BOSTON, MA – November 18, 2018 – An attic discovery of the rare 1845 first edition of Poe’s Tales (Lot 224, Estimate: $60,000-80,000) in paper wrappers surpassed all expectations to sell for $315,000 after fierce competition from internet and telephone bidders. Based on the context of the discovery of this copy of Poe’s Tales, the original owner presumably bought this and other similar contemporaneous books to be read for amusement in the 1840s.… Read More
Join Fine Books & Manuscripts specialist Devon Eastland for a demonstration of bookbinding techniques, restoration treatments and a discussion of approaches to repair with examples. See books from the inside out and bring your questions. Devon has worked in the field of restoration for more than twenty years. Repair a chair and sit down, fix a book and read!… Read More
Andrea Mays, author of The Millionaire and the Bard: Henry Folger’s Obsessive Hunt for Shakespeare’s First Folio, will speak about her book, early printing, collecting, and the upcoming Early English Books auction on July 20.
Andrea Mays, like fellow New Yorker Henry Folger, has been possessed by a lifelong obsession with Shakespeare and his times.… Read More
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, autograph letter signed as President, concerning collective bargaining. Sold for $13,530
“Alexander Hamilton actually touched this!” Many of us have felt this childlike sense of excitement at museums, libraries, in the classroom, and in historic buildings where important events took place. When the impulse to collect grabs hold, the excitement increases exponentially.
The sense of awe we feel gazing through glass at a museum can be replaced by the intoxicating pride of ownership: Alexander Hamilton actually touched this, and now it’s mine!… Read More
Harry Clarke (1889–1931), The Baptism of St. Patrick, 1912. National College of Art and Design, Dublin
The Irish Arts & Crafts movement often does not get the attention it deserves in publications and exhibitions. That is why it was particularly exciting to visit the Making It Irish exhibition at the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College over the weekend. The curators have brought together over 150 objects, including textiles, metalwork, glass, furniture, books, and jewelry, to examine the movement in the context of the enormous social and political upheavals that characterized Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.… Read More
Armadillo from Audubon, John James (1785-1851) and Reverend John Bachman (1790-1874) The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America. (Lot 93, Estimate $200,000 – $300,000)
An independent Audubon Society has decided to de-accession one of the great masterpieces of 19th century natural history book illustration. The Society has a mission: to conserve and restore natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.… Read More
Roberts III, John (1724-1778) Manuscript Memorandum and Account Books. Offered in the upcoming spring book auction: May 27- June 7, 2015
Massachusetts is home to a wealth of institutional rare book libraries and special collections, private and public. Collecting groups, college and town libraries, historical societies, and museums contain an astonishing depth of irreplaceable monuments to our collective social and intellectual history.… Read More
Silk Embroidery of Xi Wangmu, China (Lot 294, Estimate $200-$400)
MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – February 6, 2015 – Skinner, Inc. will host an Asian Art – Online auction of over 500 objects from China, Japan, Korea, and Southeast Asia beginning on February 17 and running through February 27, 2015. On February 26, Skinner will offer over 400 additional lots in a live auction at our Marlborough Gallery. The auctions feature a diverse group of decorative items ranging from Chinese ceramics and porcelain to cloisonné, paintings, and furniture.… Read More
Devon Gray, Director, Fine Books & Manuscripts
Friday November 14th, 5:30PM in BostonReception: 5:30PM Gallery Walk: 6PM
Skinner Boston Gallery 63 Park Plaza Boston, MA 02116
Skinner has the privilege to offer a group of newly discovered letters written by a teen-aged Jack Kerouac to a boyhood friend. The Fine Books & Manuscripts Auction also presents 490 lots of historical and literary documents, fine and rare books, prints, and maps, and will be presented as part of Boston’s traditional fall rare book events, including the 38th Boston International Antiquarian Book Fair.… Read More
The Declaration of Independence, the very first and perhaps most important historical document, was intended to be printed and then thrown away.
