On this day (September 27th) in 1825 the world's first modern railway, the Stockton and Darlington Railway, opened, with 25 miles of track.
At this time William Ewart Gladstone was just 15 years old. When Gladstone died in 1898 there was more than 20,000 miles of track in the UK. Imagine how different travel would have been at various points in his life!
Did you know we hold a collection of books on the history of technology? Created by Richard L. Hills, it covers a wide range of technology including gas, papermaking, and the railway. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more about this collection!
: A practical treatise on rail-roads, and interior communication in general - Hil L.3/35
Signed copies, first editions, handwritten manuscripts, and more.
Welcome to our most expensive sales of April, May and June 2024. This manifold list includes an iconic collection from Romantic poet Lord Byron, special editions from literary titans James Joyce and George Orwell, plus a handwritten manuscript from Salvador DalÃ.
A collection of works by George Gordon Byron - $80,000
A collection of 21 works in first edition, most in their original, contemporary bindings
Alex Hime
Famously dubbed 'mad, bad and dangerous to know,' George Gordon Byron, sixth Baron Byron was a prominent English Romantic poet of the early 19th century. Lord Byron is known for his vivid depictions of nature and dark, brooding tone. This remarkable collection includes first editions of Byron's works such as Childe Harold's Pilgrimage.
Lord Byron may be one of the few 19th century poets who would have been just as popular 150 years after his death, with a personal style and flair much like a rock star. His work and his personal story continue to intrigue a wide range of people, not just those that study poetry academically. So this collection of 21 first editions is, simply put, a wonderful thing. A comparable group would be almost impossible to assemble these days no matter the time or money one might be willing to invest. Many are in the original boards or wrappers, several titles are incredibly difficult to find in first issue, excellent provenance for several books, etc. A collection worthy of a place in any library in the world.
Alex Hime (Biblioctopus)
Zur Farbenlehre by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe - $27,000
In his color wheel, Goethe proposed diametrically opposed colors, and recognized the role of magenta.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe is considered one of the greatest writers in the German language. The author behind iconic works like The Sorrows of Young Werther (1744) and Faust (1808), Goethe was also a polymath who made significant contributions to the Sciences.
His Theory of Colours challenged Newton's optics, proposing a subjective, psychological approach to color perception that influenced artists and thinkers throughout the 19th century.
This copy of the Theory of Colours, published in 1808, is a fine, complete first edition in its original binding.
Throughout the years we have sold several copies of Goethe's Farbenlehre, but this is unquestionably the finest specimen we have ever handled: a first edition in its original binding, formerly in the library of Goethe's friend, lord and benefactor, Karl August, Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach.
Christopher Frey (Antiquariat Inlibris)
It's A Battlefield by Graham Greene - $23,550
Supplied dust wrapper is designed by Youngman Carter; a true first issue, with some mild creasing throughout and moderate separation at the spine tips
This first edition, first printing of Graham Greene's early novel, It's a Battlefield, was published in 1934.
The novel follows Drover, a Communist bus driver in prison and appealing his death sentence for killing a policeman during a riot at Hyde Park Corner.
Greene's signature is present on the front fly leaf, inscribed to 'Clive, affectionately' in black ink. The recipient, Clive Francis, is a British actor and was a friend of Greene's.
Autograph Manuscript 'My Cinematic Secrets' by Salvador Dali - $22,300
On the third page of his manuscript (detail shown here), Dali sketches two interesting figures in different styles: one, a grotesque portrait of Francis Bacon, and the other drawn in the Cubist style.
In the manuscript, Dali affirms the conviction of his genius in cinematographic art, referencing his first two films, Un chien andalou and L'Âge d'or, as proof. He then derides the role of filmmaker Luis Buñuel in the realization of the films and introduces his next project, La Brouette de flesh.
This rather remarkable handwritten manuscript by Salvador Dali details the artist’s notable work in the medium of cinema. The artist adds little drawings to the text, and furnishes extravagant — at times highly surreal — detail about his creative process. A stream of consciousness across five pages…!
Adam Andrusier
Animal Farm by George Orwell - $21,000
A very crisp dust wrapper with the publisher's printed price of '6s.' present on the front flap
"All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others."
When the animals of Manor Farm revolt against their human master and take over the farm, they hope to create a society where they can be equal, free, and happy. Gradually, however, a cunning elite among them start to abuse their power and adopt the very behaviors they had initially fought against.
This is an outstanding copy of the first edition of Orwell's iconic novella, Animal Farm, published in 1945 under contemporary war time economy standards with an estimated print run of 4000 copies.
In its original, mildly soiled yellow cloth slipcase; an extremely attractive example, with spotless text block, neatly signed by Joyce on the limitation's page, number 216 of 425 copies
Having exhausted all the possibilities of the English language in Ulysses, James Joyce had only one recourse for his next project: create an entirely new language, a pastiche of all the existing languages. The result is Finnegans Wake.
James Joyce wrote Finnegans Wake, his last major work, over seventeen years. This limited edition copy, signed by Joyce himself, is in excellent condition.
Political, Miscellaneous and Philosophical Pieces by Benjamin Franklin - $19,100
Frontispiece showing a portrait of Benjamin Franklin
Polymath inventor, writer, and statesman, Benjamin Franklin is considered a key Founding Father of the United States.
This first edition of the only lifetime collection of Franklin's non-scientific writings was edited by his close friend, British diplomat and political reformer Benjamin Vaughan. Vaughan edited the writings with Franklin's assistance before they were published in 1779. Vaughan was also a vital voice of reason during the peace negotiations which ended the American Revolutionary War, mediating between Franklin and Lord Shelburne, and acting as a confidential adviser and private secretary.
Judging by contemporary reviews, the book was met with a favorable reaction from British audiences despite the ongoing war.
Original manuscript by Borges on a single page, 208 x 294mm
This original manuscript was written by the great Argentinian writer and essayist, Jorge Luis Borges, for his text Yo, Judio (Me, Jew), published in the magazine, Megafono, in 1934.
In the article, Borges responds to an attack made against him in another magazine, Crisol, which supported Nazism.
The manuscript originally belonged to the director of Megafono before being sold to a private collector in 1978.
'Yo Judio' is a manuscript of great relevance, since Borges explores Jewish identity and its relationship with history and culture. In this text, the author reflects on his heritage and his deep connection to the Jewish faith. Through symbolic and profound language, Borges invites us to explore the duality of being Jewish and Argentine, and how this identity influences his writing. In my opinion, along with 'El Milagro secreto' and 'Deutsches Requiem', these three texts are the most outstanding regarding the topic of Judaism, its origins and its relationship with the Shoa.
Flavia Zdanowsky (Chaco 4ever Books)
Association copy of Chateaubriand by Jules Lemaitre - $15,900
Henry James' copy of Chateaubriand by Jules Lemaitre, given to him by his friend Edith Wharton, with James' inscription on the half-title, 'Henry James from E.W. May, 1912'
This copy of Chateaubriand by Jules Lemaitre was gifted to Henry James by his friend, Edith Wharton. A superb association copy, it represents the longstanding friendship between the two great novelists, both of whom shared a profound relationship to Paris and French literature.
In a letter dated '12 May 1912,' James wrote to Wharton to thank her for a package containing two books, one of which being this Chateaubriand. James and Wharton were friends from early days, with James describing The Mount, Wharton's glittering Massachusetts estate where she entertained the American literary elite, as 'a delicate French chateau mirrored in a Massachusetts pond.'
James appears to have read this copy thoroughly, as evidenced by markings and folded-over pages, as well as three pencil annotations.
The illustrations of this work served as a source of classical motifs for many artists.
Bernard de Montfaucon (1655 - 1741) was an influential French monk and scholar, and is known today as one of the founders of paleography and archaeology.
In this substantial work, Montfaucon documented classical art and architecture. The copy consists of 15 volumes with 1,396 plates, as well as the supplemental volumes published after his death.
: A practical treatise on rail-roads, and interior communication in general - Hil L.3/35
