the second folio of william Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies,
“printed by tho Cotes for robert Allot to be sold at the signe of the Black Beare in Pauls Church-yard, 1632.” without this finely pre-served example, as many as eighteen of the author’s plays may not have survived. this copy was rebound in the 1850s in blue morocco.
“Blue morocco is very rare because it is usually red or crimson [that you find],” Lamb said. “this is a very nice copy.”
this sale promises to delight collectors and schol-ars alike with its emphasis
on the writing process. this exciting collection of some of literature’s greatest voices offers a rare glimpse into their minds.
“this sale concentrates attention on literary man-uscripts and the way that writers compose,” Lamb said. “we have pieces that real book collectors want to buy, and there will always be something interesting.”
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Peggy Carouthers lives in north Carolina and is the editor of custom content at Journalistic inc.
SPRING 2017
F B & C
AUCTIONguide
The second folio of shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies (1632). $200,000-300,000.
elizabeth Barrett Browning’s working notebook for the poems contained in The Seraphim and Other Poems. $400,000-600,000.
4 | F i n e B o o k S & C o l l e c t i o n S • a u c t i o n g u i D e
Swann Galleries@Auction
works by African-American artists were selling in Prints & drawings sales.
“that first auction over-flowed to our second floor, where we had an audio feed as well as a second auctioneer to field bids from the record-breaking crowds,” Lowry said, noting that the now biannual
The story of Swann Gal-leries began on march 27,
1942, when Benjamin Swann held an auction dedicated to rare and antique books. from its beginnings in a four-per-son office to the dynamic community of collectors and specialists on staff today, Swann has grown to become the largest specialty auction house for works on paper.
After seventy-five years, this third-generation, fam-ily-owned business contin-ues to uphold the traditions of the auction and antique world while remaining open to innovative ideas.
“As a smaller house with experts who are working every day in their chosen fields, seeing material, and meeting collectors, we are in a position to move quickly,” said nicholas d. Lowry, presi-dent and principal auction-eer of Swann. this flexibility has allowed Swann to break new ground in the auction world.
Swann was the first house to conduct auctions of both Printed & manuscript African Americana and African-American fine Art. in 2006, the auction house launched a dedicated African-American fine Art department when nigel freeman, now direc-tor, noticed how strongly
sales have consistently bro-ken auction records for estab-lished artists, and set those with no history.
“through these sales, we have brought many artists to auction for the first time and have codified a whole new field of collecting inter-est,” he says. the depart-ment shook the auction world with single-owner sales
like the Art Collection of dr. maya Angelou, and with sky-high prices for artists, such as norman Lewis, whose circa 1958 untitled canvas garnered nearly one million dollars in 2015.
on february 14, 1952, Swann was the first American auction house to hold a sale
dedicated to photographs. the house continues to drive this category today and held its most recent icons & images: Photographs & Photobooks sale on the 65th anniversary of that first sale. Later, Swann held the first auction dedicated to photo books, and, in 2014, the first sale of vernacular photog-raphy. the director of the department, daile Kaplan, is a champion of this field. the sale featured albums, snap-shots, and documentary pho-tographs celebrating every-day life and beauty.
Swann added a depart-ment of illustration Art in 2013, offering original art-work intended for publica-tion. that wide designation includes magazine covers, cartoons, advertisements, and illustrations for books. the department met with such success that by 2016 it had to expand, and now holds biannual auctions.
As the industry continues to change, so does Swann. technology is revolutionizing the way auction houses work. with a firm foot grounded in the house’s long history, Swann continues looking towards the future and lead-ing the industry.
“one thing people can expect from Swann is that as things change, Swann will cer-tainly adapt to the times, but we will never lose sight of our traditional roots,” Lowry said.
“there is something so psy-chologically primal about an auction, and we don’t want to lose touch with that profound emotional connection.”
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Peggy Carouthers lives in north Carolina and is the editor of custom content at Journalistic inc.
SPRING 2017
F B & C
AUCTIONguide
A History of Excellence
Swann celebrates its 75th anniversary
George s. and nicholas d. Lowry.
SPRING 2017 AuctIoN Schedule
MAY 2
MAY 4
MAY 11
MAY 16
MAY 25
JUN 7
JUN 13
JUN 15
Old Master Through Modern Prints
Autographs
Contemporary Art
19th & 20th Century Literature
Graphic Design
Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books
Art, Press & Illustrated Books
American Art
MAR 2
MAR 9
MAR 16
MAR 21
MAR 30
APR 6
APR 20
APR 27
19th & 20th Century Prints & Drawings
Early Printed, Medical, Scientific & Travel Books
Vintage Posters
Illustration Art
Printed & Manuscript African Americana
African-American Fine Art
Images & Objects: Photographs & Photobooks
Printed & Manuscript Americana
William Glackens, The Beach, Isle Adam, oil on canvas, 1925-26. Estimate $500,000 to $700,000. At auction June 15.
104 East 25th Street New York, NY 10010 • 212 254 4710 • SWANNGALLERIES.COM
2426_FineBooks_SpringAuctionGuide2017.indd 1 1/26/17 2:20 PM
6 | F i n e B o o k S & C o l l e c t i o n S • a u c t i o n g u i D e
LESLIE HINDMAN AUCTIONEERS
C H I C A G O | D E N V E R | M I L W A U K E E | N A P L E S | P A L M B E A C H | S C O T T S D A L E | S T . L O U I S
John James Audubon’s Birds of America. 7 volumes, 1856. Estimate: $10,000-12,000. To be sold May 4 in Chicago.
Fine Books and Manuscripts
MAY 4 | CHICAGO + ONLINE
Accepting consignments for future auctions.
FOR CATALOGUE AND INQUIRIES
UPCOMING AUCTION
Leslie Hindman@Auction
The Greatest Sale on Earth
Leslie Hindman’s spring sale highlights the long history of the ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus
bers of this prominent cir-cus family, including ida B. ringling, the last widow of the ringling Brothers, who died in 1966. included in the sale are numerous circus lith-ographs, posters, and photo-graphs, as well as a piano that was owned by ida ringling and used in the early days of the circus.
“mr. Bennett spent count-less hours with his friend ida discussing family and cir-cus history, and many of the items, including the piano, programs, photographs, and route cards were given by ida directly to mr. Bennett,”
during its may 4 fine Books and manuscripts
auction, Leslie Hindman Auctioneers will welcome one and all into the world of
“the Greatest Show on earth.” this sale will feature one of the largest single-owner col-lections of circus memorabilia to come to auction in several years, including memorabilia from the ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, as well as hundreds of different circuses.
this sale is especially excit-ing for collectors due to the announcement of perma-nent closure of the ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey cir-cus this may after 133 years of operation.
“it’s like stepping back into a time that will never return,” said Jim Sharp, vice president of regional offices and oper-ations for Leslie Hindman.
“this memorabilia is part of American history that will never be seen again. the cir-cus was the center of enter-tainment for many communi-ties throughout the late 1800s and early 1900s.”
this collection was amassed over sixty years by richard Bennett, one of the last remaining friends of the ringling family. Bennett per-sonally knew many mem-
Sharp said.Bennett himself became a
performer and traveled across the country with various cir-cuses in the 1960s and ’70s.
inspired by the memorabilia he collected, the fascinat-ing people he met in his trav-els gifted him property from numerous circuses.
Leslie Hindman’s staff from the auction house’s Chicago and milwaukee
offices has been able to visit Bennett in his home in Baraboo, wisconsin, and gathered firsthand infor-mation from him. this has
allowed the auc-tion house to fill in much of the history behind these items to share with col-lectors, while the house’s six regional offices simultaneously provide inter-national expo-sure to buyers to ensure a success-ful sale.
“it has been a privilege for Leslie Hindman
Auctioneers to work with mr. Bennett to bring his collec-
tion of over sixty years to auction,” Sharp said.
“mr. Bennett’s extraor-dinary memory of the ringling family history and the circus memo-rabilia has been very beneficial in putting this auction together.”
After more than a century of entertain-ing families, the closure of this festive enter-prise will close a chap-ter of American history with it. the ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey circus will be leaving behind sto-
ries and memorabilia, includ-ing this collection, for circus enthusiasts and historians alike to cherish for many years to come.
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Peggy Carouthers lives in north Carolina and is the editor of custom content at Journalistic inc.
SPRING 2017
F B & C
AUCTIONguide
Framed poster for Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey’s
“Lady on a Horse” (1930).
Framed poster for Ringling Brothers’ “Joan of Arc” (1912).
