• Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: [Langland (William)]. The vision of Pierce Plowman, nowe the seconde time imprinted..., Roberte Crowley, 1550. £8,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: [Shakespeare (William)]. [Comedies, Histories, and Tragedies], second folio edition, [by Tho.Cotes, for Robert Allot], [1632]. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Bible, Czech Biblia Bohemica, first complete Bible printed in the Czech vernacular, Prague, August 1488. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Shabthai Tzvi.- Collection of four printed and illustrated broadsides detailing the appearance, rise and fall of the false messiah, Shabthai Tzvi, Augsburg, 1666-67. £40,000 to £60,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Leaf from the Beauvais Missal, in Latin, illuminated manuscript on parchment, [Northern France (perhaps Beauvais or Amiens)], [fourteenth century (c.1310)]. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Aubrey (John). [Remaines of Gentilisme and Judaisme], manuscript in English, Latin and Greek, [c. 1693]. £30,000 to £50,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: Byron (George Gordon Noel, Lord). Poems on Various Occasions, first edition, Harriet Maltby's copy, Newark, Printed by S. & J. Ridge, 1807. £30,000 to £40,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, first edition, second impression with dust-jacket, 1937 [but 1938]. £7,000 to £10,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Blake (William).- Thornton (Robert John). The Pastorals of Virgil, 2 vol., engraved plates by William Blake, 1821. £8,000 to £12,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
    28th March 2024
    Forum Mar. 28: America.- Mount (William J.) & Thomas Page. The English Pilot…, [bound with] The Fourth Book, describing The West Indies Navigation from Hudson's-Bay to the River Amazones, 1721. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Oldfield (Henry Ambrose), Rajman Singh Chitrakar & others. An album of 160 photographs and 13 original artworks, (1833-1919), [c. 1850s-1880s]. £20,000 to £30,000.
    Forum Mar. 28: Audubon (John James) [and William MacGillivray]. Ornithological Biography…, 5 vol., first edition, presentation copy inscribed by Audubon, Edinburgh, 1831-49 [i.e. 1831-39]. £10,000 to £15,000.
  • 19th Century Shop
    Catalogue 198 just published
    19th Century Shop. Darwin and Wallace, first printing of the first paper on natural selection
    19th Century Shop. Shakespeare’s Poems, first collected edition
    19th Century Shop. Walt Whitman portrait inscribed with a Leaves of Grass poem
    19th Century Shop. Major Elizabeth Barrett Browning manuscript notebook
    19th Century Shop. Spock's Baby Book, original MS
    19th Century Shop. Cellarius, Harmonia Macrocosmica, the great celestial atlas
  • Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Alken (Henry). Sporting Notions, first edition, T.McLean, 1832-33. £800 to £1,200.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Bardi (Lorenzo). Nuova Raccolta delle piu interessanti Vedute della Citta di Firenze…, Florence, Lorenzo Bardi, [c.1840]. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Crawfurd (John). Journal of an Embassy from the Governor-General of India to the Court of Ava..., first edition, 1829. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Dawe (George, engraver). The Life of a Nobleman, first edition, Geo. Henderson, [c.1825]. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: [Doyle (John)], "H.B.". Political Sketches &c., 10 vol. including The Descriptive Key to H.B., Thomas McLean, [1829-51]. £4,000 to £6,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Eben (Adolphus Christian Frederick, Baron von) and Nicolaus Heideloff. Modèles de l'Uniforme Militaire Adopté dans l'Armée Royale de Suède, Rudolph Ackerman, 1808. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Geissler (J.G.G.) and Friedrich Hempel. Mahlerische Darstellungen der Sitten, Gebrauche und Lustbarkeiten bey den Russischen, Tartarischen…, 4 parts in 1, Leipzig and Paris, [1804]. £1,000 to £1,500.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Hunt (Charles). Portraits of Winning Horses...of the Derby, Oaks, & St. Leger, from the Year 1842 to 1849…, Rock Brothers & Payne, 1849. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Kunike (Adolf Friedrich). Zwey hundert und sechzig Donau-Ansichten nach dem Laufe des Donaustromes…, Vienna, Leopold Grund, 1826. £3,000 to £5,000.
    Forum Auctions
    Colour Plate Books from the Library of Norman Bobins
    Part 2
    27th March 2024
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Lasinio (Carlo). [Matrimony], Florence, 1790. £1,500 to £2,000.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Reinhardt (Joseph). A Collection of Swiss Costumes, in Miniature, second English edition, James Goodwin, [1828]. £800 to £1,200.
    Forum Auctions, Mar. 27: Wengen (Gottfried Durst von). Die Öffentliche Maskerade Bamberg am Fastnachts-Montage 1833…, Bamberg, [1833]. £2,000 to £3,000.
  • Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Winston Churchill. The Second World War. Set of First-Edition Volumes. 6,000 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: A.A. Milne, Ernest H. Shepard. A Collection of The Pooh Books. Set of First-Editions. 18,600 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Salvador Dalí, Lewis Carroll. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Finely Bound and Signed Limited Edition. 15,000 USD
    Sotheby’s
    Modern First Editions
    Available for Immediate Purchase
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ian Fleming. Live and Let Die. First Edition. 9,500 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter Series. Finely Bound First Printing Set of Complete Series. 5,650 USD
    Sotheby’s, Available Now: Ernest Hemingway. A Farewell to Arms. First Edition, First Printing. 4,200 USD

Rare Book Monthly

Book Catalogue Reviews - April - 2019 Issue

Americana from the William Reese Company

Americana from the William Reese Co.

This is not a typical William Reese Company catalogue, but a listing (with descriptions) of items under the title of Americana taken to the recent California International Antiquarian Book Fair. Reese has long been a major dealer in the field, so material they brought across the country for in-person viewing is going to be special. While there is a slight tilting towards books that would have particular appeal to Californians and residents of the Pacific coast, most items have no specific geographic focus, other than, of course, America. Here are a few samples.

 

We will start with a California item before moving on. Item 24 is Redwood and Lumbering in California Forests by Edgar Cherry, published in 1884. This book was prepared to promote the use of Redwood lumber. It describes the history and methods of redwood lumbering. Cherry noted that it was difficult to get good photographs of the redwoods because of the pervasive fog in the area. Nonetheless, he felt it was essential to use photographs rather than drawings. He feared no one would believe the size of the trees without photographic proof. He explains, "In as much as engravings are usually cut from sketches, drawn perhaps by enthused artists, perfect satisfaction is not given; but with photographic views, which cannot lie, argument as to truthfulness is unnecessary." This was, of course, from the days before Photoshop. Eastern audiences must have been amazed to see how tiny humans were next to these massive trees. There are 24 albumin print photographs mounted on thin cards showing groves of redwoods, logging, logging trains, felled timbers, and other scenes. Most have hand-stamped captions. No two copies appear to have the exact same photographs and placement order. Priced at $8,500.

 

Next we have a very rare book, a twist on the typical "Indian Captivity." That is the genre of book where a white person, sometimes a child, others an adult, is captured by Indians. If a child, the claim is usually of being raised as an Indian; if an adult, of being treated brutally. Many, if not most of these stories are imaginary or exaggerations, but the stories were popular among whites who wanted to believe they were civilized and the Indians were savages. Item 68 is The Lost Child; or, the Child Claimed by Two Mothers: A Narrative of the Loss and Discovery of Casper A. Partridge Among the Menomonee Indians... by F. B. Plimpton, published in 1852. Casper Partridge was three years old when he disappeared from the Wisconsin farm of the Partridge family (sorry about that one). Despite all of the searches, Casper could not be found. His father became suspicious of local Menomonee Indians, and had people checking on them. A couple of years later, they discovered a child they thought was Casper. They took him from his mother, Nah-kom. Nah-kom went to court, and ultimately the court, surprisingly enough, ruled the child was hers. This did not go over well with white settlers or the Partridges. Rather than return the abducted child, the Partridges spirited him off to Ohio, giving new meaning to the term "Indian Captivity." This book was written with the help of the Partridges and, though supposedly presenting the story and trial as an objective history, it was designed to support the Partridges' position. I have not been able to find the ending to this story. There is a history online that says a few years later, a young child's skeleton was discovered in the area, which changed the townspeople's belief about the child's identity. Even if so, I have not been able to find out what happened to him after being taken to Ohio. $2,250

 

Here is another book unlike most others of its genre. The title is Viaggio del Mare Atlantico al Pacifico per la Via del Nord-Ouest fatto del Capitano Lorenzo Ferrer Maldonado l'Anno 1588, which translates to voyage from the Atlantic to the Pacific by way of the North-West made by Captain Lorenzo Ferrer Maldonado in the year 1588. That is surprising, as three centuries later, explorers were still trying to find a Northwest passage from the Atlantic to the Pacific, something they had been attempting and writing about for centuries. Here is the story behind Maldonado's exploits. He wrote his account sometime around the date of the journey, but it was never published. That is not surprising as the Spaniards guarded their discoveries jealously, not wanting others to exploit or steal them. So, his account remained hidden until early in the 19th century, when it was found in a Milan library and published by Charles Amoretti. Maldonado speaks of sailing through a strait dividing the seas called the Strait of Anian, now known as Bering's Strait. While Amoretti was a believer, later scholars are convinced it was a fake. Many things Maldonado reported were proven later to be false. He speaks of forests and fruits along the way, which we now know do not exist in the Arctic. His latitudes and longitudes also do not make sense. It was a great story, but the account is fiction. Item 33 is a second (and "best") edition published in 1811. $9,500.

 

Maldonado may never have sailed into the Arctic, but Donald Baxter MacMillan did. Here are the photographs that prove this claim. Item 3 is a photograph album from MacMillan's three voyages to the Arctic from 1921-1925. Actually, he made many more, at least 30, but this covers three in particular. His start came when Robert Peary made his trip in 1909, said to have resulted in the first reaching of the North Pole (some dispute Peary's claim). Peary invited MacMillan to join his attempt to reach the Pole. MacMillan did not make it all the way as he was forced back by frozen heels. While that would have kept me from ever returning, MacMillan went back many times, and conducted many pioneering experiments concerning such things as radios and electricity in the Arctic. This album contains 83 photographs from missions that went to Baffin Island, Elsmere Island, and Greenland, depicting many scenes from the journeys, including landscape, wildlife, men working, dog sledding, hiking, native Eskimos, and ruins from early Norse explorers. $15,000


This is the story of the Benders, a "family" that ran a small stopping place along a rural road in Kansas, where you could stop for a meal or even stay for a night. This was no ordinary resting place; it was the real-life Bates Motel. The Benders consisted of Ma and Pa, along with Kate and John. It was never clear whether Kate and John were husband and wife, or brother and sister. Most likely, it was neither, nor were Ma and Pa husband and wife. The only likely relationship was Ma and Kate. They came to Kansas in 1870, and people figured they were German immigrants based on their accents. They were quiet people except for Kate, who was loquacious and charming. Guests would sit down at a table for dinner. Behind them was a curtain, from which Pa and John would emerge with hammers and beat their skulls in. The Benders would take their money and possessions and bury the bodies out back. Finally, when the brother of one of the victims started snooping around too much in 1873, the Benders figured their time was up and they took off. Ma and Pa took a train north, Kate and John a train south. They were never heard from again. However, the bodies, or parts thereof, of 10-14 people were dug up from the backyard. Item 51 is The Benders of Kansas, by John T. James, published in 1913. He was the defense attorney for the supposed Bender women in 1889. Two women were found in Detroit by a relative of one of the victims who claimed they admitted to being the Bender women. They were taken to Kansas for trial, but the court was unable to identify them as being the Bender women. Item 51. $3,500.

 

The William Reese Company may be reached at 203-789-8081 or coreese@reeseco.com. Their website is www.williamreesecompany.com.

Rare Book Monthly

  • Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG BEADED JUDICIAL COLLAR. $80,000 - $120,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: ONLY KNOWN COPY OF THE ONLY BOOK BY THE REMARKABLE EVE ADAMS. $8,000 - $12,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A COMPLETE RUN OF VISIONAIRE MAGAZINE THROUGH 2010. $6,000 - $9,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: LAW REVIEW OFFPRINT SIGNED AND INSCRIBED BY RUTH BADER GINSBURG. $3,000 - $5,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: META REBNER'S WORKING SCRIPT OF THE LOVED ONE. $1,500 - $2,000
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A KATHY GROVE PORTRAIT OF CYNDI LAUPER FOR THE FEBRUARY 1989 DETAILS COVER. $800 - $1,200
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A PLASTIC COAT BY MILLIE DAVID FEATURED IN SOHO NEWS STYLE SECTION, FROM THE COLLECTION OF ANNIE FLANDERS. $500 - $700
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A RUTH BADER GINSBURG JEWELRY BOX. $600 - $900
    Bonhams, Mar. 22 – Apr. 2: A SET OF JONI MITCHELL LYRICS FOR "IF I HAD A HEART." $2,000 - $3,000
  • Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [RUTH, George Herman “Babe” (1895-1948)]. Signed photograph. Circa 1930s. 191 x 248 mm. $1,500 to $2,500.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HARRISON, Benjamin. Document signed (“Benj Harrison”) as governor of Virginia, certifying the service of Daniel Cumbo, a Black Revolutionary soldier. $6,000 to $9,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: ONE OF THE FIRST PRINTED ANNOUNCEMENTS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: FIRST PRINTING OF LINCOLN’S IMMORTAL GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. $4,000 to $6,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: HIGHLY IMPORTANT MORMON ARCHIVE. ALLEY, George. Archive of 23 Autograph Letters Signed by Mormon Convert George Alley to His Brother Joseph Alley. $10,000 to $20,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [AVIATION]. [ARMSTRONG, Neil A.] Aviation Hall of Fame Gold Medal MS64 NGC, Awarded to Neil Armstrong in 1979. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: NEWLY DISCOVERED FIRST PRINTING OF "WITH MALICE TOWARDS NONE... " FROM THE ONLY NEWSPAPER ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO PARTICIPATE IN LINCOLN’S SECOND INAUGURAL PROCESSION. $4,000 to $8,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: THE MOST IMPORTANT GEORGE WASHINGTON DOCUMENT IN PRIVATE HANDS; GEORGE WASHINGTON’S COMMISSION AS COMMANDER IN CHIEF, 1775, ONE OF ONLY TWO ORIGINALS. $150,000 to $250,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: A VERY RARE ACCOUNT OF BLACKBEARD’S DEATH AND ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PIRATE ITEMS EXTANT. $3,000 to $5,000.
    Potter & Potter Auctions
    How History Unfolds on Paper:
    Choice Selections from the Eric C. Caren Collection
    Part IX
    April 18, 2024
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: EDISON, Thomas. Patent for Edison’s Improvements on the Electric-Light, No. 219,628. [Washington, D.C.: U.S. Patent Office], 16 September 1879. $2,000 to $3,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: [VIETNAM WAR]. The original pen used by Secretary of State William P. Rogers to sign the Vietnam Peace Agreement, Paris, 27 January 1973. $10,000 to $15,000.
    Potter & Potter, Apr. 18: SONS OF LIBERTY FOUNDER COLONEL BARRÉ ANNOTATED TITLE-PAGE, “WHICH OUGHT TO ROUSE UP BRITISH ATTENTION”. $4,000 to $6,000.

Review Search

Archived Reviews

Ask Questions