Books and Works on Paper

A set of the four volumes that make up William G Johnstone & Alexander Croall’s 'Nature-Printed British Sea-Weeds' of 1859-60 was offered in a December 21 sale at John Nicholson’s (20% buyer’s premium) in Fernhurst, Surrey.

The two signed photo-portraits of writers reproduced here formed part of a November 17-December 1 sale held by Christie’s (15/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) that dispersed a single-owner collection of literary manuscripts billed as Exiles and Idealists.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Mary Queen of Scots, Mary Wollstonecraft and Mary Shelley lots feature in Edinburgh auction

A four-day US sale of comics and comic art produced some extraordinary results – with 4900 would-be buyers registered and every one of the 1333 lots sold to bring a premium-inclusive total of $23.76m (£17.34m).

Aubrey Beardsley and John Batten add the illustrative attractions in North Yorks sale

Two very different lots from a Sussex sale are noted here: a German manuscript of Lenten sermons and the tale of a toy rabbit.

The distinguished military career of Major General Sir George Ridout Bingham (1777-1833) included service in the Peninsular War during the years 1809-14.

The big number in a London sale of music books, manuscripts, etc, was a collection of early pieces for guitar described as the most significant manuscript of its kind seen at auction in over 20 years.

Two letters in the hand of Benjamin Franklin, dating from 1782 and 1784 and both relating to the terms of the peace agreement between the newly independent USA and Britain that were being worked out during negotiations in Paris, provided the highest bids at Bonhams New York (27.5/25/20/14.5% buyer’s premium) on December 15.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

The record-shattering sum of $41m paid for an extremely rare, 1787 first printing of the US Constitution at Sotheby’s New York last November was covered in ATG No 2520, but a sale held by the same auction house a few days later, on November 23, also contained rare items of American historical interest.

If it’s a real mix of topics, genres and ages you are after, this auction had everything

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions.

Our regular listing of UK and Irish book auctions. All the sales are viewable on thesaleroom.com

Letter to fellow evolutionary pioneer detailed possible response to one of their critics

Undoubtedly one of the more unusual lots to have featured in these reports over the years, the 3½in (9cm) wide piece of gold foil pictured here bears an Orphic poem by one Agestratos, who dedicates his brief verses to Apollo in what is thought to be Doric Greek.

Three letters in the hand of Sir Walter Scott emerged from an old suitcase full of documents found in the attic of an Edinburgh home.

A great many works written and/or illustrated by Denys Watkins-Pitchford, or ‘BB’ as he was more briefly known, were offered in a December 8 sale.