Daily Features

Books on the Block: Fall Auction Highlights

Each fall, the world’s preeminent auction houses offer up a collection of rare and unique books

By Branden Klayko, Superscript November 26, 2013

Each fall, the world’s preeminent auction houses call for bids on some of the most exciting books of the year. Books at auction are often not what you'd find at your local bookstore, whether they include novel extras like this reprint of Norman Mailer's MoonFire that includes a lunar rock in a case designed by Apple's Jony Ive, or exceedingly rare like the Whole Booke of Psalmes, the first English book printed in the New World. Just in time for the holidays, here’s Designers and Books’ roundup of five of the most exciting auctions that make light work of finding gifts for the book collector who has it all (including deep pockets).

A photo spread showing an oil field in the American south (left) and the three tomes that make up National Geographic: Around the World in 125 Years (right). © Taschen

National Geographic: Around the World in 125 Years
Christie’s
Estimate: $10,000–$15,000

If a photograph is worth a thousand words, then this 125th anniversary, three-volume collection of National Geographic photographs—covering over 1,460 pages—is worth an entire library. And at an estimated auction price of $10,000 to $15,000, you could easily purchase a small library of less-distinguished books. This edition of the so-called National Geographic: Around the World in 125 Years by TASCHEN is one of five signed by 43 National Geographic photographers and is billed as an exclusive piece of photographic history. The first set will be presented to President Barack Obama and three will be retained in the archives of TASCHEN and National Geographic, making this the sole edition available for purchase. For photography connoisseurs on a more limited budget, an unsigned copy of the set is on sale for $500.

The book America and Alfred Stieglitz (left). An inscription and signature by Stieglitz (right). © Swann Auction Galleries

America and Alfred Stieglitz, A Collective Portrait
Swann Auction Galleries
Estimate: $1,800–$2,200

Meanwhile, over at Swann Auction Galleries, a collection of photographs and photography books is up for bid, including spectacular views like Ansel Adams’s Moon and Half Dome, Yosemite National Park taken in 1960, which is expected to fetch upward of $35,000. Max Yavno’s layered hodge podge of San Francisco houses circa 1947 is estimated to take $4,000 to $6,000 and the psychedelic collage of New York City lights from the 1970s taken by Ernst Haas is said to be worth around $4,000.

But what really caught our eye was a 1938 signed first edition of America and Alfred Stieglitz, A Collective Portrait, edited by a group including Lewis Mumford and Dorothy Norman. The book assembles 120 illustrations and photographs of the noted artist ranging from city scenes to abstract art. Interested? Be prepared to bid over $2,000.

A cover detail from the 1640 edition of Machiavelli's The Prince. © Sotheby's London

Machiavelli’s The Prince
Sotheby’s London
Estimate: $32,000–$48,000

For the true bibliophile, head over to Sotheby’s for a chance to bid on a collection of rare books taken from the library of a prominent British collector. Among the tomes by Malthus, Marx, and Austen, one royal standout is an exceptionally rare copy of Machiavelli’s The Prince dating to 1640. This first English edition was translated from Italian by Edward Dacres, and while possessing it might not garner political favor with your local tyrant, it will undoubtedly give you additional clout at your weekly book club. The book will set you back a princely sum of $32,000 to $48,000.

Sculptor Rachel Whiteread created a cast pewter cement truck to accompany her book Mike and the Modelmakers. © Paddle8

Mike and the Modelmakers
Paddle8
Estimate: $3,200

Inspired by the stories of children in Africa, Paddle8’s “Dramatic Need” benefit auction brings together artists from all over the world to help fund a therapeutic arts center. While most of the artists kept to traditional media of painting and photography, British sculptor Rachel Whiteread has created a unique book-sculpture hybrid with Mike and the Modelmakers. The lot includes the limited edition book with a woven cloth cover and embroidered label contained within a red linen clamshell box as well as a cast pewter concrete mixer truck. The artwork was donated to the auction in response to a story by 16-year-old Lucky Sehwehla of South Africa, whose statement will be transcribed and included in the set. Whitehouse’s sculpture has been displayed at MoMA, the Venice Biennale, and the Guggenheim. The work is expected to bring in $3,200.

The first edition cover of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (left) and an illustration of the Cowardly Lion by W.W. Denslow. © Bonhams

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Bonhams New York
Estimate: $80,000–$120,000

If it’s courage, heart, or just directions back home you’re looking for, Bonhams is offering a first edition of L. Frank Baum's The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Scattered throughout the story are 24 color plates and illustrations by artist W.W. Denslow. Printed in 1900, the book’s design features a more modern cover layout of green cloth stamped in green and red with a bowed Cowardly Lion slinking along. What makes this book even more special, however, is that it’s one of only two known copies signed and inscribed by both the author and the illustrator, including a sketch of a little girl in a floral dress (the other presentation copy is locked inside a library at Harvard). That level of distinction doesn’t come cheap. This book is estimated to fetch $80,000 to $120,000 at auction.

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