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44 13th November 2010 antiquarian books Brontë sisters set the tone continued from page 43


– a cousin of Harrison Ainsworth, who used to act as hostess at his literary get- togethers – made $240,000 (£144,580) at Christie’s New York. A copy of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre


in original cloth failed on a £35,000- 50,000 estimate, but ex-Bradley Martin copies of Emily’s Wuthering Heights and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall proved far more successful. The former was issued in 1847, with


British & Irish Book Auctions


Nov 10@ Nov 11@ Nov 11* Nov 11


Nov 11*@ Nov 11*@ Nov 11*@ Nov 11@ Nov 12@ Nov 12* Nov 13@ Nov 13*@ Nov 13*@ Nov 13*@ Nov 13*@ Nov 13* Nov 15*


Nov 16*@ Nov 16*@ Nov 16*@


Antiquaran & General Books & Maps, Dominic Winter - South Cerney (01285 860006) Bibliophile Sale, Bloomsbury Auctions - Godalming (020 7495 9494) Book Section: Sporting Sale, Bonhams - Edinburgh (0131 225 2266)


Book Section: Sporting Sale, Greenslade Taylor Hunt - Taunton (01823 332525) Book Section, Cheffins - Cambridge (01223 213343) 36-lot Book Section, Philip Serrell - Malvern (01684 892314) 7-lot Book Section, George Kidner - Lymington (01590 670090)


Aviation, Motoring & Transport Sale, Dominic Winter - South Cerney (01285 860006) General Shop Stock & Recreational Sports, Dominic Winter - South Cerney (01285 860006) Book Section, Smiths - Newent (01531 821776)


562-lot Book Section, Taylors - Montrose (01674 672775) Book Section, Dee Atkinson & Harrison - Driffield (01377 253151)


Book & Ephemera Section, Steven B. Bruce - Stratford upon Avon (07778 595952) Irish Book & MSS Section,Whytes - Dublin (00 353 1 676 2888) Book Section, Fidler Taylor - Bakewell (01629 580228) Book Section, P.G. & R.J. Pyle - Hatherleigh (01837 810756) Book Section, Raymond P.Inman - Hove (01273 774777) Book Section, Tamlyn - Bridgwater (01278 445251)


Welsh Interest Book Section, Peter Francis - Camarthen (01267 233456) Book Section,Wotton Auction Rooms - Wotton-under-Edge (01453 844733)


Nov 17* Sporting Books & Memorabilia incl. MCC Colln., Christie’s South Kensington (020 7752 3007) Nov 18@ Nov 18*@ Nov 18* Nov 18*


Important Books & MSS, Bloomsbury Auctions (020 7495 9494)


Historical Documents, Autograph Letters, Manuscripts, Mullocks - Ludlow (01694 771771) Book Section, Bushey Auctions (020 8386 2552) Book Section, Clifford Cross - Wisbech (01945 584200)


Nov 19@ Harris Colln. Pt II: Nat Hist, UK Topography, Platebooks, Bloomsbury Auctions (020 7495 9494)


Sales marked with an * are those in which books and ephemera form part of a larger sale. Sales marked @ are viewable on antiquestradegazette.com. Auctioneers are asked to send details of specialist book sales, as well as those sales that may contain significant book and ephemera sections, to: Ian McKay Tel: (01795) 890475 • Fax: (01795) 890014 • ianmckay1@btinternet.com


sister Anne’s Agnes Grey making up the third volume of the traditional three- decker. At the time it failed to impress reviewers, who were not ready for this passionate and sometimes violent tale, a work later described by Juliet Barker in the ODNB as remarkable for its “complete absence of any moral tone or purpose – a quality almost unique in Victorian fiction”. Revenues on the first edition were


so poor that neither sister received any payment from the publisher and firsts


are understandably rare. This example in 19th century half-calf, which in 1990 had made $37,000 (then £22,560) as a Bradley Martin book, sold at a record £135,000 – beating the £95,000 paid at Bonhams in 2007 for the Maynards Library copy. Bradley Martin’s copy of Anne Brontë’s


The Tenant of Wildfell Hall is the only one in the publisher’s original half-cloth binding that has come to auction in 35 years. In 1990, it sold at $32,000 (£19,510) and this time reached £70,000. – a new auction record by some distance. Last seen at auction six years ago,


when, it sold for $105,000 (then £54,680) at Sotheby’s New York as part of the library of Mrs J.Insley Blair, was an 1868 first of the book that T.S.Eiot called “the first, the longest, and the best of modern English detective novels” and that Dorothy L. Sayers said was“probably the finest detective story ever written”. This was Wilkie Collins’ The Moonstone, and here it returned to sell for £55,000. In sterling terms it just edges into


record place, but for those who think in dollars, exchange rates over that six-year period mean something quite different – a fall to under $87,000 at today’s rates. The Moonstone was in original purple


cloth, the gilt spine now somewhat discoloured, and a copy of Collins’ earlier mystery story of 1860, The Woman in White, was in similar condition. A first English edition (issued one month after its American counterpart), this was another ex-Bradley Martin lot and, at £17,000, bettered the price paid for the previous record holder, the Insley Blair copy – in dollars or pounds. An 1869 first of R.D. Blackmore’s


Lorna Doone sold at £5500. This retained the publisher’s blue cloth


gilt bindings, recased to preserve the original spines, but was inscribed by the author to his friend and fellow writer, Mortimer Collins, and contained an 1895 letter to his publishers concerning scenes that might be suitable for a planned


Above: the most expensive Thomas Hardy book in the sale was this fine first impression set of Tess of the D’Urbervilles of 1891, which made a record £13,000. An 1880 first of The Trumpet- Major which made $14,000 (then £7290) in the Insley Blair sale of 2004 was this time sold at £11,500 – a price only surpassed by the copy in the magnificent Hardy library of F.B. Adams. That one also contained two letters discussing the work and sold at £30,000 at Sotheby’s in 2001.


illustrated edition. In 1946, a fine 1881 first of Henry


James’ The Portrait of a Lady was lotted up with other books from the library of Oliver Brett, 3rd Viscount Esher, when sold at Sotheby’s, but last month it sold on its own account at a record £29,000. A very good, 1897 first issue copy of Bram Stoker’s Dracula sold at £8000.


BUYER’S PREMIUMS


Christie’s/Sotheby’s: 25% to £25,000, then 20% to £500,00, 12% thereafter


NB: premiums may not apply or have been set at different levels where prices from sales of previous years are quoted. Exchange rates are those in effect on the day of sale.


Bibliophile Sales Godalming


Contact Clive Moss: cmoss@bloomsburyauctions.com


Baverstock House, 93 High Street, Godalming, Surrey GU7 1AL t +44 (0) 1483 423567 f +44 (0) 1483 426392 godalming@dnfa.com www.dnfa.com/godalming


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