Swann's October 11 sale of Art, Press & Illustrated books resulted in strong prices from examples of fine art press books to pop art portfolios. Notably, Gustav Klimt's first and only monograph, Das Werk von Gustav Klimt, brought a record $144,000, more than three times the high estimate. The portfolio contains 50 collotype plates in a case designed by Julius Dratva.
A copy of Andy Warhol's classic illustrated book, 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy, 1954, sold for $52,800. The quirky hand-made book was a collaboration between Warhol, his mother, and many friends, who helped color in the cats. Warhol gave them as Christmas gifts, and it is believed approximately 150 copies were produced.
A first edition of Frank Lloyd Wright's "Wasmuth Portfolio," formally titled Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe, 1910, brought $22,800. The portfolio was a collaboration between Wright and the publisher Ernst Wasmuth, who wanted to publish a complete folio of Wright's work to date. It was popular in Europe, and was dubbed the "the most important book of the century" by contemporary architects.
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| Gustav Klimt, Das Werk von Gustav Klimt, Einleitende Worte: Hermann Bahr, Peter Altenberg, 50 plates in original case designed by Julius Dratva, Vienna and Leipzig, 1918. Sold October 11, 2012 for an auction record of $144,000. |
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| Andy Warhol, 25 Cats Name Sam and One Blue Pussy, 18 hand-colored lithographs, New York, 1954. Sold October 11, 2012 for $52,800. |
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| Frank Lloyd Wright, Ausgeführte Bauten und Entwürfe, two portfolios, Berline, 1910. Sold October 11, 2012 for $22,800. |