Bloomsbury Auctions, the world’s leading auctioneer of rare books and works on paper has thrown its hat into the ring with its first ever Americana week auction on
Monday 26th January.
The sale being held at Bloomsbury’s mid-town Manhattan gallery on West 48th Street focuses on decorative paper, Americana and includes works by Audubon, Currier & Ives, Catesby and Peale. Among the highlights are important prints and books relating to Native Americans including material by Bodner, Catlin, McKenney & Hall and Curtis.
The sale also contains portraiture including several impressive American Revolution era mezzotints as well as important American marine and city views. The sale concludes with a lovely collection of fine atlases and important cartography masterpieces.
A highlight in the 156 lot sale North American Indian Portfolio – contains hunting scenes and amusements of the Rocky Mountains and prairies of America, fine drawings and notes of the author during eight years of travel amongst forty-eight of the wildest and most remote tribes of savages in North America. London George Catlin: 1844, $ 90,000- $ 120,000- a first edition, first issue with interesting provenance.
Other highlights include an evocative and historically important Currier print of the Mississippi Paddle Steamer- Mayflower lithograph colored by hand: 1855 $ 4,000- $6,000 and an Audubon American Sparrow Hawk an engraving with etching and aquatint: 1836 $ 4,000-$ 6,000.
The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain – 1676- is an attractive example of the first world atlas published by an Englishman in England with the full complement of maps of the Americas. John Speed: five parts in one volume $ 80,000-$120,000.
Viewings:
Thursday 22nd January 10-5 p.m.
Friday 23rd January 10-5 p.m.
Saturday 24th January 10-5 p.m.
Monday 26th January 10- 12:30 p.m.
Auction info http://ny.bloomsburyauctions.com/auction/NY024