At Auction February 20
19th & 20th Century Literature
First Editions of Jane Austen’s Major Novels
Literature opens this sale, with first editions of all of Jane Austen’s major novels, including her first, Sense and Sensibility, 1811, in uncommon surviving period binding. Also from the nineteenth century is a scarce, complete first edition of The Woman in White, 1860, by Wilkie Collins.
Graham Greene, William Faulkner & Virginia Woolf
There are over 20 inscribed first editions by Graham Greene being offered, including many important association copies, beginning with his first book, Babbling April, 1925, inscribed to his first mistress, Dorothy Glover. Equally impressive is a group of William Faulkner first editions—family presentation copies inscribed by him to his first cousin Sallie [Falkner] Burns—available for the first time. Sought-after titles by Anne Frank, Joris-Karl Huysmans, Henrik Ibsen, Friedrich Nietzsche and Fernando Pessoa, some of them signed, lend a Continental perspective.
Art, Press, Illustrated & Children’s Books
The sale will also contain a selection of art, press and illustrated books, including limited-edition livres d’artiste, more material from the Sackner Collection, and inscribed works by Latin American artists.
Autographs
Leaders, Politicians & Public Figures
Autographs include a number of uncommon items by world leaders, including a document in which Napoleon, by adding his signature, confers the title of Cavalier upon a soldier who fought in the Napoleonic Wars. Remarkable autographs featured include a selection of items signed by Princess Diana, with a limited-edition catalogue of her own dresses sold at a charity auction, as well as a signed menu for a charity dinner held by the British Deaf Association. An image of leadership can be found in a well-known photograph of Winston S. Churchill by Walter Stoneman, signed by the statesman.
Presidential Autographs & Americana
Dated during the Battle of Gettysburg, a document with Abraham Lincoln’s signature orders the state of Massachusetts to provide troops for the Civil War.
Writers & Artists
The words of authors sometimes resonate even long after their deaths, including those of Emile Zola, who has written an autograph quotation signed: “Truth is on the march / and nothing can stop it.” An autograph letter signed by Charles Dickens, written to actress and theater manager Céline Céleste-Elliott, requests last-minute tickets in order to entertain a visiting friend. Also featured: a signed autograph manuscript of a short story by Jacob A. Riis.
Exhibition Begins February 15
The exhibition is free to attend and open to the public. We welcome special and educational groups with advance notice—send an inquiry to rsvp@swanngalleries.com.
Exhibition Hours
Saturday, February 15 — 12 PM to 5 PM
Monday, February 17 — 10 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday, February 18 — 10 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday, February 19 — 10 AM to 6 PM
Thursday, February 20 — 10 AM to 12 PM
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The post Fine Books & Manuscripts: Winter 2020 appeared first on Swann Galleries News.